Similar Software to Obsidian: 16 best alternatives for 2023

Obsidian is a powerful toolbox with 25 core plugins, 608 community plugins, and 128 themes plus custom styling; it's easy for anyone to set up a site that looks exactly how they want it. Using plain text Markdown files, one can create emails, websites, books, and presentations with access from practically any application without tags interfering with the layout. Users can utilize graph view to connect the dots between notes helping them generate new ideas and organize them. Known as the second brain, Obsidian allows users to add backlink plug-ins to notes to help past ideas resurface and outgoing links to generate potential connections for future use. With all the work and details this site has to offer, they've also made it future-proof. By saving your data into a local folder, when the cloud no longer exists, your data will, making it available forever. Obsidian works completely offline so you can look over and work on your projects anytime from anywhere.

1. VIM

VIM is an open-source configurable text editor for UNIX. VIM is an acronym for Vi IMproved. Its original author is Bram Moolenaar. Its initial release was on 2nd November 1991 and its stable release was on 12th December 2019. It is written in VIM script and C. It uses Unix, Linux, MS-DOS, Windows NT iOS and Android operating systems. VIM has turned 30 and it has been improving every year. It is easy to use and you only need a few commands to complete a complex task. It is highly configurable and uses a simple text file for storage. You can extend its functionality by using multiple plugins that are available. It has multiple windows, multiple buffers and multiple tabs to support the usage of many files at once. You can repeat the command using the available recording features. It has a very low memory footprint. VIM does not have GUI but it has a separate installer called gVIM that provides it. The idea of this platform is, that the mouse is slow to use instead they use one key shortcut to improve on it. There is one week trial period for this platform. After that, you need to get a subscription to continue using it. Anyone can use this platform but it is not recommended for beginners. Usually, mid-size companies and IT-related companies use this platform.

2. Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is a free cross-platform code editor for the .NET platform. It was created by the same team that created the popular Team Foundation Server. It has features such as code folding and tabbed editing.

Visual Studio Code is a cross-platform development environment (IDE). It can run Node.js applications, but it can also be used with other languages such as C#, C++, or Java.

Visual Studio Code has many built-in tools that are specifically designed to support cross-platform development and testing. The UI of Visual Studio Code looks very similar to Microsoft’s Visual Studio software suite and also features some similarities like syntax highlighting and code completion features with IntelliSense. An important feature that VS Code can do is provide a simple, stable command-line interface that allows you to perform common tasks with one keystroke.

If you need to run a remote command on your machine, VS Code provides this functionality through its built-in terminal emulator.

3. Sublime Text

Sublime Text is a source code editor that natively supports programming and markup languages. Its functionality can also be expanded with the use of plugins and be able to maintain its free software licensed in the long run. It was developed by Sublime HQ in January 2008, 14 years ago, and can be downloaded for windows and mac users. Both of these platforms are well supported by Sublime text and they have assured their clients that it will be stable and it will not have any crash and lag problems when being used. Most of the users of the Sublime Text can be developers and coding experts. But perhaps it is very best feature is that it is very affordable and paying for it can be done via Paypal. Overall the Sublime text software is very affordable and easy to use that even a newbie can easily understand because of its friendly user interface.

4. WordPress

WordPress is a content management system that enables you to create your free website or blogs with its many choices of customizable and mobile-ready designs and themes that are for free including its hosting and support. It contains a template system and plugins that help you personalize your websites that match your branding, portfolio, business, or online store. It is free to get started building your website, but, you can avail of its premium services for as low as $36/year. WordPress is where you can upload your files, publish content, and post media without being tech-savvy or touching a line of code. WordPress is very easy to use especially for beginners. It is known as the most flexible and powerful system that comes with a simple dashboard. From there you can create posts, blogs, amazon-affiliate stores, an online community, and an eCommerce portfolio. It is a user-friendly system that enables you to understand how to build it even though you only have the basic skills in computers.

5. Tumblr

Tumblr is a social networking site that also works as an American microblogging site where its users post content and multimedia in a short-form type of blog. In this platform, users can interact with their fellow bloggers. This is a good place to explore talk-of-the-town trending topics and intriguing internet things that create fruitful conversation and interaction with its users. It is easy to create multi-media posts by posting photos, GIFs, audio and video files, and fan arts. This is where you can find bit-size content such as quotes, infographics, and clipart. It is more of a combination of "Facebook" and "Twitter and "Blog" where users can effortlessly share almost anything from post text down to music vid clips on either mobile or desktop. When it comes to freedom of content, Tumblr has a sharper edge compared to other social networking sites. This is where you can post anything you want that interest you and your viewers, tackling almost anything even your thoughts about sensitive topics too.

6. NotePad++

NotePad++ is an open source text editing software launched by DonHo in 2003. This software supports different code languages and was designed for Microsoft Windows but can also be used on Linux.

NotePad++ can be used for writing, editing and saving documents, and also for editing files that contain different language codes. It can be compared to the popular Microsoft windows notepad, but Notepad++ has some extra features that can be very useful in different situations. First of all, this software identifies different language codes, providing us with a clear and organised presentation of the code.

If we opened the same code document on Notepad++ and Windows Notepad we would immediately notice the huge difference between the organisation of the information in this two software. Furthermore, Notepad++ shows the line numbers making it much easier to work and allowing us to open multiple tabs in the same window. On the other hand, this software is able to open every file no matter its extension, it won't open the file just when it's corrupt.

In conclusion, this text editor is perfect for those people and programmers who like Windows Notepad but would like to upgrade it, having some useful extra features.

7. Wix

Wix is a platform that allows you to build your very own e-commerce website so that it can help sell your product online. It was founded 16 years ago in 2006 by Avishai Abrahami, Nadav Abrahami, and Giora Kaplan. Its headquarters is based in Tel Aviv, Israel. There are currently 6000 employees working on this platform. You can sell any digital product, ebooks, and even physical products on this platform. Thye also has a Wix Booking app which will provide opportunities for customers to book in advance any product they need. You can add up to 15 images for each product you upload to this platform. Thye have over 50 types of payment options that you can choose from and it comes with an SSL certificate to safeguard your account. It also provides abandoned cart recovery and multi-channel selling where you can use multiple social media to sell your product at once. Their pricing plan range from 10 dollars to 49 dollars per month and their best feature is the Wix stores app which is built into the template so that you will have more convenience and better process. You can customize easily all this and they also have SEO built-in so that you can have a better sales pitch.

8. WriteMonkey

Writemonkey is a free text editor for windows with a very simple and easy-to-use interface.

This software has been specifically designed to write, in comparison with other text editors this has been created as a better choice for this task, you will definitely notice it when you open the program since it will only show an area to start writing, leaving out many common tools for text editing.

If you run the program in window mode it will show the toolbar on the top of it, but If you run it on full screen the toolbar will disappear, removing every distraction, but you will still be able to access the tools by right-clicking your mouse.

This software has also some common features among the text editors such as spell check, and it also has some curiosities such as the possibility to put different sounds while writing, for example, an old keyboard typing sound, which could be more immersive for some people and make them more focused on their writing. Writemonkey is a comfortable, quick, and easy-to-use program. Since it leaves out many features of a typical text editor, it is way lighter than those, which makes it work faster and more efficiently If you don't need to make use of that tools.

9. Zyro

Zyro is a private platform that helps consumers in online sales by getting its website ready for e-commerce. It was founded in 2019 and the current CEO is Giedrius Zakaitis. Its headquarters is in Kaunas, Lithuania. They have 3 types of website builder plans. They are Website, business, and advanced store. which are priced at 2.90 dollars, 4.90 dollars, and 15.90 dollars respectively. There are over 250,000 small business owners that are using this platform. This platform has very reliable customer support that works 24/7. You can sell online without any hidden fees, anywhere and anytime. You can set up this online shop in minutes and they have multiple payment gateways to choose from. Their website template is fully customizable and can be used for e-commerce, blogs, business, resumes, and events. This platform is user-friendly and is suitable for beginners. It contains multiple AI tools that will be very helpful when building websites. It also has a very good uptime of 99.97%. They also provide thousands of free images that you can just pull in and use rather than going to the internet to choose.

10. Brackets

Brackets is a source code editor that was launched in 2017 by Adobe Systems. It is available for Windows, Linux and Mac OS and was written in JavaScript, HTML and CSS. This software is one the most common ones among the website developers since it has multiple useful features for designing a website which makes it different and more efficient than others.

Brackets give you the choice to quickly edit the properties of a CSS file, and it also allows you to see the changes you have made on a project using the preview function, which can be very useful and comfortable to see the progress you have already made and how it looks like. Some other interesting features of it are that it allows you to manipulate the structure of the folders or open a remotely allocated website from this software. This software is a very modern open-source code editor that will allow you to work on a website in a very comfortable way, it is powerful, light and efficient at the same time.

11. Ghost

Ghost is an open-source platform that is similar to WordPress. It boasts a modern interface with flexibility in formatting your content. This free for all platform makes content production less time-consuming as there are fewer on-screen distractions to block out. Increasing your earning potential by monetising your blog may have seemed like a daunting task before. Ghost allows you to attract more readers and subsequently turn your newfound audiences into subscribers. This feature means you save time by not having to do the research yourself, leaving you with a pleasant and simplified process. Newsletters and any of your premium written content can be created efficiently and sent out to paying subscribers. By using Ghost for your blogging needs, the SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) ensures your creativity does not go unnoticed.

Overall, Ghost offers a simplified and speed-oriented solution with advanced features that take your blog to the next level.

12. Blogger

Blogger is an online blogging platform that is owned and powered by Google. You can use it to write, create, and publish your blog. It is an American online content management system that is downloadable to either mobile apps or desktops. Blogger is a great way not only to express and share your knowledge but also to connect to people who share the same interests as yours. Aside from enjoying its entirely free blogging service, all of its components such as blog hosting, subdomains, themes, and gadgets are also free. It's easy to set up your blog. You can have the option to choose from a wide selection of easy-to-use templates with hundreds of background images, and get a blogspot.com domain that is free. You can also monetize your blog with the help of Google AdSense and another ad platform for your pages. You will get paid for every successful click of your visitors to the relevant targeted ads on your blog.

13. Medium

Medium is a blogging network connecting over 200k writers with around 60 million monthly readers. As a blogger, you can create and publish your stories for free. Add pictures, with or without captions, include up to 5 tags per article, and write a catchy title to get traffic to your article. Readers can respond with comments or by applauding (think likes on Instagram). You can easily share your story by copying the link and sharing it via text and email or directly sharing it to your Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter pages to help drive a following. Medium also has publishing tools to help writers stand out by including branding, with colors, fonts, and artwork in your space. This gives readers a more immersive experience and helps them recognize writers when their skimming. Bloggers can also get paid through their partnership program. Simply connect a Stripe account, fill out a 1-minute application, and earn based on how long members read your content as well as referred memberships.

14. Drupal

Drupal is a free and open-source web content management software that can be used for creating and managing any type of website easily even without the technical skills required. It can make a great website and push the content to other systems and tools. It wants to be a content hub that pushes info out on the internet along with mobile apps, kiosks, and other systems. Although Drupal is loaded with CMS, it is not that difficult to learn. It is widely known as a free CMS and its logic uses one of the simplest in CMS web development. It has a high learning curve largely because of the number of available customization that is built into its core. It has a robust platform and a huge user community. It also prioritizes very crucial accessibility. Another good thing about Drupal is that it can handle complex security situations such as PCI compliance that need database encryption. It is generally secured and protected.

15. Notion

Notion provides an easy-to-navigate management platform for bloggers. You can write and edit your posts before they become publicly accessible, allowing for an increase in quality content. Your progress is trackable and consistency is guaranteed with the use of templates. The whole article creation process is catered for in some way. For example, if you need to research a specific area, just compile all the information on one tab by embedding videos, linking books and creating tables detailing the relevant information from each source. Time management is also heavily improved because by planning and using the inbuilt calendar, organisation and execution become a seamless process. Notion can be accessed from anywhere, which means at any point you see or hear something that inspires you, simply login to your Notion and add it to the relevant page for future review. The beauty of Notion is that everything is in one place.

16. CherryTree

CherryTree is a note-taking application that features rich text, highlighting, image handling, and hyperlinks with its import and export in multiple formats. This is a free hierarchical app that works well on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It helps the user to organize all the notes, bookmarks, personal information, and source codes. It also lets the users define the hyperlinks, print and export to PDF format, and import data from Notecase, Basket, Tuxcards, and Keepnote notebooks. It has a nice and fast customizable interface with an undo function, table editing, exporting and importing CSV files, line wrapping, and auto-saving features. Cherrynotes can also be used for writing logbooks, inventory, letters and articles, contact lists, recipes, and to-do lists. If you are looking for a notebook tool that is easy to use and can work across platforms, CherryTree is a good choice because of its versatility. This note-taking tool works with Mid Size businesses, Small businesses, Enterprise, Freelance, Nonprofit, and Government organizations.