Starting today, Obsidian is making it easier for organizations to use their powerful note-taking tool. The company has announced that the Obsidian Commercial license is now optional, meaning anyone can use the app for work at no cost. This change applies to all users, with no account, ads, or tracking involved.
What’s Changing?
Previously, businesses with two or more employees had to purchase a Commercial license to use Obsidian for work purposes. Now, that requirement is gone. Users can take full advantage of Obsidian’s features for free without any limits.
The only exception is that companies who want to support Obsidian’s development can still purchase the Commercial license. The company emphasizes that Obsidian’s simplicity is the reason behind this shift.
By removing the Commercial license, Obsidian hopes to streamline its pricing structure and provide a better experience for users. The core principle of the company remains the same: everyone should have the tools to think clearly and organize ideas effectively.
Data Security and Ownership
Another benefit of this change is that your data will always remain private and fully in your control. Obsidian ensures that all notes are stored locally in plain text Markdown files, with no cloud storage or third-party tracking involved.
Who Uses Obsidian?
Obsidian is used by more than 10,000 organizations, including some of the largest companies in the world such as Amazon and Google.
Many of these organizations operate in high-security sectors like government, cybersecurity, healthcare, and finance, and they rely on Obsidian to manage their data effectively and securely.
Optional Licenses and Services
While the Commercial license is now optional, businesses can still choose to support Obsidian’s development by purchasing 25 or more licenses, which will get them featured on the Obsidian Enterprise page.
Additionally, the company offers add-on services such as Sync and Publish to help teams with their needs. These services will remain optional in the future.
Obsidian is committed to staying user-supported through purchases of these services, ensuring the tool remains free for work without compromising user experience.
