Comparisons, checked 17 October 2026
Onwarder vs Obsidian
A free note-taking app for plain Markdown files on your own device, with links, a graph view and community plugins.Source [4]Source [5]Source [7]
Obsidian stores linked Markdown notes and supports community plugins; Onwarder brings novel structure, continuity checks and book export together.Source [5]Source [7]
Side by side.
| Onwarder | Obsidian | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free for good, with no account. Cloud is $10 a month or $99 a year. | Free, with no sign-up. Obsidian Sync is $4 a month billed yearly or $5 monthly.Source [1]Source [2] |
| Runs on | On the web, Mac, Windows and Linux, with iPhone in beta, and Android coming. | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android.Source [10] |
| Writing with no connection | Books kept on your device open and save with no connection in the desktop and phone apps. | Yes: notes are files on your device.Source [5] |
| Story bible linked to the book | Characters, places, factions and items, a click from the page. | Character and place notes you link to chapters yourself.Source [4] |
| Checks the book against your notes | Built in, no AI: warns when a dead character acts or a lost item turns up again. | Links and search help by hand; no check in the core app.Source [7] |
| Ebook and paperback files | EPUB, Word, Markdown and PDF, and paperback interiors at three trim sizes. | Markdown, and PDF per note. No novel compile or ebook export in the core app.Source [6] |
| AI, and training on your writing | Optional and off for every book. Bring your own. Never used to train AI. | None built in; community plugins can add it.Source [7]Source [8] |
| Getting your work out | Every book exports whole, at any time, on any plan. | Plain Markdown files in a folder you own.Source [5] |
Which to choose
Where Obsidian is better
- Plain Markdown files in a folder, open in other Markdown editors.Source [4]Source [5]Source [7]
- Community plugins, linked notes and graph views for organising research.Source [4]Source [5]Source [7]
Choose Obsidian if
- You enjoy building your own system and want every file as plain text.Source [5]Source [7]
- Your research is bigger than one book.Source [5]Source [7]
Choose Onwarder if
- You want the story bible, recorded story events and a continuity check beside the manuscript, with no AI needed.
- You want everything for writing free, on any computer or phone, with no account and no time limit.
- You want the ebook and the paperback interior from the same place you wrote the book.
Questions.
Can I move my book from Obsidian?
Export it as a Word document and import that into Onwarder; it keeps chapters, headings, bold and italics. Start with a copy of one chapter, and keep your original until you are happy. We do not promise to carry over every other tool's notes, links or formatting.
Do I need AI to use Onwarder?
No. Writing, planning, the continuity check and Finishing all work without AI. If you connect your own AI, it is off for every book until you allow it, and Onwarder never uses your writing to train AI.
What does Onwarder cost?
Free for good, with no account. Cloud is $10 a month or $99 a year.
Sources, all opened 17 October 2026
- Obsidian pricing
- Obsidian paid add-on
- Moving notes between devices (help)
- Internal links (help)
- How Obsidian stores data
- More options menu
- Obsidian
- AI Copilot plugin (community)
- Privacy
- Download
Competitor prices are as shown on the linked pages, in US dollars where stated, before tax. Product names identify the tools compared and do not imply endorsement.
Product names are trademarks of their owners. Facts are from each maker's own pages, checked on the date shown. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.