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Heptabase vs Obsidian: catalog facts
Heptabase	Obsidian
Paid Paid subscription, no permanent free tier mentioned.	Free Free for everyone, including commercial use, in the vendor’s own words. Obsidian Sync and…
Windows, macOS, Web	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Browser extension
Whiteboard and card format suits visual thinkers and complex research Cross-platform availability across desktop and web	Notes are plain Markdown files in a folder you control, readable without the app Linking, backlinks, tags, graph view and fast search across the vault
Paid subscription required to use Visual, card-based workflow takes longer to set up than plain text notes	The application is not open source, only the plugin ecosystem and the releases repository Syncing between devices means paying for Obsidian Sync or wiring up your own sync tool
Downloadable app, Web application	Downloadable app, Browser extension
Closed source	Closed source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.