Many Displays vs Obsidian
Many Displays and Obsidian are both personal productivity tools. Many Displays is aimed at developers and freelancers, while Obsidian is aimed at freelancers and developers. Both have a free plan.
Mac menu bar app that restores windows after sleep, unlock or replug
Local-first markdown knowledge base
| Pricing | Paid | Freemium · $5 |
| Starting price | Not published | $5/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 14 days | — |
| Built for | Developers, Freelancers, Creators, Small businesses | Freelancers, Developers, Creators |
| Platforms | macos | macos, windows, linux, ios, android |
| Country | — | CA · 2020 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Many Displays if
Mac users with docks or several external monitors, especially identical ones, who are tired of rearranging windows after every sleep.
- Works with zero setup: no layouts to name, save or trigger
- Built specifically for identical monitors that macOS swaps
- No network access, analytics or account inside the app
Look elsewhere if: People who want keyboard tiling or saved workspace presets rather than automatic restore (Rectangle, Moom).
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.
Many Displays vs Obsidian pricing
Many Displays
- Free trial$014 days with every feature, no account or card
- Licence$19One-time; 1 person, up to 3 Macs, 12 months of updates
- BusinessCustomOne licence per employee; volume pricing by email
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
Many Displays · Key features
- Automatic window restore after wake, unlock, login or monitor replug
- Identical monitors told apart by system UUID and physical port
- One remembered layout per combination of displays
- Restores arrangement, resolution, refresh rate, rotation and HDR first
- Reads the window server list in about 20 ms instead of polling apps
- Remembers and restores windows on other Spaces, not just the visible one
Cons
- macOS only, with no Windows or Linux version
- Cannot move windows between Spaces on macOS 14.5 and later
- Updates after the first year require buying a new licence
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
Many Displays vs Obsidian: FAQ
Do Many Displays and Obsidian have a free plan?
Yes, both Many Displays and Obsidian have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, Many Displays or Obsidian?
Many Displays lists small businesses as a core audience, while Obsidian is aimed more at freelancers and developers.