Obsidian has a devoted following — and for good reason. It's local-first, endlessly customizable, and supports a graph of linked notes that some people use to build impressive personal knowledge systems.

But here's the thing: most people just want to write something down and find it later.

If that sounds like you, Obsidian might be making your life harder than it needs to be.

What Obsidian Is (Really) For

Obsidian is a Markdown editor for your local file system. Your notes live on your computer as .md files inside a "vault." It has no built-in sync — your notes don't automatically appear on your other devices unless you:

Pay for Obsidian Sync ($10/month)
Set up iCloud, Dropbox, or another third-party sync
Manually copy files around

For people who work across multiple devices (a Mac at home, a Windows PC at work, a phone), that friction adds up. And for people who don't want to spend hours configuring plugins and vault settings, it can feel like work before the actual work.

Who Obsidian Is Great For

To be fair, Obsidian genuinely shines for:

Power users who want a linked, graph-based knowledge system
Researchers and academics building a Zettelkasten
Writers who want full control over their file structure
Developers who are comfortable configuring tools

If you're in one of those groups, Obsidian is worth the investment.

Who Should Look Elsewhere

If you find yourself in any of these situations, there's probably a better option for you:

You want your notes on every device without paying extra
You just started using Obsidian and feel overwhelmed by the setup
You use it mainly for simple lists and notes, not linked knowledge
You want to share a note with someone without exporting files
You access notes from a work computer where you can't install software

5 Reasons Krokanti Notes Fits Casual Note-Takers Better

1. Zero setup, instant access

Krokanti Notes is a web app. Open your browser, sign in, and start writing. There's no vault to create, no plugin to install, and no sync configuration. Your notes are on every device the moment you write them.

2. Free cross-device sync

With Obsidian, syncing across devices costs $10/month. With Krokanti Notes, it's always free — because your notes live in the cloud, not on your hard drive. Open it on your laptop, your phone, a library computer — it just works.

3. Built-in version history

Every note in Krokanti Notes has automatic version history. If you overwrite something important or want to see how a document evolved, you can restore any previous version in one click. Obsidian has plugins that offer something similar, but it requires setup.

4. Simpler organization

Krokanti Notes uses folders and tags for organization — the same patterns you already use in every other app. No graph view to configure, no backlinks to manage. Just put your notes where they make sense.

5. Share instantly

Want to share a note with someone? In Krokanti Notes, one toggle makes it a public URL you can send to anyone. They don't need an account. Obsidian has no built-in sharing — you'd need to publish to Obsidian Publish ($10/month), or export and paste into something else.

Try Krokanti Notes free

No setup. No sync fees. Works on every device.

Create your free account →

Feature Comparison

| Feature | Krokanti Notes | Obsidian | |---------|:---:|:---:| | Web access | ✓ | ✗ (local only) | | Cross-device sync | Free | $10/mo | | Learning curve | None | High | | Setup time | < 1 minute | Hours | | Markdown support | ✓ | ✓ | | Version history | ✓ (built-in) | ✓ (plugin) | | Public sharing | ✓ | $10/mo | | Plugin ecosystem | ✗ | ✓ | | Price (paid tier) | €2.99/mo | $8/mo |

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I import my Obsidian notes into Krokanti Notes?

Yes. Obsidian stores notes as plain Markdown files. You can copy the content directly into Krokanti Notes — or use our Markdown import to bring in multiple notes at once.

Does Krokanti Notes work offline like Obsidian?

Krokanti Notes currently requires an internet connection. Offline support is on our roadmap. If offline access is critical to you, Obsidian's local-first model is a genuine advantage.

Can I use both apps?

Absolutely. Some people use Obsidian as a local archive and Krokanti Notes for active, frequently-accessed notes. There's no reason to be exclusive.

What if I want to switch back later?

Krokanti Notes supports Markdown export. Your notes will always be yours — you're never locked in.

The Bottom Line

Obsidian is an exceptional tool for people who want a deeply customizable, local-first knowledge base. But for everyday note-taking — capturing ideas, keeping references, writing drafts — the complexity is unnecessary.

Krokanti Notes gives you Markdown, folders, tags, version history, and public sharing, on every device, for free. No plugins. No sync subscriptions. No setup.

If you've been using Obsidian for simple notes and wishing it were easier, give Krokanti Notes a try.

Start taking simpler notes

Free forever. No device limits. No sync fees.