Obsidian alternative for documents: Marko compared
Obsidian and Marko both handle Markdown, but they answer different questions. Obsidian builds a base of personal notes linked to each other, for the long run. Marko picks up a one-off document, often received from an AI, to fix and share. If you are unsure, the right compass is the need, not the feature list.
What Obsidian does
Obsidian is a knowledge base: Markdown notes tied together with links and backlinks, a graph view, a local vault on your disk, and a wide catalog of community plugins to extend the tool. The app is free, with no account, and the commercial license is optional (around $50 per person per year, October 2026, verify on obsidian.md). The paid Sync and Publish services are separate add-ons. There is no built-in AI assistant, though community plugins add one.
What Marko does, and what it does not
Marko aims at the single document: a file you received, to finish and then pass on. The assistant proposes its changes as a diff, which you review before applying, with your key or a local model; the PDF export is paginated and produced on your Mac. Marko is not a note vault: no graph, no backlinks, no plugin catalog. It is limited to Apple Silicon Macs on macOS 12 or later, it is a young product, and use becomes paid after the trial.
Choose by the need
A one-off file to finish and share, often out of an AI: Marko is cut for that. A personal note base to build over the long term, with links, a graph view and plugins: Obsidian is the better pick, and Marko does not try to replace it. The two can live side by side, each on its own ground.
Marko and Obsidian, point by point
| Criterion | Marko | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Intended use | A one-off document to fix and share | A base of linked notes, over time |
| Links between notes and graph | No | Yes: links, backlinks, graph view |
| Plugins | No | Wide community catalog |
| AI assistant | Built in, with diff review before applying | No built-in assistant; community plugins add one |
| PDF export | Paginated A4 locally, page number in the footer, table header repeated on each page | PDF export available |
| Local files | Reads and writes plain .md on your Mac | Local vault of .md files |
| Price | 14-day trial, no account or card, then a Solo subscription (amount still being validated) | Free, optional commercial license, Sync and Publish separate (October 2026, verify on obsidian.md) |
When Obsidian is the right pick
If your need is to link notes over time, to follow ideas from one card to the next, to extend the tool with plugins or to sync several devices, Obsidian does all of that and Marko does not try. Marko only makes sense for the other half of the work: the document you receive, fix and send.
Marko is not a replacement for a note vault. If you are after a linked personal memory, stay on Obsidian. If you are after finishing a received file and getting a clean PDF out of it, Marko is more direct.
Frequently asked questions
Can Marko replace Obsidian as a note base?
No. Marko aims at a one-off document to fix and share, not a vault of linked notes. Without a graph, backlinks or plugins, it does not replace Obsidian for a knowledge base.
Is Obsidian free?
The Obsidian app is free, the commercial license is optional, and the Sync and Publish services are paid add-ons (October 2026, verify on obsidian.md).
Which tool should I pick for a file received from an AI?
To finish a received file and send it on, Marko is more direct: review of the AI’s suggestions and a local PDF export. To link notes over time, Obsidian remains the better fit.
Can I use both?
Yes, each on its own ground. A .md file opens in both; Marko is for finishing a document, Obsidian for keeping a note base.
Run your own test. Open the same document in Marko, fix a passage and export a PDF. Judge it on your file.
Full 14-day trial, no account or credit card. See pricing