Mimir vs. Obsidian
Mimir vs. Obsidian: an outliner that works as it is, or a Markdown editor you shape with plugins. Price, sync, and which to choose.
Obsidian is a Markdown editor that works on a folder of plain text files
on your device. It links notes with [[brackets]] like Mimir does, but it
starts from documents rather than bullets, and you shape it with settings,
themes, and plugins.
Checked on 2026-10-11.
Which to choose
Choose Mimir if you want an outliner and a daily journal that work the moment you open the app, with no plugins to pick and keep working, and no settings screen. For sync, you paste a license key, then enter eight words on each other device, with no folder or service to connect. Cloud Sync is bought once and encrypts your notes on your device before it sends them.
Choose Obsidian if you want Markdown files you can open in any editor, thousands of plugins and themes, a graph view, or Windows, Linux, and Android. Sync is $4 a month with Obsidian Sync, or free through iCloud or another tool you set up yourself. Expect to spend time setting it up.
If you enjoy shaping your tools, Obsidian gives you the most room. Mimir is already shaped.
At a glance
| Mimir | Obsidian | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac, iPhone, iPad | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android |
| Where notes live | One database file on your device | A folder of Markdown files on your device |
| Price | Free. Cloud Sync is a one-time purchase. | Free. Sync is $4 a month, billed yearly. |
| Status | Active | Active |
Where Obsidian is heading
Obsidian ships often. Version 1.14, on 2026-10-05, added a kanban view for its database feature, opening single Markdown files from anywhere, and Quick Capture on iOS 26.
Price
The app is free, including for work, with no account needed. The paid extras are:
| Extra | Price |
|---|---|
| Sync, encrypted end to end, with version history and shared vaults | $4 a month, billed yearly |
| Publish | $8 a month per site, billed yearly |
| Catalyst, for early beta access | $25 once |
| Commercial license, optional | $50 per person per year |
You can also sync the folder of files with iCloud or another sync tool at no cost.
Mimir is free on every device. Syncing between devices is the one paid feature, a one-time purchase rather than a subscription.
What they share
[[Wikilinks]], and a list of what links to each note.- A note for each day, with Obsidian’s Daily notes option turned on.
- Notes stored on your own device, usable offline, with no account.
Where they differ
- An Obsidian note is a document. Outlining is something you add with plugins. Mimir is an outliner from the start: everything you write is a bullet, and the journal is the home page.
- Obsidian has thousands of community plugins and themes, a graph view, a canvas, and database views. Mimir has no plugins or settings screen.
- Obsidian’s notes are Markdown files you can open in any editor. Mimir keeps everything in one database file and exports to Markdown on a Mac.
- Obsidian runs on Windows, Linux, and Android. Mimir runs on Mac, iPhone, and iPad today.
What people say
People choose Obsidian for owning their files, for privacy, and for its plugins. The common complaints are a learning curve and the time spent setting it up and keeping plugins working.
On iPhone and iPad, Obsidian has 4.5 out of 5 stars from about 2,800 ratings on the US App Store. Complaints focus on text selection, freezes, and vaults kept in iCloud loading slowly. On the Obsidian forum, iPhone users time a cold start at one to three seconds.