Head to head
Cimanote vs Obsidian
Obsidian is a workshop: infinitely configurable, plugin-powered, files on your disk. Cimanote is a finished product: open it, write, and let the AI do the wiring.
Try Cimanote freeChoose Obsidian (the local-first power tool) if…
- →You want local Markdown files you fully control, forever.
- →You enjoy building your system — plugins, themes, graph tweaks are the fun part.
- →You link notes by hand and like it that way.
Choose Cimanote (the AI-native notes app) if…
- You want sync, collaboration, and mobile that just work — no paid add-ons, no setup.
- You'd rather the connections build themselves: Cimanote's AI links entities, synthesizes pages, and flags gaps automatically.
- You share notes with people who will never install a vault.
- You want collaboration and AI synthesis included — not a vault to wire up first.
Feature by feature
| Feature | Cimanote | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Works instantly, zero setup | DIY vaults | |
| Sync included | Paid add-on | |
| Real-time collaboration | ||
| AI knowledge base | Automatic synthesis | Plugins + manual linking |
| Local Markdown files | Export anytime | |
| Mobile experience | Installable PWA | Separate app + sync setup |
| Web clipper | 5 modes, incl. Pick Element | Official, Markdown-based |
| Evernote import | One-click .enex | Official Importer plugin |
| Plugins & theming | ||
| Price | $6/mo, first year free | Free + Sync $4/mo (annual) |
The short version
Obsidian is unbeatable if the system is the hobby. Cimanote is for people who want the outcome — connected, searchable, synced knowledge — without building the machine.
Your Obsidian vault is Markdown — drag up to 200 files at once into Cimanote. See import & export →
Coming from Evernote? See why Cimanote is the Evernote alternative people switch to →