Compare Obsidian vs. Simplenote vs. Standard Notes

Obsidian serves as a robust knowledge management tool that operates using a directory of plain text Markdown files stored locally. Much like the way our minds shift from one concept to another, your second brain should mimic this non-linear pattern. In Obsidian, the process of creating and navigating "connections" between notes is seamless and intuitive. Cultivate your notes with care, and at the end of your day, take a moment to appreciate the intricate web of knowledge you've created. Personalization in note-taking is key, and if you've experimented with various applications but always felt something was amiss, Obsidian offers a refreshing alternative. Designed to be highly customizable, it features 22 essential plugins and 149 additional community-created plugins, allowing you to tailor your toolkit and get started in just a few minutes. Furthermore, when Obsidian reaches version 1.0, you'll have the option to integrate third-party plugins or even create your own, opening up endless possibilities. In today's landscape, where cloud services are vulnerable to sudden changes or shutdowns, relying on proprietary formats and facing potential data lock-in is the last thing you need. With Obsidian, your information remains securely within a local folder, giving you peace of mind and complete control over your data. This ensures that your knowledge remains accessible and safe, no matter what the future holds.

Your notes remain synchronized across all devices seamlessly and in real-time, eliminating the need for a sync button as it operates effortlessly. You can easily add tags to your notes for quick retrieval through instant search functionality. Whether you want to share a to-do list, distribute instructions, or make your notes publicly accessible, the options are at your fingertips. Every alteration is automatically backed up, allowing you to revisit what you recorded last week or even last month. You can write, preview, and publish your notes using markdown format for an enhanced experience. All features, including apps, backups, syncing, and sharing, are offered entirely free of charge. Additionally, you have the option to browse notes for import or simply drag and drop files into the designated import window, with the app handling everything else for you. If you wish to maintain the markdown formatting of imported notes, you can select the "enable markdown on all notes" option, ensuring they are automatically set up as markdown notes within the simplenote application. This streamlined process makes it incredibly convenient for users to manage their notes efficiently.

Your notes are protected through encryption, ensuring that only you have the ability to access and decrypt them. This means that no one else, including us, can read your notes. By keeping our application straightforward, you can devote more time to writing instead of troubleshooting. It operates more swiftly and requires fewer resources compared to many other note-taking applications. We meticulously design our apps to enhance their longevity and durability over time. Standard Notes is available for free across all platforms and includes features such as cross-platform synchronization and robust end-to-end privacy. For those seeking additional capabilities and customization options, we offer an extended version that provides advanced editors, diverse themes, and automated backup solutions. No matter the device—be it a computer, smartphone, tablet, or gaming console—your data remains encrypted whenever it is transmitted outside your direct supervision. Whether it's on our servers, through our network, across a public network, in the cloud, or even beyond Earth, your information will be secured with a passcode that only you possess. This level of privacy ensures that your notes remain exclusively yours, providing peace of mind in an increasingly interconnected world.