# Obsidian

> knowledge base and note-taking software

**Wikidata**: [Q103994532](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103994532)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsidian_(software))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/obsidian

## Summary
Obsidian is a proprietary, freemium personal knowledge base and note-taking software application available as a desktop and mobile app. Created by Erica Xu and Shida Li and developed by Dynalist Inc., Obsidian runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, iPadOS and Android and is distributed via digital download and app stores.

## Key Facts
- Obsidian is a personal knowledge base and note-taking computer program and mobile app; it is instance_of: computer program, mobile app, and Personal knowledge base.
- Creators: Erica Xu and Shida Li; programmers listed include Erica Xu, Shida Li, and Steph Ango.
- Developer / company: Dynalist Inc.; Dynalist Inc. is a Canadian software company (headquarters: Toronto) with 8 employees (point_in_time: 2024-06-00).
- Inception / publication date: 2020-03-30.
- License: proprietary license (reference: https://obsidian.md/license).
- Business model: freemium (reference: https://obsidian.md/pricing).
- Platforms / operating systems: Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, iPadOS, Android.
- Distribution channels: digital download (https://obsidian.md/download), Google Play (distributed_by: Google Play), Flathub (flathub_id: md.obsidian.Obsidian), Apple App Store ( reference), Snap (snap_package: obsidian), Chocolatey (chocolatey_community_package_id: obsidian / Obsidian), Arch Linux package (arch_linux_package: obsidian), Nixpkgs (nixpkgs_id: obsidian), Repology project name: obsidian.
- Bundle / package identifiers: bundle_id md.obsidian; google_play_store_app_id md.obsidian; app_store_id 1557175442.
- Official website and domain: https://obsidian.md (website qualifier: English; domain_name: obsidian.md).
- Logos and images: logo URL https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/2023_Obsidian_logo.svg (start_time: 2023); image https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Obsidian_desktop_demo_workflow.jpg.
- Aliases: Obsidian.md, ObsidianMD.
- Named after: obsidian (the naturally occurring volcanic glass).
- Motto: "Sharpen your thinking."
- Program architecture / technologies related: built on Electron (framework), uses Cascading Style Sheets; related technologies include JavaScript.
- Programming_language property entries: Electron, Cascading Style Sheets.
- Input devices supported: touchscreen, computer mouse, computer keyboard.
- Instance identifiers and metadata: github_username obsidianmd; github_topic obsidian-md; google_knowledge_graph_id /g/11n007kbcy.
- Official community and support URLs: official_forum_url https://forum.obsidian.md/ (English) and https://forum-zh.obsidian.md (Chinese); user manuals https://docs.obsidian.md/ (programmer qualifier) and https://help.obsidian.md/; FAQ https://obsidian.md/faq (English).
- Legal and policy pages: privacy_policy_url https://obsidian.md/privacy (English); terms_of_service_url https://obsidian.md/terms (English).
- Service status page: https://status.obsidian.md/ (Uptime Robot).
- Social media and community presence:
  - Twitter: @obsdmd (twitter id: obsdmd; : 1239876481951596545; start_time: 2020-03-17).
  - Mastodon: obsidian@mas.to (start_time: 2023-02-20).
  - Bluesky: handle obsidian.md (verified; did:plc:u5cgub464m4dfjyjgx5f24y3).
  - Twitch: obsdmd (twitch id qualifier : 834134737; start_time: 2022-09-30).
  - YouTube channel id: UCRP5KXKq8Ytc6IH06VWRmkQ (channel name: Obsidian; start_time: 2017-01-25).
  - Subreddit: ObsidianMD (start_time: 2020-05-05; language qualifier: English).
  - Discord: invite id obsidianmd and numeric id 686053708261228577 (English).
  - Lemmy community: obsidianmd@lemmy.world.
  - Additional community identifier: mastodon, lemmy, discord references as above.
- Copyright and status: copyrighted; copyright_status: copyrighted.
- Distribution format: digital download.
- App Store age rating: 4+ (Apple App Store reference).
- Download URL: https://obsidian.md/download.
- SEO / press description reference: described_at_url https://www.fastcompany.com/90960653/why-people-are-obsessed-with-obsidian-the-indie-darling-of-notetaking-apps (FastCompany article).
- Service and package registry identifiers: flathub_id md.obsidian.Obsidian; snap_package obsidian; arch_linux_package obsidian; chocolatey id obsidian; nixpkgs id obsidian.
- Social follower metrics (selected points in time): Twitter followers: 13,449 (2021-01-02), 45,880 (2022-02-20), 86,423 (preferred, 2023-02-10); Mastodon follower snapshots: 9,011 (2024-02-12), 9,545 (2024-03-16), 9,859 (2024-04-11); YouTube subscribers: 5,040 (2024-09-28), 5,670 (2025-02-22), 6,240 (preferred, 2025-07-26).
- Key release history (selected versions with dates and status):
  - 0.0.1 — 2020-03-30 (initial changelog entry).
  - 0.15.9 — point_in_time 2022-07-27 (forum reference).
  - 1.0 —  2022-10-13 (Obsidian 1.0 – Personal knowledge base app).
  - 1.1.16 — 2023-03-01.
  - 1.3.5 — stable version, 2023-06-01.
  - 1.5 — stable version, 2023-12-26 (with 1.5.12 stable on 2024-03-31).
  - 1.6.3 — stable version, 2024-06-08.
  - 1.6.5 — stable version, 2024-06-25.
  - 1.6.7 — stable version, 2024-07-18.
  - 1.7 — stable version, 2024-10-18 (release referenced 2024-10-16).
  - 1.7.5 — stable version, 2024-11-04.
  - 1.7.6 — stable version, 2024-11-12.
  - 1.7.7 — stable version, 2024-11-18.
  - 1.8 — stable version, 2025-01-30 (mobile changelog noted 2025-01-30).
  - 1.8.4 — stable version, 2025-01-31 (mobile changelog).
  - 1.8.7 — stable version, 2025-02-18.
  - 1.8.9 — stable version, 2025-03-05.
  - 1.8.10 — stable version, 2025-04-22.
  - 1.9.10 — stable version, 2025-08-18.
  - 1.9.12 — stable version, 2025-08-26.
  - 1.10.6 — stable version, 2025-11-25.
  - 1.11.4 — stable version, 2026-01-12.
  - 1.11.5 — stable version, 2026-01-20.
  - 1.11.7 — stable version, 2026-02-05 (publication_date 2026-02-05; archived reference present).
  - 1.12.4 — beta 2026-02-24 and preferred stable version 2026-02-27 (1.12.4 preferred True as of 2026-02-27).
  - 1.12.5 — preferred True as beta version with  2026-03-05 (early access).
- Preferred / current release metadata: 1.12.4 is marked preferred stable (: 2026-02-27); 1.12.5 is marked preferred beta (: 2026-03-05).
- Wikipedia and Commons: wikipedia_title Obsidian (software); commons_category Obsidian (software); wikipedia_languages: ar, commons, de, el, en, es, eu, fa, fr, he, hy, it, ja, ko, nl, pl, pt, simple, tr, uk, zh.
- Wikidata description: "knowledge base and note-taking software".
- Descriptive links and feeds: official_blog_url https://obsidian.md/blog/ (English) with feed https://obsidian.md/feed.xml.
- Support and community channels: forum, subreddit, Discord, docs and help pages, YouTube, Twitch, social accounts listed above.
- Additional technical / packaging references: flathub, snap, chocolatey, arch, nixpkgs, repology project name obsidian.

## FAQs
Q: What is Obsidian and who made it?
A: Obsidian is a proprietary personal knowledge base and note-taking app created by Erica Xu and Shida Li and developed by Dynalist Inc.

Q: On which platforms does Obsidian run?
A: Obsidian runs on Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, iPadOS and Android and is distributed via digital downloads, app stores, Flathub, Snap, Chocolatey and Linux package repositories.

Q: How is Obsidian licensed and priced?
A: Obsidian is released under a proprietary license and follows a freemium business model; pricing and plan details are published on its pricing page.

Q: Where can I download Obsidian and find official documentation?
A: The official download page is https://obsidian.md/download; documentation and manuals are available at https://docs.obsidian.md/ and https://help.obsidian.md/; the FAQ is at https://obsidian.md/faq.

Q: What identifiers and package names does Obsidian use in app stores and package repositories?
A: Key identifiers include bundle_id md.obsidian, Google Play id md.obsidian, Apple app_store_id 1557175442, Flathub id md.obsidian.Obsidian, snap package name obsidian, arch package obsidian, chocolatey package obsidian, and nixpkgs id obsidian.

Q: Who supports the Obsidian community and where does it gather?
A: Community support is organized via the official forum (forum.obsidian.md and forum-zh.obsidian.md), subreddit ObsidianMD, Discord (invite id obsidianmd, numeric id 686053708261228577), Lemmy, Mastodon, Bluesky, Twitch, and YouTube channels managed by the Obsidian team.

Q: What is the software built with and what input devices does it support?
A: Obsidian is related to Electron and Cascading Style Sheets in its programming stack and is associated with JavaScript; it supports input from touchscreen, mouse, and keyboard devices.

Q: How has Obsidian evolved over time?
A: Obsidian’s initial published changelog entry is dated 2020-03-30 (version 0.0.1), and it has continued through many numbered releases up to preferred stable 1.12.4 (2026-02-27) and beta 1.12.5 (2026-03-05), with multiple stable releases documented in changelogs.

## Why It Matters
Obsidian addresses the need for a flexible, cross-platform personal knowledge base and note-taking tool that appeals to individual users who want a robust, actively developed desktop and mobile application. Its freemium model and proprietary license combine commercial support with a free entry point, allowing broad adoption while enabling sustained development. Because it runs on major desktop and mobile operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, iPadOS, Android) and is distributed across multiple package ecosystems (App Stores, Google Play, Flathub, Snap, Chocolatey, Arch, Nixpkgs), Obsidian lowers friction for adoption across device types and user workflows. The project’s long and detailed release history demonstrates continuous active development and maintenance; the sustained social presence (Twitter, Mastodon, Bluesky, YouTube, Twitch), official forum and documentation pages, and a dedicated community (subreddit, Discord, Lemmy) show that Obsidian functions as both software and a platform for knowledge-work communities. Coverage in outlets such as FastCompany highlights its cultural relevance as an influential note-taking app among indie and productivity-focused users. Its technical ties to Electron, CSS and JavaScript make it compatible with modern cross-platform desktop paradigms and common web technologies, enabling extensibility through common tooling and developer ecosystems.

## Notable For
- Being a cross-platform personal knowledge base and note-taking application available on desktop and mobile operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, iPadOS, Android).
- Created by Erica Xu and Shida Li and developed by Dynalist Inc., linking it to an independent Canadian software company.
- Launch date and ongoing development traceable from an initial changelog entry on 2020-03-30 through many stable releases, with 1.12.4 marked preferred stable on 2026-02-27.
- Wide distribution across ecosystems: App Store (app_store_id 1557175442), Google Play (md.obsidian), Flathub (md.obsidian.Obsidian), Snap, Chocolatey, Arch, and Nixpkgs.
- Strong official community infrastructure: forum (multi-language support), subreddit, Discord with a numeric server id, Lemmy community, and active social channels on Twitter, Mastodon, Bluesky, Twitch, and YouTube.
- Recognized in press and analysis (FastCompany described the app and its user community).
- Branded identity and assets: 2023 logo, desktop demo image, motto "Sharpen your thinking," and aliases Obsidian.md / ObsidianMD.
- Use of Electron and web technologies (Cascading Style Sheets; related to JavaScript) linking it to contemporary cross-platform desktop app development.

## Body

### History
- Initial publication and changelog: Obsidian’s earliest documented changelog entry is version 0.0.1 dated 2020-03-30.
- Creators and early contributors: The product lists Erica Xu and Shida Li as creators. Shida Li is also listed among the creators/developers and programmers. Steph Ango is documented as an additional programmer with a qualifier linking to Steph Ango.
- Company and development: Development is attributed to Dynalist Inc., a Canadian software company headquartered in Toronto. Dynalist Inc. is recorded with an inception date alternative (2015-06-01 preferred) and a Crunchbase reference; the company had 8 employees as of point_in_time 2024-06-00 according to Obsidian’s about page.

### Architecture and Technology
- Technology relationships: Obsidian is associated with Electron as a framework for cross-platform desktop applications. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are listed under programming languages; JavaScript is present in related items and in technology lineage.
- Input and device support: The application supports typical desktop and mobile inputs: touchscreen, computer mouse, and computer keyboard.
- Packaging and identifiers: The application uses the bundle identifier md.obsidian for mobile packaging and md.obsidian for Google Play. The Apple App Store identifier is 1557175442. Distribution through packagers includes Snap (snap_package: obsidian), Chocolatey (chocolatey_community_package_id: obsidian), Arch Linux package name obsidian, and Nixpkgs id obsidian.

### Platforms and Distribution
- Desktop OS: Microsoft Windows (inception 1985-11-20 referenced), macOS (inception 2001-03-24), and Linux (inception 1991-09-17 referenced).
- Mobile OS: iOS, iPadOS (inception 2019-06 reflected for iPadOS), and Android (inception 2008-09-23 referenced).
- Distribution channels: Official download page https://obsidian.md/download; distributed by Google Play, Flathub (flathub_id md.obsidian.Obsidian), the Apple App Store, Snap, Chocolatey, Arch package, and Nixpkgs. Distribution format is digital download.

### Releases and Version History
- Version lineage documents a progression from 0.0.1 (2020-03-30) to many public stable releases and betas across 2022–2026.
- Notable milestones: 1.0 (dated 2022-10-13) signaled a formalized personal knowledge base release. The product maintained frequent stable releases through 2024 and 2025, with multiple minor and patch releases (1.3.5, 1.5, 1.6.x, 1.7.x, 1.8.x, 1.9.x, 1.10.6, 1.11.x).
- Recent status markers: 1.11.7 was published 2026-02-05; 1.12.4 was published as a beta 2026-02-24 and later marked preferred stable 2026-02-27. 1.12.5 appears as a preferred beta early-access release with  2026-03-05.
- Release references: Many release notes are available on Obsidian’s changelog pages (links provided in version metadata).

### Licensing, Pricing, and Business Model
- License: Obsidian uses a proprietary license; users and organizations must follow the licensing terms set on https://obsidian.md/license.
- Pricing model: The business model is freemium; pricing details and paid features are documented at https://obsidian.md/pricing.

### Branding, Media, and Identity
- Name origin: The application is named after obsidian, the volcanic glass.
- Logos and imagery: The 2023 logo is specified with a Commons file path; an image showing a desktop demo workflow is available on Commons.
- Motto: The stated motto is "Sharpen your thinking."
- Aliases and brand handles: Obsidian is also known as Obsidian.md and ObsidianMD.

### Community, Support, and Documentation
- Official support: Documentation and manuals are held at docs.obsidian.md and help.obsidian.md; an FAQ is published at obsidian.md/faq.
- Forums and community: Official forum at forum.obsidian.md (and forum-zh.obsidian.md for Chinese speakers); subreddit ObsidianMD active since 2020-05-05; Discord invite obsidianmd with numeric id 686053708261228577; Lemmy community obsidianmd@lemmy.world.
- Social channels: Twitter @obsdmd, Mastodon obsidian@mas.to, Bluesky obsidian.md (verified), Twitch obsdmd, and YouTube channel UCRP5KXKq8Ytc6IH06VWRmkQ.
- Community metrics: Social follower snapshots are recorded for Twitter, Mastodon, and YouTube across multiple dates (2021–2025).

### Identifiers and Registry Entries
- Hosting and code ecosystem: GitHub username obsidianmd and associated GitHub topic obsidian-md.
- Package registries and store ids: flathub_id md.obsidian.Obsidian; snap package obsidian; arch_linux_package obsidian; chocolatey community package obsidian / Obsidian; google_play_store_app_id md.obsidian; app_store_id 1557175442.
- Knowledge graph and metadata: google_knowledge_graph_id /g/11n007kbcy; wikipedia_title Obsidian (software); commons category Obsidian (software).

### Legal, Privacy, and Service Information
- Privacy and terms: Privacy policy https://obsidian.md/privacy; terms of service https://obsidian.md/terms.
- Service status: Status and uptime reported at https://status.obsidian.md/ (Uptime Robot).
- Copyright: The product is copyrighted; copyright_status documented as copyrighted.

### Press, Description, and External Coverage
- FastCompany coverage: Obsidian is the subject of a FastCompany article titled "The cult of Obsidian: Why people are obsessed with the note-taking app" (described_at_url), indicating cultural and user-interest coverage beyond technical documentation.
- Blog and announcements: Official blog at https://obsidian.md/blog/ with feed https://obsidian.md/feed.xml for release notes and announcements.

### Related Entities
- Dynalist Inc.: Listed as developer and connected company; Dynalist Inc. has a Canadian registration and is associated with the Dynalist outliner product family.
- People: Erica Xu and Shida Li are named as creators; Shida Li also appears under created/developed and programmer entries. Steph Ango is listed as a programmer with qualifier.
- Technologies and standards: Electron and Cascading Style Sheets are explicitly connected; JavaScript appears in related technology entries.
- Obsidian (volcanic glass): The software is explicitly named after the naturally occurring volcanic glass obsidian.

### External Resources and Links
- Official site and download: https://obsidian.md and https://obsidian.md/download.
- Documentation and help: https://docs.obsidian.md/, https://help.obsidian.md/, https://obsidian.md/faq.
- Community and social: forum.obsidian.md, forum-zh.obsidian.md, Reddit r/ObsidianMD, Discord invite obsidianmd, Mastodon obsidian@mas.to, Bluesky obsidian.md, Twitter @obsdmd, YouTube channel UCRP5KXKq8Ytc6IH06VWRmkQ, Twitch obsdmd.
- Changelog and releases: changelog pages referenced in version metadata (hosted on obsidian.md changelog paths listed in version references).
- Legal pages: https://obsidian.md/privacy, https://obsidian.md/terms.
- Press article: FastCompany piece at https://www.fastcompany.com/90960653/why-people-are-obsessed-with-obsidian-the-indie-darling-of-notetaking-apps.

(End of entry.)

## References

1. [Source](https://obsidian.md/license)
2. [Source](https://obsidian.md/download)
3. [Source](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/obsidian-release-v0-15-9/40963)
4. [Obsidian 1.0 – Personal knowledge base app](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33190433)
5. [Source](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/obsidian-release-v1-1-16/55572)
6. [Obsidian 1.3.5 Desktop (Public). 2023](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2023-06-01-desktop-v1.3.5/)
7. [Source](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2023-12-26-desktop-v1.5.3/)
8. [2024](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2024-03-31-desktop-v1.5.12/)
9. [Source](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2024-06-08-desktop-v1.6.3/)
10. [Source](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2020-03-30-desktop-v0.0.1/)
11. [Source](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2024-06-25-desktop-v1.6.5/)
12. [Source](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2024-07-18-desktop-v1.6.7/)
13. [Source](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2024-10-16-desktop-v1.7.4/)
14. [2024](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2024-11-04-desktop-v1.7.5/)
15. [2024](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2024-11-12-desktop-v1.7.6/)
16. [2024](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2024-11-18-desktop-v1.7.7/)
17. [Source](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2025-01-30-mobile-v1.8.3/)
18. [Source](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2025-01-31-mobile-v1.8.4/)
19. [Source](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2025-02-18-desktop-v1.8.7/)
20. [Source](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2025-03-05-desktop-v1.8.9/)
21. [Obsidian Desktop 1.8.10  (Public)](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2025-04-22-desktop-v1.8.10/)
22. [Obsidian Desktop 1.9.10](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2025-08-18-desktop-v1.9.10/)
23. [Obsidian 1.9.12 Desktop (Public)](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2025-08-26-desktop-v1.9.12/)
24. [Obsidian 1.10.6 Desktop (Public)](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2025-11-25-desktop-v1.10.6/)
25. [Obsidian 1.11 Desktop (Public)](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2026-01-12-desktop-v1.11.4/)
26. [Obsidian 1.11.5 Desktop (Public)](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2026-01-20-desktop-v1.11.5/)
27. [Obsidian 1.11.7 Desktop (Public). 2026](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2026-02-05-desktop-v1.11.7/)
28. [Obsidian 1.12.4 Desktop (Early access). 2026](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2026-02-24-desktop-v1.12.4/)
29. [Obsidian 1.12 Desktop (Public). 2026](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2026-02-27-desktop-v1.12.4/)
30. [Obsidian 1.12.5 Desktop (Early access). 2026](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2026-03-05-desktop-v1.12.5/)
31. [Obsidian 1.12.7 Desktop (Public). 2026](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2026-03-23-desktop-v1.12.7/)
32. [The cult of Obsidian: Why people are obsessed with the note-taking app](https://www.fastcompany.com/90960653/why-people-are-obsessed-with-obsidian-the-indie-darling-of-notetaking-apps)
33. [Obsidian Blog - Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/blog/)
34. [Obsidian - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRP5KXKq8Ytc6IH06VWRmkQ)
35. [Obsdmd - Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/obsdmd)
36. [Source](https://obsidian.md/pricing)
37. YouTube API
38. [Source](https://obsidian.md/community)
39. [obsidian-md · GitHub Topics](https://github.com/topics/obsidian-md)
40. [Source](https://obsidian.md/)
41. [Source](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/obsidian-connected-notes/id1557175442)