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zk vs Obsidian: catalog facts
zk	Obsidian
Free Free to download and use from GitHub.	Free Free for everyone, including commercial use, in the vendor’s own words. Obsidian Sync and…
Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Browser extension
Notes stay as plain Markdown files Works with any text editor	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
Command-line only, no graphical interface Assumes comfort with the terminal	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	Downloadable app, Browser extension
Closed source	Closed source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026

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