People usually end up in Notion or Obsidian for the same reason: they want a better way to think, write, and keep track of work, without their notes turning into a landfill of half-finished thoughts and “TODO” pages from 2021.
Notion feels welcoming. Obsidian feels serious. And eventually, both disappoint you in very specific (and very predictable) ways.
This post is about that gap: basically, the hidden “Notion vs Obsidian” debate where usability fights ownership, and somehow everyone loses.
TL;DR
If you want:
- Notion-level ease (smooth editing, slash commands, minimal setup)
- Obsidian-level control (local Markdown files, offline by default, no lock-in)
…then you are looking for a middle ground. That is the problem Mdit is built around: a local-first Markdown notes app that feels obvious to use.
| Tool | Feels like | What you gain | What it costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notion | a tidy apartment | fast start, polished UI | ownership, offline reliability |
| Obsidian | a well-stocked workshop | real files, control, speed | setup time, tinkering overhead |
| Mdit | a good desk | familiar editing + local files | (aims to remove the trade-off) |
Why Notion Feels Great Until It Does Not
Notion is easy to love on day one.
You open it, type /, and suddenly you are productive. Pages, databases, blocks, links; it all clicks fast. You can reorganize your entire life in an afternoon and briefly become the kind of person who has a “systems” folder.
Then time passes.
Your workspace grows. Pages multiply. Databases get heavier. Sync hiccups appear. Offline mode becomes… philosophical. You realize your notes are quick to create but increasingly annoying to live with.
And then comes the quiet part: your entire thinking system lives on someone else’s servers.
For many people, that is fine. For others, that is the moment they start planning an exit, usually right after the first “I can’t access my notes on a plane” moment.
Why Obsidian Is Powerful but Not for Everyone
Obsidian is the opposite experience.
It starts with a folder. Real files. Markdown you can open anywhere. Your notes exist without needing permission from an app.
That alone is a huge relief.
It is fast. It works offline. It does not care about accounts, pricing tiers, or server status. Your notes are yours in the most literal way possible.
But Obsidian asks more from you.
You manage folders. You learn plugins. You tweak settings. You spend time deciding how to organize instead of actually writing. For some people, this is freedom. For others, it is friction.
Obsidian feels like a toolbox. Not everyone wants to build the tool before they can do the work.
The Trade Off No One Wants to Make
At some point, the pattern becomes obvious:
- Notion gives you ease but takes ownership.
- Obsidian gives you ownership but demands effort.
So you choose. Or you try to.
But most people are not asking for more features. They are asking for fewer compromises.
They want something that feels obvious to use and still respects the fact that notes are long-term assets, not disposable UI state.
That is where the question forms:
What if this did not have to be a trade off?
Designing a Middle Ground
Mdit started with a simple idea.
What if Notion and Obsidian had a child?
Not a clone. Not a replacement. A middle ground that keeps what works and drops what does not.
The goal was not to be clever. The goal was to be boring in the right places:
- Familiar editing
- Local Markdown files
- No forced cloud
- No lock-in
Just notes that feel good to write, and safe to keep.
What Mdit Takes From Notion
Mdit borrows the parts of Notion people actually miss when they leave.
- Block based editing that feels natural
- Slash commands that reduce friction
- A clean interface that stays out of the way
You do not need a tutorial to start writing. You do not need to think about file formats while your thoughts are still fragile.
You just type.
What Mdit Takes From Obsidian
Under the surface, Mdit behaves very differently.
- Every note is a plain Markdown file
- Notes live in a normal folder you own
- Everything works offline by default
You can open your notes without Mdit. You can back them up however you want. You can leave at any time without exporting anything.
The app is optional. Your data is not.
Who Mdit Is For
Mdit is not trying to win everyone.
It is for people who:
- Left Notion because it became slow or uncomfortable
- Tried Obsidian but bounced off the setup cost
- Write regularly and care about long term access
- Want control without babysitting their tools
Developers, writers, builders, and anyone who thinks better when their tools do not argue with them.
Local First Is Not a Feature, It Is a Principle
“Local-first” is often marketed as a checkbox. It is not.
It is a stance on ownership.
When notes are local, they survive companies, pricing changes, acquisitions, and outages. Sync becomes a choice instead of a requirement. The app stops being a gatekeeper.
Mdit treats local storage as the default state, not an advanced option hidden in settings.
Your notes should outlive your tools.
So What Does the Child Look Like?
If Notion and Obsidian had a child, it would not be loud.
It would be:
- Simple on the surface
- Predictable under pressure
- Familiar without being bloated
An app that does not need to convince you it is powerful, because it does not get in the way of actual work.
Final Thoughts
You should not have to choose between ease and control. You should not have to trade comfort for ownership.
Notion and Obsidian each solve half the problem. Mdit exists in the space between them.
If Notion and Obsidian had a child, it would not try to replace them. It would quietly solve the problem they left behind.