I Switched from Notion to Obsidian, But This Free Tool Is Better Than Both of Them

For years, the quest for the perfect knowledge management and productivity system has been a driving force for many of us. We’ve all dabbled in various platforms, searching for the one that seamlessly integrates our thoughts, tasks, and information. Two names that consistently rise to the top in these discussions are Notion and Obsidian. Both offer powerful features and cater to different approaches to personal knowledge management. However, after extensive use of both, we’ve discovered a free, open-source alternative that has not only replaced them in our workflow but has also surpassed them in terms of flexibility, control, and long-term viability: Emacs with Org-Mode.

Why Notion and Obsidian Fall Short (For Some of Us)

Before diving into the virtues of our preferred alternative, it’s essential to understand why Notion and Obsidian, despite their popularity, ultimately proved insufficient for our needs. While acknowledging their strengths, their limitations became increasingly apparent over time.

Notion’s All-in-One Approach: A Jack of All Trades, Master of None?

Notion markets itself as an “all-in-one workspace,” boasting features for note-taking, project management, databases, and wikis. Its visually appealing interface and ease of use make it attractive to newcomers. However, this broad scope comes at a cost.

Data Ownership and Lock-In: Notion’s proprietary nature means that your data is inherently tied to their platform. While export options exist, migrating large and complex databases can be cumbersome and may result in data loss or formatting inconsistencies. The fear of vendor lock-in is a significant concern for those prioritizing long-term data preservation and control.
Limited Customization: While Notion offers templates and some customization options, it lacks the granular control that power users often crave. The rigid structure of databases and the limited scripting capabilities restrict the ability to tailor the platform to specific workflows.
Offline Access: Notion’s reliance on a stable internet connection can be a major drawback. While offline access is available, it’s often unreliable and doesn’t support all features. This limitation renders Notion unusable in situations with limited or no connectivity.
Performance Issues: For larger workspaces with extensive databases, Notion can become sluggish and unresponsive. The platform’s resource-intensive nature can lead to frustrating delays, especially on older hardware.
Cost as Scale: While Notion offers a free plan, the limitations quickly become apparent when collaborating or managing larger projects. Paid plans, while offering more features, can become expensive, especially for teams.

Obsidian’s Markdown-Driven Approach: Powerful, But with a Steep Learning Curve

Obsidian distinguishes itself from Notion with its focus on plain text Markdown files and local storage. This approach offers greater data ownership and flexibility. However, Obsidian also presents its own set of challenges.

Complexity and Learning Curve: Obsidian’s power comes at the cost of complexity. The myriad of plugins and configuration options can be overwhelming for new users. Mastering the platform requires significant time and effort.
Lack of Native Features: Many features that are built-in to Notion, such as databases and advanced collaboration tools, require installing and configuring third-party plugins in Obsidian. This can lead to fragmentation and inconsistencies.
Limited Mobile Experience: While Obsidian offers a mobile app, it’s often clunky and less intuitive than the desktop version. Synchronizing vaults across devices can also be problematic.
Plugin Dependence: Obsidian’s reliance on plugins for essential functionality creates a dependency on the plugin developers. Plugins can become unmaintained or incompatible, potentially disrupting workflows.
Visual Appeal (or Lack Thereof): While themes can improve the visual aesthetics, Obsidian’s default interface is generally considered less polished and visually appealing than Notion’s.

Emacs and Org-Mode: The Ultimate Free Alternative

Emacs, a venerable text editor, may seem like an unlikely candidate to replace Notion and Obsidian. However, when combined with Org-Mode, a powerful organization and outlining tool, it becomes a formidable knowledge management system. Emacs is free, open-source, and highly customizable, offering unparalleled control over your data and workflow.

The Core Advantages of Emacs and Org-Mode

Unparalleled Customization: Emacs is renowned for its extensibility. You can customize virtually every aspect of the editor to suit your specific needs. Org-Mode further enhances this customization with its flexible syntax and powerful features.
Plain Text and Data Ownership: Like Obsidian, Emacs and Org-Mode rely on plain text files. This ensures that your data is easily accessible, portable, and future-proof. You own your data and are not locked into any proprietary platform.
Offline Functionality: Emacs is inherently an offline application. You can access and edit your files regardless of your internet connection.
Automation and Scripting: Emacs Lisp, the built-in scripting language, allows you to automate tasks, create custom functions, and integrate with other tools. This level of automation is simply not possible with Notion or Obsidian.
Free and Open Source: Emacs is free to use and distribute, and its open-source nature ensures that it will remain available for the foreseeable future. This eliminates the cost concerns associated with Notion’s paid plans.
Rock-Solid Stability: Emacs has been around for decades and is incredibly stable. While plugins can introduce bugs, the core functionality is highly reliable.
Extensive Community Support: Emacs has a large and active community that provides support, develops plugins, and contributes to the platform’s ongoing development.

Org-Mode’s Key Features That Outshine Notion and Obsidian

Org-Mode is more than just an outlining tool; it’s a complete personal information management system.

Hierarchical Outlining: Org-Mode’s hierarchical outlining capabilities allow you to structure your notes, tasks, and projects in a clear and organized manner. You can easily collapse and expand sections to focus on specific areas.
Task Management: Org-Mode excels at task management. You can assign priorities, deadlines, and tags to your tasks. The built-in agenda view provides a comprehensive overview of your upcoming tasks.
Capture Templates: Capture templates allow you to quickly capture notes, ideas, and tasks from anywhere within Emacs. You can customize these templates to suit your specific needs.
Agenda View: The agenda view provides a centralized overview of your schedule, deadlines, and tasks. You can customize the agenda view to display only the information you need.
Exporting: Org-Mode allows you to export your notes to various formats, including HTML, PDF, and Markdown. This makes it easy to share your notes with others.
Literate Programming: Org-Mode supports literate programming, which allows you to combine code and documentation in a single file. This is particularly useful for software development and data analysis.
Tables and Spreadsheets: Org-Mode provides robust support for tables and spreadsheets. You can perform calculations, sort data, and format tables to your liking.
Linking and Referencing: Org-Mode allows you to create links between different parts of your notes and to external resources. You can also create internal references to specific sections within your files.
Clocking and Time Tracking: Org-Mode allows you to track the time you spend on tasks. This is useful for time management and productivity analysis.

Setting Up Emacs and Org-Mode: A Step-by-Step Guide

Getting started with Emacs and Org-Mode can seem daunting at first, but with a little guidance, it’s surprisingly straightforward.

Install Emacs: Download and install Emacs for your operating system. Pre-built versions are readily available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Install Org-Mode: Org-Mode is typically included with Emacs, but if it’s not, you can install it through Emacs’ package manager.
Configure Emacs: Configure Emacs to your liking by editing the .emacs or init.el file. This is where you can customize keybindings, themes, and other settings.
Learn the Basics: Familiarize yourself with the basic Emacs commands, such as opening files, saving files, and navigating text.
Explore Org-Mode: Experiment with Org-Mode’s features, such as creating headings, adding tasks, and creating links.
Customize Your Workflow: Customize Org-Mode to suit your specific needs by creating custom capture templates, agenda views, and export settings.

Advanced Tips and Tricks for Emacs and Org-Mode

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can take your Emacs and Org-Mode workflow to the next level with these advanced tips and tricks.

Use a Distribution: Consider using an Emacs distribution such as Spacemacs or Doom Emacs. These distributions provide pre-configured settings and plugins, making it easier to get started.
Learn Emacs Lisp: Learning Emacs Lisp will allow you to fully customize Emacs and Org-Mode to your liking.
Explore Plugins: Explore the vast library of Emacs plugins to extend the functionality of Emacs and Org-Mode. Some popular plugins include org-roam for knowledge management, magit for Git integration, and projectile for project management.
Create Custom Functions: Create custom functions to automate repetitive tasks and streamline your workflow.
Integrate with External Tools: Integrate Emacs and Org-Mode with external tools such as email clients, web browsers, and command-line utilities.

Why We Switched: A Real-World Example

Our primary use case involves managing a large repository of information related to Magisk Modules, available at Magisk Module Repository. Previously, this information was scattered across various Notion pages and Obsidian vaults. Migrating to Emacs and Org-Mode allowed us to consolidate everything into a single, highly organized system.

Specifically, we leveraged Org-Mode’s outlining capabilities to create a hierarchical structure for each module, including its description, features, installation instructions, and known issues. We used capture templates to quickly add new modules and tasks. The agenda view provides a clear overview of upcoming deadlines and tasks related to the repository. The ability to export to multiple formats allows us to easily share information with the community. We integrated git directly into Emacs, improving workflow greatly.

Emacs and Org-Mode: Not Just a Tool, but a Philosophy

Emacs and Org-Mode represent more than just a set of tools; they embody a philosophy of control, customization, and long-term data ownership. While Notion and Obsidian offer compelling features, they ultimately fall short for those who prioritize these principles. The learning curve may be steeper, but the rewards are well worth the effort. For us, Emacs and Org-Mode have become an indispensable part of our workflow, empowering us to manage our knowledge and productivity with unparalleled flexibility and control. Consider that the website Magisk Modules is proof that what we say is possible.

While this article focuses on Emacs and Org-Mode, other similar open-source tools might work for you, depending on your needs.

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