I have been using Obsidian for more than a year now, and probably, it’s the one writing app that I have used for so long without switching to another app. And I think, I am going to stick with it for now.
Yes, in the past I have used apps like Notion, Evernote, Google Docs (sometimes I still use), Simplenote, etc. but they weren’t able to keep me for more than 6 months. I always felt something is missing about it and then I would switch to the next one.
🎯 Also see: My Complete Writing Process
Why I love Obsidian
Here are some reasons why I feel Obsidian is the best writing app that I have ever used:
1. Simple and fast
What should be the goal of a writing app? That you should quickly be able to start writing within seconds — Obsidian does that very well.
I have the app pinned to my taskbar and it’s so quick to open and start writing that I rarely miss a thought or idea while I am on my computer. However, Obsidian also has an Android app now.
In the past, I have used Google Docs and Notion for writing but the thing is it requires at least a minute to open the relevant folder create a new page/file, and then start writing. I am sure that you understand how volatile ideas are!
Here’s how it looked when I was writing the piece in Obsidian that you’re currently reading. 👆
2. Daily notes feature
I have it set up in a way that whenever I open the app, today’s daily note opens and I quickly note down my thoughts, focus, ideas, tasks, etc. for today. I open the daily note 3-4 times a day to note down the progress or anything new that I have learned.
Yes, it can also be done manually in Notion or Evernote but the thing is it’s automatic and fast here. I absolutely love this feature. As of now, I have more than 200 entries in the daily journal folder.
3. Fast mobile app
I would use Google Keep to quickly note down ideas on my phone but I would never dare to open the Notion or Evernote mobile apps. They take ages before anything becomes visible.
But that’s not the case with the Obsidian mobile app. Much like the desktop app, it opens almost immediately on the smartphone too.
I am subscribed to the Obsidian Sync feature to sync my notes folder between my computers and mobile devices. And, whenever I get an idea or have to edit a piece, I can quickly do it from my cell phone itself.
4. Runs offline
You do not need to be connected to the internet to be able to use it. All the files stay locally on your computer in .md (Markdown) format.
There have been a few cases when Notion went offline for hours and users were not able to access a single thing. And, that’s not the case with Obsidian.
Also, you have options here. If you want to sync your Obsidian notes between computers, either you can subscribe to their sync plan (for $5 a month) or use any cloud storage service like Google Drive, pCloud, or Dropbox (for free).
📢 Okay, enough bad things about Notion now. Let me clarify here, I think Notion is a great tool to manage projects, it’s just not ideal for writing. I use it every day to manage all my personal and work-related projects.
5. Simple look
Obsidian looks very simple and clean yet elegant. I am done using feature-rich complicated apps for writing and unless there comes an app simpler than Obsidian, I not planning to switch anytime soon.
Also, simplicity here is a choice. You do have options to add numerous features to the app. There are community themes and plugins that can make it look and work the way you want.
I discovered only recently that Obsidian has a plugin that lets you create beautiful mindmaps. How cool is that!
That’s it. These were the things that are keeping me with Obsidian.
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