Obsidian for Beginners: Vaults, Links, Plugins and Sync Prices
Obsidian's core app is free and keeps your notes as plain Markdown files in a folder called a vault. Make one in 4 steps, link notes by typing [[ and a note name, and leave community plugins off until you trust the author. Paid extras are optional: Sync costs $4 a month billed annually and Publish $8 a month per site.
A vault is just a folder on your computer
Obsidian's help says a vault is a folder on your local file system, including its subfolders. Your notes are Markdown-formatted plain text files inside it, so any other text editor can open them. That is the main difference from apps that keep notes in an online database: the files stay yours.
The first time you open Obsidian it asks you to add a vault. You can keep everything in one or make several, for instance one per project.
- New vault, 4 steps: click Create beside "Create new vault", type a name, click Browse and choose a location, then click Create.
- Existing folder, 3 steps: click Open beside "Open folder as vault", select the folder, click Open.
- Do not nest one vault inside another, because internal links may not update correctly.
Linking notes: [[ opens the link menu
A wikilink is the default: type [[Three laws of motion]] and the note is linked. Obsidian updates internal links automatically when you rename a file, and you can change that to a prompt under Settings, Files and links.
Links can point inside notes too. [[Note#Heading]] jumps to a heading. A block link such as [[2023-01-01#^37066d]] jumps to one paragraph. To show different words, write [[Example|Custom name]]. Put an exclamation mark in front to embed the content instead of linking to it.
If you would rather have standard Markdown links, turn off "Use [[Wikilinks]]" under Settings, Files and Links. Then spaces in the destination become %20. Avoid the characters # | ^ : %% [[ and ]] in file names, since links may break. Block links are Obsidian-specific and will not work in other apps.
A worked example: three notes linked in a minute
Create a note called Project Plan. Type [[Meeting 2026-11-03]] and press Enter. If the note does not exist yet, clicking the link creates it. In that note write "Decisions" as a heading, then go back to Project Plan and type [[Meeting 2026-11-03#Decisions]]. You now have 2 notes joined by a link to one heading, and a third note called Ideas can link to the same place with a block ID.
The settings behind this sit in a hidden .obsidian folder in the vault root. On macOS, press Cmd+Shift+. in Finder to show hidden files.
What costs money, in dollars and per year
Obsidian's pricing page lists the core app as free, with no sign-up. The optional services were priced on 2026-11-01 as follows.
- Sync: $4 per user per month billed annually, or $5 billed monthly. That is $48 a year or $60 a year.
- Publish: $8 per site per month billed annually, or $10 monthly. That is $96 or $120 a year.
- Catalyst: a $25 one-time licence that brings early beta access and community badges.
- Commercial licence: $50 per user per year, but commercial use does not require one.
- Students, faculty and nonprofit employees get 40% off Sync and Publish, so annual Sync is about $28.80 a year (48 times 0.6).
- Sync and Publish can be refunded in full within 7 days. Catalyst and Commercial cannot.
Sync Standard against Sync Plus
Sync has two tiers. Standard syncs 1 vault with 1 GB of total storage, a 5 MB maximum file size and 1 month of version history. Plus syncs 10 vaults with 10 GB up to 100 GB, files up to 200 MB and 12 months of history. Both allow unlimited devices. Attachments stay in version history for up to 2 weeks.
The pricing page showed only the $4 and $5 Sync line when read. Obsidian's March 20, 2024 announcement priced Plus at $8 a month billed annually, so treat that as a 2024 figure and confirm on the pricing page. You do not need Sync at all if you already use Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive or Git, which Obsidian lists as supported ways to sync a vault.
Community plugins: Restricted Mode is on for a reason
Restricted Mode is on by default and blocks third-party code. To install a plugin, open Settings, Community plugins, turn off Restricted Mode, choose Browse, select a plugin, press Install and then Enable. Obsidian's plugin security page says plugins can read files on your computer, connect to the internet and install other programs, and that Obsidian cannot limit them to specific permissions.
Obsidian scans every plugin version for vulnerabilities, code quality and malware, and shows a safety scorecard on each plugin's page. Plugins do not update by themselves: use Check for updates, then Update all.
Common mistakes for new users
Creating a vault inside Obsidian's global settings folder is the risky one. Obsidian warns it may cause data corruption or loss, and the folder sits at /Users/yourusername/Library/Application Support/obsidian on macOS or %APPDATA%\Obsidian\ on Windows. And if you use Git, add .obsidian/workspace.json to .gitignore, because it changes every time you open a file.
If a screen in Obsidian shows a message you do not understand, Crade can read it and explain it.
Who Obsidian suits
It suits people who want notes in files they can move, back up and open in any editor, and who like linking ideas. It is less suited to anyone who wants real-time editing in a browser with no setup, since the free app stores notes locally and syncing is either a $4 add-on or something you arrange yourself.
Questions people ask
Is Obsidian free?
Yes. The core app is free with no sign-up. Sync from $4 a month billed annually, Publish from $8 a month per site, and a $25 Catalyst licence are optional.
Where does Obsidian store my notes?
In a vault, which is a folder on your own computer. Notes are Markdown plain text files, and settings are in a hidden .obsidian folder inside the vault.
How do I link two notes in Obsidian?
Type [[ and the note name, for example [[Three laws of motion]]. Add #Heading to link to a heading, or |Custom name to change the displayed text.
How much storage does Obsidian Sync give?
Standard gives 1 GB for 1 synced vault with a 5 MB file limit. Plus gives 10 GB up to 100 GB, 10 vaults and a 200 MB file limit.
Are Obsidian community plugins safe?
Obsidian scans each plugin version for vulnerabilities and malware, but plugins can still read files and use the internet. Turn off Restricted Mode only if you trust the plugin's author.