When you’ve outgrown the free tier of a personal note‑taking tool, the next line on the price sheet can feel like a cliff. Tana jumps straight to $20 /month per user for its Pro plan and $80 /month per user for Max, while Obsidian splits its fees across distinct add‑ons: $4 /month per user for Sync, $8 /month for Publish, a one‑time $25 for Catalyst, and $50 /year per user for a Commercial licence.
How the costs break down per user
| Vendor | Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tana | Free | $0 | Basic note‑taking, limited collaboration |
| Tana | Pro | $20/month per user | Early bird features |
| Tana | Max | $80/month per user | Early bird features |
| Obsidian | Sync | $4/month per user | Sync notes across devices; End‑to‑end encryption; Version history |
| Obsidian | Publish | $8/month | Publish notes to the web; No technical knowledge required; Customizable theme |
| Obsidian | Catalyst | $25 | Early access to beta versions; Community badges; Exclusive channels |
| Obsidian | Commercial | $50/year per user | Support development; Become a featured organization |
Tana’s structure is straightforward: pick a tier and pay the same amount every month per seat. The Pro tier is designed for individuals or small teams that need the early‑bird perks, while Max is aimed at power users willing to shell out four times as much for the same early‑bird bundle. There is no a‑la‑carte option, so if you only need syncing you still pay the full Pro price.
Obsidian, by contrast, lets you assemble a custom stack. If you only need device syncing, the $4 /month per user Sync add‑on covers it, and you can leave Publish and Catalyst out of the equation entirely. Teams that need public‑facing documentation might add Publish at $8 /month, while the one‑time $25 Catalyst fee is a pure community perk with no recurring charge. The Commercial licence, billed annually at $50 /year per user, adds a brand‑building angle and direct support for the product’s development.
The practical upshot is that Tana’s pricing is predictable but potentially overkill for users who just want a sync service. Obsidian’s modular approach can be cheaper for narrow use‑cases, yet the need to juggle multiple add‑ons may introduce hidden complexity for larger groups. If you are a solo creator who wants a simple, all‑in‑one monthly bill, Tana’s Pro plan gives you everything for $20 /month. If you are a team that only cares about secure syncing across devices, Obsidian’s $4 /month per user Sync add‑on is the leanest choice. For organizations that need both public publishing and a commercial partnership, stacking Publish and Commercial yields $8 /month plus $50 /year per user, which can be more cost‑effective than Tana’s Max tier.
In short, pick Tana if you prefer a single, flat monthly fee that covers all early‑bird features. Choose Obsidian if you want to pay only for the exact capabilities you need and are comfortable managing separate subscriptions. Pricing verified on 2026-09-24.