Notes & ideas
Obsidian
A local notes system that can also hold a journal.
A good fit for
A candidate if file ownership matters more than a ready-made diary workflow.
Keep in mind
You design the journaling workflow and assess any plugins you add.
What’s inside
From the app’s documentationExplore all 18 features
Availability can depend on your plan or device. “Not verified” means we haven’t established whether the feature is supported.
Write & reflect
Written entriesAvailable
Photo attachmentsHas conditions
Image files supported by Sync; capture workflow not tested.
Conditional · Checked 2026-09-09.
Audio recordingNot verified
Audio files sync; native recording was not checked.
Not verified · Checked 2026-09-09.
Voice to textNot verified
Not established in the sources reviewed.
Not verified · More research needed.
Prompts & templatesNot verified
Not established in the sources reviewed.
Not verified · More research needed.
Mood trackingNot verified
Not established in the sources reviewed.
Not verified · More research needed.
RemindersNot verified
Not established in the sources reviewed.
Not verified · More research needed.
AI reflectionNot verified
Not established in the sources reviewed.
Not verified · More research needed.
Organize & take it with you
Search & organizationNot verified
Not established in the sources reviewed.
Not verified · More research needed.
Device syncHas conditions
Optional paid Obsidian Sync.
Plan: Sync
Conditional · Checked 2026-09-09.
Export / portable filesAvailable
Import / migrationNot verified
Not established in the sources reviewed.
Not verified · More research needed.
IntegrationsHas conditions
Community plugins extend the app; each has its own trust implications.
Conditional · Checked 2026-09-09.
Privacy & access
Local storage optionAvailable
Local notes accessible offline.
Documented · Checked 2026-09-09.
End-to-end encryptionHas conditions
Documented for Obsidian Sync; not a guarantee that local files are encrypted.
Plan: Sync
Conditional · Checked 2026-09-09.
App lockNot verified
Not established in the sources reviewed.
Not verified · More research needed.
No AI training policyNot verified
Not established in the sources reviewed.
Not verified · More research needed.
Free writingAvailable
Also worth a look
Compare side by side
A closer look
What people reportNot reviewed yet
We haven’t reviewed independent user experiences for this profile yet. Manufacturer testimonials aren’t counted as independent reviews.
What we’re still checking
- Validate any journaling plugins, prompts and mood workflows independently.
- Check local file protection and plugin access.
- Test moving the vault with attachments to another editor.
Device availability doesn’t guarantee identical features. Check OS and language requirements before you choose.
Sources & review notes2 sources
Our recommendations interpret the sources below. These are source reviews, not hands-on product tests.
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Obsidian · official · page. Accessed 2026-09-09.
Sync Standard $4/month billed annually, $5 monthly; separate paid service.
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Obsidian · official · page. Accessed 2026-09-09.
Local storage is not a claim of application-level encryption of local files.
Sources checked 2026-09-09. Based on research, not hands-on testing. How we compare apps
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