Soft Ferret

Note-taking apps

Obsidian

per month on a yearly plan, checked November 1, 2026

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Local-first Markdown knowledge base

The app is free, even for commercial use, and notes are plain Markdown files. Sync costs $4 a month on annual billing, with 1 GB.

In the list: Obsidian review: plain files, steep first week

Specs
Billed monthly5 USD/mo
Billed yearly4 USD/mo
Free tierApp is free for any use incl. commercial; paid Sync/Publish are optional add-ons
PlatformsWindows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android

Close in price

ProductBest forPer month, yearly planCheckedLink
BearApple-only Markdown notes$2.50November 1, 2026Visit
Standard NotesPrivate plain-text notes$7.50November 1, 2026Visit
ZettlrMarkdown for academic writingFreeNovember 1, 2026Visit
SimplenoteFast free plain notesFreeNovember 1, 2026Visit