Obsidian alternative
Granite vs Obsidian: same Markdown, built for teams.
Obsidian is a superb local-first notes app for individuals. Granite keeps what people love about it (plain Markdown, wikilinks, backlinks, a graph) and adds what teams and AI need: included sync, live co-editing, shared workspaces with SSO, and a built-in MCP server.
The short answer
Choose Obsidian if you want a local-only, single-user notes app with a huge plugin ecosystem. Choose Granite if you want the same Markdown files with sync and version history included, real-time collaboration, a company workspace with SSO, SCIM, and audit logs, and secure access for Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor through MCP.
| Feature | Granite | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| File format | Plain Markdown, Obsidian-compatible syntax | Plain Markdown |
| Wikilinks, backlinks, graph, tags | Yes | Yes |
| Sync between devices | Included, free plan too | Paid add-on, or your own setup |
| Version history | 7 days free, 12 months Pro, 24 months Business | With the paid sync add-on |
| Web app in the browser | Yes | No |
| Real-time co-editing with cursors | Yes | No |
| Comments and mentions | Yes | No |
| Team workspace, roles, folder permissions | Yes | Shared vaults via sync |
| SSO (SAML, OIDC), SCIM, audit log | Business plan | No |
| MCP server for AI tools | Built in, remote and local | Community plugins |
| Permission-aware AI knowledge base | Yes | No |
| Encryption | At rest on the server, key per vault and workspace | End to end with its sync add-on |
| Plugin ecosystem | No third-party plugins yet | Very large |
| Works offline | Yes | Yes |
Based on public information about Obsidian as of October 2026. Obsidian is a trademark of its owner; Granite is not affiliated with it.
Moving from Obsidian
Your vault, in three steps.
Zip your vault
Compress your Obsidian vault folder. Notes, attachments, and frontmatter all come along.
Import
In Granite, choose Import from the vault menu. Wikilinks, embeds, tags, and callouts keep working.
Invite and connect
Share the vault with your team and connect your AI tools through MCP.
FAQ
Obsidian questions.
What is the best Obsidian alternative for teams?
Granite is built as an Obsidian alternative for teams: it uses the same Markdown syntax and adds included sync, live co-editing, comments, team workspaces with roles and folder permissions, SSO and SCIM, an audit log, and a built-in MCP server for AI tools.
Can I import my Obsidian vault into Granite?
Yes. Zip the vault folder and import it from the vault menu. Granite reads Obsidian-style wikilinks, embeds, tags, callouts, and YAML frontmatter.
Can I keep using Obsidian alongside Granite?
Your notes stay plain Markdown, so you can export a Granite vault as files at any time and open it in Obsidian or any other Markdown editor.
Is Granite end-to-end encrypted like Obsidian Sync?
No. Granite encrypts notes at rest on its servers with a key per vault and per workspace, not end to end, because server-side search, the AI knowledge base, and live co-editing need to read notes. If you need end-to-end encryption above all else, a local-only setup may suit you better.
Give your company a memory it can trust
Free for one person. Business is free for 14 days, no card required.
- Encrypted with a key per vault
- Never used to train AI
- Export as Markdown anytime