A lot of people, including me, prefer Obsidian because it stores all your notes locally in the form of Markdown files. Now, this is okay if you take and access notes on only one device. However, if you want to sync your notes across devices, you’ll either need to pay for Obsidian Sync or manually set up free syncing using other methods. I opted for the latter, and I was surprised at the number of ways I can set it up, and how easy it was in each case.

Paired with my OneDrive folder

Since I already use OneDrive and wished to sync my notes across Windows, macOS, and iOS, the most convenient way of syncing my notes was using the Remotely Save plugin. The tool connects to your cloud storage of choice, but free options are limited to OneDrive, Dropbox, Amazon AWS S3 or similar, Webdis, and Webdav. Google Drive is only supported on the pro version of the plugin.

Setting up Remotely Save was quite simple: first download and enable the plugin in your Obsidian vault by clicking Settings -> Community plugins -> Browse. Then, open the settings page of the plugin. Pick your cloud storage service using the Choose a Remote Service drop-down menu, click on Auth, and then click the link that shows up. Log in and give it the required permissions. Once that’s done, Remotely Save will create a folder in OneDrive. It can only access this folder and nothing else on OneDrive.

You will need to manually sync the vault for the first time. To do this, just click on the Remotely Save arrow in the sidebar, and the plugin will sync the notes from that vault to OneDrive. Now, open Obsidian on any other device, create a vault with the same name, and repeat the steps in the paragraph above.

The only caveat with Remotely Save is that it doesn’t sync files in the background. You need to open Obsidian for it to work. However, there are a couple of sync settings you can modify to suit your style. Go to the settings page of the plugin, and you can configure encryption settings, when and how often sync is triggered, and how empty files and file conflicts are handled.

There are other free ways to sync your Obsidian notes

Opt for the one which suits the platforms you use Obsidian on

The Remotely Save + OneDrive combo works for me because I already use OneDrive and I wanted my notes synced across multiple platforms. But depending on the devices you use, there are several other ways to sync your Obsidian notes for free.

If you’re comfortable with Git, you can use the Obsidian Git plugin to commit and push your vault to a GitHub repository on a schedule or on demand. This has the added benefit of preserving version history. However, it may be tricky to set up if you’re not technically inclined. Additionally, the mobile app has issues with Git auth, so you’ll need SSH keys or a PAT (Personal Access Token). I suggest using this method if you want version history and only use Obsidian on desktop.

If you’d rather sync your notes locally, consider using Syncthing, a free peer-to-peer syncing service that works like a charm once you get through the initial hurdle of setting it up. Since it’s P2P, your notes aren’t stored on third-party servers. You can set up Syncthing to sync your notes locally or over the internet. There are apps available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. For iOS, you’ll need to use a third-party app like Mobius Sync.

For iOS and macOS users, the best option might actually be to just use the dedicated Obsidian app folder on iCloud Drive. Simply store your vault there, and your notes will be synced across your Apple devices. I don’t recommend using iCloud Drive to sync Obsidian notes because it’s known to cause duplication issues. If you’re strictly using desktop devices (like a Mac and a Windows computer), the most low-friction option is to just use Google Drive or Dropbox to store your Obsidian vaults.

OS

Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, iPadOS

Developer

Dynalist Inc.

Pricing model

Free

Initial release

March 30, 2020

Obsidian is a local-first, Markdown-based note-taking application that stores your notes as plain text files and lets you build interlinked “vaults” of knowledge. It supports plug-ins, graph visualisations, and full control of your data rather than locking you into a proprietary format.

In my view, the best free way to sync your notes across multiple platforms and varying ecosystems is to use the Remotely Save plugin, or set up Syncthing on each device.

If all fail, Obsidian Sync might be for you

Obsidian is a free app, and the paid Obsidian Sync service is one of the biggest reasons why it’s free. If you can afford it, Obsidian Sync is, by far, the most convenient way to sync your notes. You get 12 months of file history, real-time sync, and it doesn’t require any technical setup, unlike the other methods.