GraphiteGraphite compared / Obsidian
Graphite vs Obsidian
Obsidian is a free app for linked notes, keeping a vault of plain Markdown files on your device, with plugins, a graph and canvas, and paid Sync and Publish. Graphite is a distraction-free writing app in the browser that also keeps plain Markdown files and [[links]], with Focus, Zen and tools for revising. Pick Obsidian to build a knowledge base; pick Graphite to draft and finish pieces.
At a glance
| Feature | Graphite | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Any modern browser: Chrome, Edge, Arc, Safari and Firefox, on a computer, tablet or phone. Installs as an app (PWA). Native apps are coming soon. | Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android. |
| Price | Free to write. Pro is $3.99 a month or $29 a year, or Pro Lifetime at $29 once (founding price until 13 November 2026, then $59) on up to 5 devices, with every 1.x update. | Free without limits. Optional Sync from $4 a user a month billed yearly ($5 monthly), and Publish from $8 a site a month billed yearly ($10 monthly). A $50 a year commercial license is optional. |
| Files and where they live | Plain Markdown files, in your browser, in a folder on your disk (Chrome, Edge and Arc) or in your own Google Drive. | Plain text Markdown files, stored locally on your device. |
| Offline | Yes, once it has loaded. With Google Drive, edits are kept on the device and sync shortly after. | Yes: notes are stored on your device, so you can reach them offline. |
| Account needed | No. A free account is optional, for Google Drive sync and Pro. | No sign-up required. |
| Focus features | Focus (sentence or paragraph), Typewriter and Zen. Syntax Highlight and Style Check with Pro. | Not covered on the pages we checked. Thousands of community plugins and themes extend the app. |
| Version history | A snapshot every ten minutes: the latest 5 free, up to 40 with Pro. Compare any two versions, word by word. | The File recovery core plugin keeps snapshots at least 5 minutes apart, for 7 days by default. Sync adds 1 month (Standard) or 12 months (Plus). |
| Export | Markdown and web page free. PDF, Word and blog post with Pro. | PDF on desktop, not on mobile. Publish (paid) puts notes on a website. |
| Sync and collaboration | Through your own Google Drive, free. Read-only share links. No real-time co-editing. | Obsidian Sync (paid), end-to-end encrypted, with shared vaults for teams. |
Choose Obsidian if…
- You’re building a knowledge base of many linked notes, with backlinks, a graph and canvas.
- You want to extend the app with community plugins and themes.
- You want native apps on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android.
- You share a vault with a team, or publish notes as a website.
Choose Graphite if…
- You want a writing app first: Focus by sentence or paragraph, Typewriter and Zen, built in.
- You revise with Syntax Highlight and Style Check, and want to see who wrote what with Authorship (Pro).
- You want Word, PDF and blog post export, with preview styles for essays, books and papers (Pro).
- You want sync without a paid add-on: Graphite syncs free through your own Google Drive.
- You need nothing installed: open it in a browser and write.
Switching from Obsidian
- An Obsidian vault is a folder of Markdown files. In Chrome, Edge or Arc, choose Open Folder… in Graphite and pick it, or try a copy of the vault first.
- Graphite understands
[[Title]],[[Title|shown text]]and[[Folder/Title]]links, and Preview lists the documents that link to the one you’re reading. Anything else stays as the text you wrote. - In Safari or Firefox, choose Import Files or Backup… and select the files instead.
- How links work in Graphite.
Questions
Is Graphite an Obsidian alternative?
For writing, it can be. Both keep plain Markdown files and link them with [[double brackets]]. Obsidian is built for linked notes and plugins; Graphite is built for writing and revising a piece, with Focus, Typewriter, Zen and revision tools.
Can I use Graphite and Obsidian on the same folder?
Graphite reads and writes the Markdown files in a folder you open, in Chrome, Edge or Arc, and reloads a file when another app changes it. If you try this with a vault, start with a copy.
Do my [[links]] keep working?
Links written as [[Title]] or [[Title|shown text]] work in Graphite, matched to a document’s name. Rename a document in Graphite and it offers to update every link to it.
Is Graphite free like Obsidian?
Writing, all three places to keep your files, links and Google Drive sync are free. Pro adds themes, typefaces, styles, revision tools and Word, PDF and blog post export, for $3.99 a month, $29 a year or once with Pro Lifetime.
Sources
Everything about Obsidian on this page comes from its own site, checked on 17 October 2026. If something has changed, write to us and we’ll fix it.
About Graphite: pricing and the guides. Other comparisons: iA Writer, Ulysses, Bear, Typora.