Obsidian for PC: How to Download and Install on Windows (2026 Guide)

Your notes are scattered across sticky notes, documents, chat messages to yourself, and three different apps — and when you need one, you cannot find it. Worse, most note apps lock your words into their cloud, so switching away later becomes a project of its own.

This guide shows you how to download Obsidian from its official website, install it on Windows 11 or 10, and create your first linked notes. Requirements, features, and what is free versus paid are covered below.

What Is Obsidian?

Obsidian is a note-taking and knowledge management app developed by Dynalist Inc. Its founding idea is simple but powerful: your notes are stored as plain Markdown files in folders on your own computer — called a “vault” — rather than in a company’s database. You always own your data, and your notes stay readable forever in any text editor.

On top of those files, Obsidian builds a rich workspace: notes link to each other like a personal wiki, a graph view shows how your ideas connect, and thousands of community plugins extend it into a task manager, journal, or study system. Because everything is local and offline-first, it is fast and private by design.

Key Features of Obsidian

Local Markdown files: Your notes live in an ordinary folder on your PC as .md files — no lock-in, no export drama, ever.
Linked notes: Connect ideas with [[wiki-style links]] and see backlinks for every note that mentions the current one.
Graph view: A visual map of your notes and their connections, so patterns and neglected topics stand out.
Community plugins: More than a thousand free plugins add calendars, Kanban boards, drawing, spaced repetition, and more.
Powerful search and organisation: Tags, folders, bookmarks, and full-text search that stays instant across thousands of notes.
Writing-friendly editor: Live Preview editing, outline panel, and word count.
Fully offline and private: The core app works entirely on your device with no account and no tracking.

System Requirements

Operating System: Windows 11 or Windows 10 (64-bit recommended)
Processor: Any modern Intel or AMD CPU
RAM: 2 GB minimum; 4 GB for very large vaults
Storage: Around 300 MB for the app, plus a little space for notes
Internet: Only needed for the download and plugin browsing
Account: None — the app works fully without any account
Optional: Keep your vault in a cloud folder (OneDrive, Dropbox) for free do-it-yourself syncing

How to Download Obsidian (Official Method)

Unofficial portals mirror Obsidian, sometimes bundled with extras or stuck on old versions. Download it only from its official website, obsidian.md.

Official Website: Download Obsidian from the official website

Step-by-Step Installation

Open the official Obsidian download page linked above.
Click the download button for the Windows installer.
Save the file, named like Obsidian.x.x.x.exe, to your Downloads folder.
Double-click the installer — Obsidian uses a quick one-click setup.
Approve the permission prompt if it appears, and wait a few seconds for setup to finish.
Launch Obsidian from the Start menu or the desktop shortcut.
On the welcome screen, choose “Create new vault”, name it (for example “My Notes”), and pick a folder on your PC.

Vault tip: Creating your vault inside OneDrive or Dropbox gives you free automatic syncing to other devices — no paid add-on needed.

How to Create Your First Linked Notes in Obsidian

In your new vault, click the “New note” icon and title it after a topic, such as “Project Ideas”.
Write a few lines, then type [[ and the name of another topic — for example [[Reading List]] — and press Enter to create a link.
Click that link: Obsidian creates the “Reading List” note instantly, already connected to the first.
Add a few more links as you write; knowledge in Obsidian grows by connection, not by filing.
Open the Graph View from the left ribbon to see your notes and links drawn as a map.
When ready to extend the app, browse Settings → Community plugins, and enable the Daily Notes and Templates core plugins.

Obsidian Free vs Paid: What Is the Difference?

The honest picture: Obsidian is free for personal use, and the free version is the complete app — unlimited notes, plugins, graph view, everything. Money enters only in three optional places. First, using Obsidian for work at a company requires a paid commercial licence. Second, Obsidian Sync is a paid add-on that syncs vaults between devices with end-to-end encryption — convenient, but you can sync free by keeping your vault in OneDrive or Dropbox. Third, Obsidian Publish is a paid add-on for turning notes into a public website. None of these is required for personal note-taking; prices are on the official website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Obsidian safe to download and use?
Yes, from the official website linked above. Obsidian is an established app with an unusually privacy-friendly design: your notes are local files, it works offline, and no account is required. Community plugins are third-party code, so stick to popular, well-reviewed ones — but the core app itself is safe.

Are my notes really mine, or are they locked into Obsidian?
They are genuinely yours. Every note is a plain Markdown file in a normal Windows folder, readable in Notepad or any editor at any time. If you stopped using Obsidian tomorrow, your files stay exactly where they are, fully usable — the main reason many choose it over cloud-only note apps.

How do I sync Obsidian between my PC and phone for free?
Put your vault in a cloud-synced folder — OneDrive and Dropbox both work — and open the same folder as a vault on your other devices. Paid Sync is simply the more polished, end-to-end encrypted alternative.

Is Obsidian hard to learn?
The basics take minutes: create a note, type, link with [[ ]]. The depth — plugins, templates, queries — is there when you want it, but nothing forces it on you. Add features one at a time as your collection grows.

Conclusion

Obsidian fixes the two biggest problems with note apps: your ideas stay connected instead of scattered, and your files stay yours instead of locked away. Download it free from the official website, create a vault, and link your first two notes — the graph only gets more useful from there.

Download Obsidian from the Official Website

Obsidian for PC: How to Download and Install on Windows (2026 Guide)