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Clockify vs Obsidian

Clockify and Obsidian are both personal productivity tools. Clockify is aimed at freelancers and agencies, while Obsidian is aimed at freelancers and developers. Clockify costs less, from $4.99/mo versus $5/mo for Obsidian. Both have a free plan.

Clockify

Time tracker with a free plan for small teams

Obsidian

Local-first markdown knowledge base

PricingFreemium · $5Freemium · $5
Starting price$4.99/mo$5/mo
Free planYesYes
Free trial7 days—
Built forFreelancers, AgenciesFreelancers, Developers, Creators
Platformsweb, macos, windows, ios, androidmacos, windows, linux, ios, android
CountryRS · 2017CA · 2020
Rating——

Choose Clockify if

Small teams wanting free time tracking.

  • Free for small teams
  • Feature-rich paid tiers
  • Affordable

Look elsewhere if: Users prioritizing design (Toggl).

Choose Obsidian if

Individuals, researchers and writers who want ownership, longevity and deep customization.

  • You own your files; works offline forever
  • Free for personal and commercial use
  • Unmatched extensibility through plugins

Look elsewhere if: Teams needing shared, collaborative documents or users who want a zero-setup tool.

Clockify vs Obsidian pricing

Clockify

  • Free$0Up to 5 users; unlimited time tracking
  • Basic$4.99/seat/mo$3.99 billed annually; admin features
  • Standard$6.99/seat/mo$5.49 billed annually; timesheets, invoicing, time off
  • Pro$9.99/seat/mo$7.99 billed annually; scheduling, expenses
  • Enterprise$14.99/seat/mo$11.99 billed annually; SSO, control and security

Obsidian

  • Free$0Full app, personal and commercial use
  • Sync$5/user/mo$4 billed annually; E2E encrypted sync
  • Publish$10/site/mo$8 billed annually; publish notes to web
  • Catalyst$25One-time supporter license, early access
  • Commercial$50/user/yearOptional license for organizations

Clockify · Key features

  • Free plan for up to 5 users
  • Timer and timesheet modes
  • Kiosk for shared devices
  • Invoicing and expenses
  • Scheduling
  • Reports

Cons

  • UI less polished than Toggl
  • Advanced features paid
  • Data privacy considerations

Obsidian · Key features

  • Local Markdown files with bidirectional links and backlinks panel
  • Graph view and Canvas for visual thinking
  • Bases: database-style views over notes (2025)
  • 2,000+ community plugins and themes
  • End-to-end encrypted Sync and one-click Publish
  • Daily notes, templates, search with operators, mobile apps

Cons

  • No real-time collaboration
  • Plugin quality varies; setup can rabbit-hole
  • Sync and Publish are paid add-ons

Clockify vs Obsidian: FAQ

Which is cheaper, Clockify or Obsidian?

Clockify starts at $4.99/mo and Obsidian at $5/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.

Do Clockify and Obsidian have a free plan?

Yes, both Clockify and Obsidian have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.

Not sure yet?

Clockify vs Obsidian (2026): Pricing and Features