Obsidian
Free forever Notes
A notes app that stores your notes as simple text files on your own device.
What it is
It works without internet, and you do not need an account for personal use.
Pricing model
Free forever for personal use: the full app is free. Two paid extras exist separately: official Sync costs from $4 per month billed yearly ($5 month to month), and publishing notes as a website costs extra (no price stated in the article).
What the free plan gives you
- The full app, free for personal use
- Unlimited notes and all core features
- Link notes to each other
- Community plugins (a plugin is a small extra tool made by other users, for example a calendar or a flashcard tool)
Free-plan limitations
- Syncing between devices is not included (sync means keeping the same notes on all your devices)
- Official Sync costs from $4 per month billed yearly ($5 month to month)
- You can also sync yourself with a cloud folder such as Dropbox or iCloud
- Publishing notes as a website costs extra
- Setup takes more time than the other apps here; it is easy to spend hours customizing instead of studying
Features
- Notes stored as simple text files on your own device
- Works fully offline, with no account needed for personal use
- Linking between notes
- Community plugins, such as calendar or flashcard tools
Supported platforms
Not stated in the source article. The article only says it works on your own device and works without internet.
Best use cases
- Students who want private, offline notes they fully own
- Students who do not mind a little setup
Pros
- Full app free for personal use, with unlimited notes and all core features
- Works fully offline, with no account needed for personal use
- Your notes are plain text files you own
- Community plugins extend what it can do
Cons
- No included syncing between devices; official Sync is paid
- Publishing notes as a website costs extra
- Setup takes more time, and customizing can eat into study time
Official website
Not given in the source article, so no link is listed here rather than guessing a URL.
Last verified: October 2026 (free tiers checked October 2026). If a limit here no longer matches the app's pricing page, the pricing page is right. Source: the approved article “Best Free Notes Apps for Students (Tested on the Free Version).”