Notes
Obsidian privacy rating
Knowledge base and note-taking app that works on local Markdown files, with links between notes, a graph view and a large community plugin and theme ecosystem. Optional paid sync and publishing services.
Summary
Obsidian scores 70 out of 100 (grade C) on the notes criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales and independent audit. It does not meet open source. It is based in Canada: Five Eyes member.
Score 70 out of 100. How scoring works
Criteria
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No
Open source Weight 3 of 3
Is all the source code needed to run the product public?
Closed source. The GitHub repository only holds releases and community plugin lists.
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Yes
No trackers or telemetry Weight 3 of 3
Are the website and apps free of third-party trackers, with any analytics anonymous and any telemetry off by default?
The privacy policy states the apps collect no personal data or telemetry. The update check can be turned off.
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Yes
No ads or data sales Weight 2 of 3
Is the product funded without advertising, ad targeting or selling user data?
Funded by users through paid licences and add-on services, with no investors or ads.
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Yes
Independent audit Weight 2 of 3
Has an independent security or privacy audit been published within the last three years?
Cure53 published a full penetration test and source code audit of the desktop and mobile apps. Obsidian Sync was also audited by Trail of Bits.