Knowly 1.0 vs Obsidian
Knowly 1.0
4.8Notion-meets-AI attempt with overlapping features and walled-garden approach
Full review →Obsidian
7.4Local-first markdown knowledge base with powerful features but steep learning curve
Full review →| Knowly 1.0 | Obsidian | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4.8 | 7.4 |
| Utility | 5 | 8 |
| Onboarding | 6 | 5 |
| Craft | 5 | 8 |
| Niche fit | 4 | 7 |
| Longevity | 4 | 8 |
Both scored on the same five-dimension rubric, so the numbers are comparable. A gap under 1 point is effectively a tie.
Which one
Knowly 1.0
Good for：Personal knowledge management users who don't mind walled gardens
Not for：Teams needing open APIs or with existing Notion/NotebookLM workflows
Obsidian
Good for：Power users needing complex knowledge management
Not for：Users wanting simple sync or basic notes
On the overall score Obsidian is 2.6 point(s) higher, but the fit lines above matter more than the number.