Apple Notes vs Obsidian vs Note Cargo: Which is better? (2026)
Apple Notes is a free native app for Apple devices. Obsidian is a local-first knowledge base with a rich plugin ecosystem.
TL;DRApple Notes is polished and free but tied to the Apple ecosystem. Obsidian is a local-first app with a powerful plugin ecosystem and offline-first approach.
Note Cargo is web-based, stores standard Markdown in your own S3/R2 bucket, and always in sync.
Apple Notes wins on native integration. Obsidian wins on plugins and offline. Note Cargo wins on data ownership and cross-platform access.
18
Note Cargo wins
12
Apple Notes wins
15
Obsidian wins
Feature
Apple Notes
Obsidian
Note Cargo
Pricing
Starting price
Free
$4/mo
$4
Pricing model
Free
Free + Paid Sync
One-Time
Demo/Trial
Data & Privacy
You own your storage
Doesn't train on your notes
Open source
Sync All Devices
Device Theft Resistant
Unlimited Storage
Platform
Web app
Mobile app
Desktop app
Offline access
Bloated Features
MCP Support
Markdown & Portability
Markdown support
Export Data
Notes Linking
Codeblock
Collaboration
Real-time collaboration
Note sharing
Self-Hosting
Self-hostable
Low RAM usage
Modifiable code
No Database
Zero Dependency
Ready to switch to Note Cargo?
Self-hosted, Markdown-native, stored in your own S3/R2. One-time payment, no subscriptions.