RichMarkdown vs Obsidian
Updated 2026-11-01
They solve different problems. Obsidian is a notes app for building a long-term knowledge base out of Markdown files on your computer. RichMarkdown is a free web page for writing, pasting and converting documents into clean Markdown — no install, no account. Many people use both: RichMarkdown to get content into Markdown, Obsidian to keep it.
- Building a linked knowledge base over months or years → Obsidian.
- Need a Markdown file now from a Google Doc, a .docx or a web page, or can't install software → RichMarkdown.
- Both are free. Obsidian charges only for its optional Sync and Publish services.
- Both produce plain .md files, so you can move between them at any time.
Side by side
| RichMarkdown | Obsidian | Which wins | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Install | None — open the page in any browser | Desktop app (Windows, macOS, Linux) and mobile apps | Locked-down or borrowed computer: RichMarkdown |
| Account | None | None for local use; an account for Sync or Publish | Tie |
| Where notes live | Your browser's storage; export .md files | A folder of .md files on your disk (a "vault") | Long-term storage: Obsidian |
| Editing style | Word-processor style (WYSIWYG) with Markdown shortcuts | Markdown with Live Preview | Never want to see syntax: RichMarkdown |
| Open Word .docx files | Yes, converted in the browser | Not in the app or its official Importer | RichMarkdown |
| Paste from Google Docs / Word | Dedicated clean-up: Google redirect links, Word lists, styles, monospace → code | Converts pasted HTML to Markdown | Messy documents: RichMarkdown |
| Shows what Markdown will lose | Yes — the export checklist | No | RichMarkdown |
| Research clips with sources | Yes, built in | Via notes, or the Web Clipper extension | Tie |
| Wikilinks, backlinks, graph | Keeps [[links]] as text; no backlinks | Yes — its core strength | Obsidian |
| Plugins, themes, Canvas, Bases | No | Yes, a large community ecosystem | Obsidian |
| Sync between devices | No (export files) | Paid Sync, or sync the folder yourself | Obsidian |
| Price | Free | Free app; optional paid services | Both free to start |
What Obsidian costs
The app is free for personal and work use, with no sign-up. Paid items are optional (prices from obsidian.md/pricing, checked November 2026):
| Item | Price | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Sync | From $4 per user per month, billed yearly | End-to-end encrypted sync and version history across devices |
| Publish | $8 per site per month, billed yearly | Turning selected notes into a public website |
| Catalyst | From $25, one-time | Supporting development; early beta access and a community badge |
| Commercial license | $50 per user per year — optional | Organisations that want to support Obsidian; not required for work use |
Students, faculty and nonprofit staff get 40% off Sync and Publish. RichMarkdown is free and has no paid tier today.
Choose RichMarkdown when…
- You need a Markdown file now from a Google Doc, a Word document or a web page.
- You're on a computer where you can't install software (school, work, a library).
- You'd rather write like in Google Docs and never look at
**and#. - You want to check that nothing gets lost before you hand the file to GitHub, a static site or an AI tool.
Choose Obsidian when…
- You're building a personal knowledge base with hundreds of linked notes.
- You want backlinks, a graph view, plugins and full-text search across everything.
- You want your notes as files on your own disk for the long term.
Use them together
- Paste a Google Doc, Word file or web page into RichMarkdown.
- Open View Markdown and set the style to Obsidian — highlights become
==text==and acreatedproperty is added. - Download .md (or Notes → Download all (.zip)) and drop the files into your vault folder.
It works the other way too: drag .md files from your vault onto RichMarkdown to edit them on a computer without Obsidian. Properties (front matter), [[wikilinks]], ![[embeds]], callouts and task lists are kept when you export again.
Moving notes into Obsidian
| Coming from | Fastest route |
|---|---|
| Google Docs | Copy the document, paste into RichMarkdown, download with the Obsidian style — see Google Docs to Obsidian |
| Microsoft Word | Drop the .docx on RichMarkdown, export .md — see Word to Markdown |
| Web pages and articles | Obsidian's Web Clipper for regular clipping; paste into RichMarkdown for a one-off with a clean-up check |
| Notion, Apple Notes, OneNote, Evernote, Google Keep | Obsidian's own Importer plugin, which converts whole exports |
Obsidian's Importer doesn't cover Word documents or Google Docs, which is where RichMarkdown fills the gap. Move in batches — start with the notes you'll use this month, not your whole archive.
What RichMarkdown borrowed from Obsidian
Typing shortcuts work the same way: # to ### for headings, - for bullets, 1. for numbered lists, [] for a task, > for a quote, ``` + Enter for a code block, and **bold**, *italic*, ~~strike~~, ==highlight==, `code` inline. Ctrl + Enter ticks a task and Ctrl + K adds a link.
FAQ
Is Obsidian free?
Yes. The app is free for personal and work use with no account. Sync (from $4 per user per month, billed yearly) and Publish ($8 per site per month, billed yearly) are optional paid services, and a $50 per user per year commercial license is voluntary.
I already use Obsidian. Why would I need RichMarkdown?
For the moments Obsidian is not at hand or not good at: converting a .docx or a messy Google Doc, editing a note on a computer without Obsidian, or checking that nothing is lost before handing Markdown to someone else.
Is RichMarkdown an Obsidian alternative?
Only for part of what Obsidian does. It is a better fit for one-off writing and converting documents to Markdown in a browser; Obsidian is better for a linked, long-term knowledge base.
Will my wikilinks survive?
Yes. [[Note]], [[Note|alias]] and ![[embed.png]] are kept as written when you open and re-export a note. RichMarkdown does not resolve them into links.
Can I import a whole Obsidian vault?
You can open or drop many .md files at once; each becomes a note. Attachments such as images are not imported — embeds stay as text.