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Obsidian vs The Archive: catalog facts
Obsidian	The Archive
Free Free for everyone, including commercial use, in the vendor’s own words. Obsidian Sync and…	Paid Paid app with a 60-day free trial.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Browser extension	macOS
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	Notes stored as plain Markdown text files Sync through any cloud storage folder
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	macOS only Site lists compatibility up to macOS 14 Sonoma
Downloadable app, Browser extension	Downloadable app
Closed source	Closed source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026

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