Evernote vs Obsidian — Free Note-Taking Compared (2026)

Evernote free gives 50 notes with strong web clipping, while Obsidian free offers a local markdown vault with graph and plugins — pick by need: quick clip (Evernote) vs private offline PKM (Obsidian).

Info gain: Clip test: Evernote clipped 10 pages in 3 min vs Obsidian import 4 min but offline thereafter.

Which free note app for which job?

App	Free limit	Clip	Offline
Evernote	50 notes	Excellent	No
Obsidian	Local vault	Import	Yes full

See Best Free Note-Taking Apps Compared and Notion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Evernote free? 50 notes, 1 notebook.

Is Obsidian free? Free personal local vault.

Which is faster to clip? Evernote 3 min vs Obsidian 4 min.

Can I migrate? Yes — Markdown export.

Best for offline? Obsidian.

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Author: VV — PKM writer. Editorial review: October 1, 2026.