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JoplinvsObsidianvsNote Cargo

Joplin vs Obsidian vs Note Cargo: Which is better? (2026)

Joplin is a free open-source Markdown app with E2E encryption. Obsidian is a local-first knowledge base with a powerful plugin ecosystem.

TL;DRObsidian is a local-first app with a rich plugin ecosystem. Joplin is an open-source Markdown app with E2E encryption and S3/WebDAV sync.

Note Cargo is web-based, lighter (~30 MB RAM), and always in sync via your S3/R2 bucket.

Obsidian wins on offline and plugins. Joplin wins on E2E encryption. Note Cargo wins on simplicity and web-first access.

18
Note Cargo wins
17
Joplin wins
15
Obsidian wins
Feature
Joplin Joplin
Obsidian Obsidian
Note Cargo 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
✗
✓
✓

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is best for self-hosting - Joplin, Obsidian, or Note Cargo?

Note Cargo and Joplin both support true self-hosting. Note Cargo runs as a Docker container with S3/R2 storage. Joplin supports WebDAV, S3, and Nextcloud. Obsidian has no self-hosted sync - you use their service or set up DIY sync manually.

Which is the lightest on resources?

Note Cargo (~30 MB RAM, web-based) is the lightest. Obsidian and Joplin both run on Electron and can use 200-500 MB of RAM depending on vault size.

Which has the best offline support?

Obsidian and Joplin both offer full offline access - they are local-first apps. Note Cargo is browser-based and requires an internet connection. If offline is critical, Obsidian or Joplin wins.

Ready to switch to Note Cargo?

Self-hosted, Markdown-native, stored in your own S3/R2. One-time payment, no subscriptions.

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