What each week held
Withheld: something was read in 1 week of the last 12. A series needs at least 2 to say anything a single reading does not.
What it declares
- Free forever personal use
- Local Markdown file ownership
- Obsidian Sync
- Obsidian Publish
- Community plugins
- Canvas
- Bases (database views)
- Optional Commercial license
As the company’s own pages describe it. Forge did not test any of these.
What users raised
- Paid sync required for multi-device use
- No built-in real-time collaboration
- Mobile sync reliability issues
- Commercial license confusion/compliance overhead
- Shared-vault limitations
Themes people raised in public. A complaint is somebody’s opinion, not a measurement of the product.
Everything on record
4 observed claims. Newest first; the tag on each row is what kind of claim you are reading.
- PRODUCTFACTSep 30, 2026
The September 2, 2026 early-access release (1.14.0) added color highlights to the editor and a new kanban layout for Bases, allowing files to be displayed in ordered columns.
Kanban-style Bases view moves Obsidian closer to project-management/PKM hybrid tools, relevant for competitive positioning against task/database apps.
obsidian.md/changelog/2026-09-02-desktop-v1.14.0/ - PRODUCTFACTSep 30, 2026
The February 27, 2026 desktop release (1.12) introduced the Obsidian CLI, a command line interface letting users control Obsidian from the terminal for scripting, automation, and integration with external tools.
New capability expanding Obsidian's appeal to power users/developers wanting scripting/automation workflows.
obsidian.md/changelog/2026-02-27-desktop-v1.12.4/ - PRICINGFACTSep 30, 2026
In February 2025, Obsidian made its Commercial license optional rather than mandatory, so any business can use the app for work at no cost, with the $50/user/year license now positioned as a voluntary way to support development rather than a required gate.
Baseline note: this licensing shift predates the tracking window but defines current buyer expectations for commercial use.
www.usecarly.com/blog/obsidian-pricing/ - PRICINGCOMPANY CLAIMSep 30, 2026
Obsidian's pricing consists of the free core app plus four paid add-ons: Sync at $5/month ($4/month billed annually), Publish at $10/month ($8/month billed annually), Catalyst as a one-time $25+ donation tier, and an optional Commercial license at $50/user/year. Students, faculty, and nonprofit employees get 40% off Sync and Publish.
Establishes baseline pricing structure against which future changes (price moves, new tiers) will be compared.
outmano.com/tools/obsidian/pricing
A record of what Forge read in public about Obsidian — its own pages and what people wrote about it. Nothing here is a test of the product, a ranking or a score, and Forge has no relationship with this company.