True cost comparison — not just what the pricing page says
Quick Verdict
Obsidian saves you 100%
Best for Airtable
Spreadsheet-database hybrid loved by teams. Simple to start, expensive to scale — record limits, aut
Best for Obsidian
Free local-first note-taking app with powerful linking. Personal use is free, but Sync ($4/mo) and P
Spreadsheet-database hybrid loved by teams. Simple to start, expensive to scale ...
Advertised
$20
/month
True Cost
$65
/month (typical)
Record Limit Forced Upgrade
50K records per base on Team ($20/user/mo). Hitting the limit forces upgrade to Business at $45/user...
Automation Run Hard Cap
25K automation runs on Team. When exhausted, automations STOP — no overage purchase option. Must upg...
Attachment Storage Silent Failure
20GB per base on Team. When full, new attachments fail silently — no error message. No per-GB overag...
API Rate Limit Wall
Hard 5 req/sec per base rate limit on ALL plans below Enterprise. Apps hitting this get 429 errors w...
$20/mo annual
$45/mo annual
Free local-first note-taking app with powerful linking. Personal use is free, bu...
Advertised
$0
/month
True Cost
$16
/month (typical)
Obsidian Sync
Cross-device sync: $4/mo (annual) or $5/mo. Without it, you need your own sync solution (Dropbox, iC...
Obsidian Publish
Host notes as a website: $8/mo (annual) or $10/mo per site. Each additional site is another subscrip...
Commercial License
Using Obsidian for work with 2+ employees requires a Commercial license at $50/user/year ($4.17/user...
Airtable advertises $20/mo. Obsidian advertises $0/mo.
Airtable has 4 documented hidden fees. Obsidian has 3.
Airtable confidence: 80%. Obsidian confidence: 82%.
| Metric | Airtable | Obsidian | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertised Price | $20/mo | $0/mo | Obsidian |
| True Monthly Cost | $65/mo | $16/mo | Obsidian |
| Hidden Fee Total | +$45/mo | +$16/mo | Obsidian |
| # Hidden Fees | 4 | 3 | Obsidian |
| Confidence Score | 80% | 82% | Obsidian |
| Pricing Tiers | 4 | 0 | — |
| Affiliate Program | No public program | None | — |
Airtable advertises $20/mo and Obsidian advertises $0/mo. However, when you include hidden fees, Airtable has 4 documented hidden fees adding +$45/mo, while Obsidian has 3 hidden fees adding +$16/mo. Based on true cost, Obsidian is typically 100% cheaper.
Airtable has 4 documented hidden fees: Record Limit Forced Upgrade, Automation Run Hard Cap, Attachment Storage Silent Failure, API Rate Limit Wall. These add approximately +$45/mo on top of the $20/mo advertised price.
Obsidian has 3 documented hidden fees: Obsidian Sync, Obsidian Publish, Commercial License. These add approximately +$16/mo on top of the $0/mo advertised price.
Choose Airtable if: Spreadsheet-database hybrid loved by teams. Simple to start, expensive to scale — record limits, aut. Choose Obsidian if: Free local-first note-taking app with powerful linking. Personal use is free, but Sync ($4/mo) and P. The right choice depends on your team size, usage volume, and which features you need most.
This comparison is based on manual research of official pricing pages, terms of service, and user reports. Airtable data has a 80% confidence score and Obsidian has 82%. Prices were last verified in April 2026. For the most accurate estimate, enter your specific usage in our calculator.
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