Obsidian vs Notabase
Choose Notabase if you want an open-source, web-oriented personal knowledge base with linked notes, automatic cloud access, optional self-hosting, and a simpler WYSIWYG workflow. Choose Obsidian if local, account-free storage is essential or if you require its documented encrypted sync and shared-vault capabilities; equivalent encryption, version history, and team collaboration are not documented for Notabase.
Decision guide
The practical reasons to choose either option, based on documented capabilities.
Choose Notabase if
- Individuals who prefer a browser-based WYSIWYG knowledge base with automatic cross-device access
- Users who require access to source code or want to self-host the full application
- Networked-note workflows built around backlinks, nested notes, tags, block references, graph exploration, and full-text search
Stay with Obsidian if
- Notes must remain locally stored and usable without an account
- Synchronization requires documented AES-256 end-to-end encryption or version history
- Teams depend on shared vaults with participant invitations and real-time updates across devices
Deployment and operations
Notabase is a TypeScript project supplied under AGPL-3.0, with Docker support but no Kubernetes configuration. The hosted service is the project's current focus. Self-hosting requires a Supabase backend for authentication, database, and storage; operators must configure environment variables, apply database and storage SQL, install npm packages, and build and run the application. Supabase can itself be hosted separately. The shared hosted/self-hosted codebase imposes a default note cap unless an
Migration considerations
Notabase documents generic note import and export, plus export to Markdown. No Obsidian-specific importer, vault-layout compatibility, attachment migration behavior, or metadata mapping is documented, so test a representative vault before switching.
Feature fit
What Notabase covers
- Interlinked personal note collections
- Backlinks and note traversal
- Graph-based connection exploration
- Full-text note search
- Cross-device note access
- Web note publishing
What’s different or missing
- Documented local, account-free storage
- Documented end-to-end encrypted sync
- Documented sync version history
- Documented shared team vaults
- Documented real-time collaborative updates
Project snapshot
- GitHub stars
- 910
- Contributors
- 6
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last commit
- Jul 17, 2026
- Latest release
- Not available
Categories: Document Collaboration, Knowledge Management, Note Taking, File Sync & Storage, Calendars & Scheduling, Task Management
Sources and editorial review14 linked sources
Public documentation supports this comparison. Automation assists collection and classification; editorial standards and corrections remain the responsibility of Kris.
Notabase is a personal knowledge base for networked thinking.
readme · github.comIt lets you connect knowledge and form ideas by linking notes together.
readme · github.comUse the graph view to analyze your knowledge graph
readme · github.comFull-text search lets you easily find relevant notes
readme · github.comYour notes are synced to the cloud and can be accessed on any device
readme · github.comNotabase is currently focused on the hosted experience, but it is possible for you to self-host it as well.
readme · github.combuild and run the project using npm run build and npm start -- --port 3000
readme · github.comNotabase is currently focused on the hosted experience, but it is possible for you to self-host it as well.
verdict · github.comIt's built for the universal platform: the web. Your notes are automatically accessible across all of your devices—no additional setup needed.
verdict · notabase.ioIn your local environment, install the packages using `npm install`, and then build and run the project using `npm run build` and `npm start -- --port 3000`.
deployment · github.comNotabase is licensed under the AGPL license, and is free for personal use. If you'd like to use Notabase for commercial use, please contact me for a commercial license.
deployment · github.com🤝 **Import** or **export** your notes at any time
migration · github.comYou can export your notes at any time to Markdown.
migration · notabase.io🔀 Use the **graph view** to analyze your knowledge graph - 🔍 **Full-text search** lets you easily find relevant notes
shared feature · github.com
