Obsidian is not for everyone (and that's ok)

Obsidian is powerful if you're technical enough to configure it. If you want something that works immediately with zero setup, it's not the right choice.

Obsidian is an impressive piece of software. Local-first markdown files that you own completely. A plugin ecosystem that extends the app into almost anything you can imagine. Bidirectional linking for connected thinking. A graph view that visualises your knowledge network. For technical users who enjoy configuring their tools and are comfortable with a developer-oriented interface, it's one of the best options available.

For everyone else, it's intimidating, confusing, and requires a level of technical comfort that most people don't have.

The core app is deliberately minimal, which means it requires plugins to be useful for most real workflows. Daily notes plugin. Task management plugin. Web clipping plugin. Sync plugin. Templates plugin. Image handling plugin. Calendar plugin. Each needs to be found, evaluated, installed, configured, and maintained. The setup can take days before you write a single note.

This is a deliberate design choice and it serves Obsidian's core audience well. The criticism isn't that Obsidian is bad. It's that recommendations that present it as a universal solution ("just use Obsidian!") set up non-technical users for frustration and failure. The person who wants to save a recipe and find it later doesn't need bidirectional linking and Dataview queries. They need a search bar.

Who Obsidian is for (and who it isn't)

Obsidian is for you if: you enjoy tinkering with tools, you're comfortable with markdown, you want local-first data ownership, you like the idea of a graph view of your knowledge, and you're willing to invest a weekend in setup and ongoing time in maintenance. Developers, researchers, and systems thinkers often thrive with Obsidian.

Obsidian is not for you if: you want a tool that works immediately, you don't want to research and install plugins, you need mobile that works well, you need collaboration features, or you want AI search and organisation without configuration. Most business users, freelancers, and non-technical knowledge workers fall into this category.

Fabric is designed for the second group. Drop in a file, search it by meaning, ask the AI about it. No plugins. No configuration. No setup weekend. The tool works in sixty seconds because the capabilities are built in rather than assembled from add-ons.

If you're technical, enjoy the configuration, and want local-first markdown, Obsidian is great. Know which category you fall into before investing the setup time.

Frequently asked questions

Is Obsidian really that hard to set up? The basic app installs quickly. The usable setup, with the plugins that make it functional for real workflows, takes hours to days depending on your needs and how much research you do into plugin options.

What about Obsidian's free price? Obsidian's core app is free, which is appealing. Obsidian Sync ($8/month) and Obsidian Publish ($16/month) are paid add-ons. The time cost of plugin research, configuration, and maintenance is also a real cost, particularly for non-technical users.

Can I move my Obsidian vault to Fabric? Your Obsidian vault is markdown files in a folder. These can be imported into Fabric where they become searchable by meaning alongside everything else. Your links and folder structure are replaced by semantic search and smart organisation.

Does Fabric have bidirectional linking? Fabric focuses on semantic search and AI-powered connections rather than manual bidirectional links. The system surfaces connections automatically based on content meaning, which provides similar value without the manual linking work.

What about data ownership? Obsidian's local-first approach is appealing. Fabric offers bring-your-own-storage: your data lives in your cloud storage (S3, R2), encrypted and under your control. It's not local-first, but it provides genuine data ownership without the single-device accessibility problem of local-first tools.

Is Obsidian better for Zettelkasten? Obsidian is popular for Zettelkasten because of its manual linking features. Fabric supports a Zettelkasten-style workflow through semantic connections that surface automatically, which provides similar benefits without the manual linking overhead that causes many Zettelkasten attempts to fail.

Can I use both Obsidian and Fabric? Yes. Some people use Obsidian for markdown writing and Fabric for search, AI, and content from other tools. The tools serve different strengths and can complement each other.

What does Fabric have that Obsidian doesn't? Semantic search, AI assistant, smart organisation, voice transcription, connections to other tools, real-time collaboration, self-writing docs, and a mobile app designed for mobile rather than adapted from desktop.

Related reading: The plugin problem, Obsidian setup takes forever, Why Obsidian doesn't work for teams, Local-first sounds great until. Related pages: Fabric vs Obsidian, Best Obsidian alternative.