Obsidian has become a popular note-taking and personal knowledge management system tool in quick time. This is primarily because it has a clean interface that’s distraction-free, while also having a bunch of useful features that traditional word processors lack. However, there’s one feature on Obsidian that’s missing – the ability to sync notes across all your devices for free.

Apps like Notion, Google Keep, OneNote, etc. have a built-in sync feature that makes all your notes and files available on your computer, smartphone, tablet, etc. – for no additional cost. Obsidian -- on the other hand, has the sync feature -- but it isn’t available for free. You can choose to use Obsidian’s first-party service to sync your notes, or you can select from a bunch of services the app provides. The former is effective and seamless, but everyone may not want to pay for syncing notes. If that’s you – but you still want to use Obsidian – we can make use of the latter to link to a free syncing service. It may appear cumbersome, but you only have to follow the steps once on all your devices and your notes will automatically sync thereafter.

How to sync notes on Obsidian using the Remotely Save plugin

The first step is to add a plugin via the Obsidian Vault. Obsidian has support for various plugins, making it quite flexible in terms of functionality. We'll make use of this to enable syncing.

1. Click on the Settings icon in the bottom-left corner of the Obsidian app.
2. Head to the Community plugins section using the pane on the left and click on Turn on community plugins to enable the feature. If you've already enabled it before, you can skip to the next step.
3. Then, choose the Browse option next to Community plugins.
4. Use the search bar to look for Remotely Save. Select the plugin and hit Install, followed by Enable.
5. Tick both the checkboxes and select Agree.
6. You will now see the Remotely Save tab in the left pane under Community plugins. Click on it. Then, use the drop-down menu next to Choose A Remote Service to pick Webdav.

   If you're already paying for Dropbox or OneDrive, you can select either of those services instead of Webdav and use the Auth button to link your account. In case you don't have a subscription to any of those apps, follow on.

7. Now, let's make use of a free cloud storage solution with access to the server URL. Head to Koofr and sign up for a free account. Once done, create a new folder and name it ObsSync or whatever you prefer. Remember the name, though, since we'll need it later.

   While there are a few options out there, we've opted for Koofr since it's based in the EU, and hence, adheres to the GDPR. So, your data is safe.

8. Open the folder and click on your profile to access the Preferences section.
9. Head to the Password section using the left pane. Enter ObsSync under Generate new password and hit Generate. Note down the password in a safe place.
10. Now, head back to Obsidian settings. Enter the following details in the Remotely Save section: Server Address: https://app.koofr.net/dav/Koofr | Username: Email ID used to sign up for Koofr | Password: The passkey generated in Step 9.
11. While you're at it, make sure you change other settings depending on your preferences. For example, we recommend changing the following settings: Schedule For Auto Run: every 1 minute | Sync On Save: Enable | Abort Sync If Modification Above Percentage: 100
12. It's time to move to your other devices now. Download the Obsidian app on your smartphone and select Create a vault. Then, choose Setup Sync > Other sync methods > Create vault and name the vault as ObsSync or whatever name you gave in Step 7. Then, select Choose under Vault location and pick a folder. Tap on Create a vault.
13. Use the button in the top-left corner of the app to access the Settings page. Then, go to Community plugins and tap on Turn on community plugins. Select Browse.
14. Look for Remotely Save and Install it. Hit Enable once done. Tick the checkboxes and select Agree.
15. Go back to the Settings page. Scroll all the way to the bottom and find Remotely Save under Community plugins. Enter the same details that you used on the Obsidian app on your PC/Mac.
16. Finally, use the Check button under Check Connectivity to ensure the server is working. You will receive a confirmation in the form of a toast message if you followed all the instructions correctly.

That's it! You have successfully synced your Obsidian notes and documents across your devices. If you use more than two devices, you need to repeat the process on all of them. For example, I use an iPad and a Windows PC. So, I had to perform the steps on four devices -- my Mac, PC, smartphone, and iPad. Thankfully, you only have to follow the steps once and your notes will automatically sync as long as your devices are connected to the internet.

Sync your data for free

Obsidian's first-party syncing tools may be more efficient, quicker, and simpler to use. However, this workaround using the Remotely Save plugin and Koofr is an effective alternative if you don't want to shell out a few bucks every month. Moreover, Koofr gives you 10GB of free storage, which is ample for storing notes.

It's worth noting, though, that you're sending your data to third-party servers. So, it's best to not store important information like passwords or banking credentials on Obsidian. If you're concerned about privacy, you can opt for solutions like Joplin that allow you to self-host.