The note-taking landscape has evolved over the years. While Evernote remains a solid choice for basic note organization, new-age solutions like Obsidian offer a far more powerful and flexible approach to creating a digital cabinet. If you are tired of Evernote’s closed nature and annoying limitations, then it’s time to give Obsidian a try.

In this post, I will explore the key reasons why Obsidian is leaving Evernote in the dust and why you should seriously consider making the switch.

7 Markdown support

One of Obsidian’s biggest advantages over Evernote lies in its use of plain text Markdown for note-taking. Markdown files are incredibly durable, meaning any text editor can open and read them. Unlike Evernote’s ENEX file types, you are not locked into a specific application or company to access your notes. This gives you peace of mind, knowing your valuable notes remain accessible regardless of what happens to Obsidian in the years to come.

These Markdown-powered notes are lightweight, flexible, and easily transferable between devices and platforms. You can open them in any basic text editor and even convert them to other formats like PDF and HTML with ease. ENEX files, on the other hand, are essentially useless without Evernote.

6 Flexibility of backing up your notes

When it comes to storing and syncing your notes, Obsidian offers a level of freedom and control that Evernote simply can’t match. You can keep your entire vault (collection of notes) directly on the device for maximum privacy, control, and offline usage. You don’t have to rely on external servers or worry about internet access to view your notes.

When you create a new vault, you can choose any cloud platform on your device, like OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive, to store your notes. This allows you to leverage the convenience and space of cloud storage while maintaining ownership and control over your data.

Unlike Evernote, which imposes monthly upload limits (though 20GB is sufficient for most, but still), Obsidian places no restrictions on how much you can store. And with a paid Sync add-on, you can unlock end-to-end encryption for your vault, ensuring that only you can access your notes.

5 An infinite canvas

This is another area where Obsidian truly shines over Evernote. While Obsidian may not have built-in drawing tools, its infinite canvas provides a unique advantage for visual thinkers, allowing for free-form exploration and organization of ideas.

Whether you are planning a summer trip, breaking down a complex research project, or simply want to map out your ideas on an infinite board, open Canvas and use the built-in tools like cards, arrows, text, colors, and more for visual expression.

4 A rich plugin store

Obsidian’s out-of-box experience may leave a lot to be desired for power users. Here is where the dedicated plugin store comes into play. Obsidian has a vibrant community of passionate developers and its plugin store is packed with useful options to elevate your vaults to the next level.

For example, Obsidian lacks Kanban boards by default. You can head to the plugin store, download the Kanban add-on, and start creating columns to manage your projects like a pro. The possibilities are endless here. Read our dedicated guide to learn the best Obsidian plugins.

3 Multi-tab support and split view

Multi-tab and split view are two of the must-have features for power users. Just like your web browser, you can open multiple notes in tabs and switch between them seamlessly. Imagine working on a research paper. You can have your literature notes, your outline, and your draft all open in separate tabs, easily accessible for cross-referencing.

Split view is another handy add-on when you want to compare two notes or perhaps refer to one while working on another.

2 Graph view

While Evernote supports the ability to link related notes, it doesn’t display the relationship among them in a visual way. Obsidian has nailed it here. You can connect your related notes and transform your vault into an interactive network of interconnected ideas.

The built-in graph view basically mimics the way our brain functions. Each note acts as a node (a circle) in the graph view, and the lines connecting them represent links between them. Obsidian also offers ample customization options to explore your knowledge base. It reveals unexpected connections, trends, and patterns for your complex projects.

1 Pricing structure

Although Evernote has improved the free plan recently, it still doesn’t hold a candle to Obsidian. You must start with a monthly $15 plan to unlock all the features. In contrast, all Obsidian features are free to use. You only need to pay for the Sync add-on to enable multi-platform syncing and E2EE. You can avoid this by using a third-party cloud provider like OneDrive and still access your Obsidian notes across all devices.

Unlock your notes’ potential

Evernote has served us well, but the future of note-taking lies in flexibility, privacy, customization, and a deeper understanding of our own knowledge. Obsidian delivers on all fronts. This isn't just about taking notes; it's about unlocking the potential within those notes to generate new ideas. If I have to nitpick, I do hope to see improvements in its web clipping functionality and a more streamlined way to access my most recent or frequently used notes, similar to Evernote's home tab.

If you plan to switch, check out my dedicated guide on migrating your life into Obsidian.