Alternatives to Obsidian Sync for sharing notes with others
Obsidian Sync shares a whole remote vault: every collaborator needs an active Sync subscription (from $4 per user per month billed annually, as listed on obsidian.md in November 2026), a vault takes up to 20 collaborators, and all of them get the same permissions. If you only want to share some notes with friends, Caldera is a free, open-source alternative: it sends one note at a time, end-to-end encrypted, into a friend's own vault as a normal Markdown note. For a team editing the same notes live, a shared Sync vault is still the better fit.
Updated 2026-11-10 · by mjonesone, LLC
Ways to share Obsidian notes, compared
| Option | What is shared | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian Sync shared vault | A whole vault, edited live by up to 20 people | Every collaborator subscribes: Standard $4 per user per month billed annually or $5 monthly; Plus $8 or $10 | A team working in the same notes |
| Obsidian Publish | A website of notes you pick, public or password-protected | $8 per site per month billed annually, $10 monthly | Readers who only need a browser |
| Caldera | Single notes, sent to a friend as an encrypted copy in their own vault | Free, open source | Sending notes to friends without sharing a vault |
| A shared folder or Git repository | Files you both sync with a cloud drive or Git | Depends on the service | Technical users happy to handle conflicts |
Obsidian Sync and Publish facts as listed on obsidian.md/pricing, obsidian.md/sync and Obsidian Help (Collaborate on a shared vault), checked November 10, 2026.
Where Obsidian Sync is better
- Live co-editing. Notes in a shared vault update across everyone's devices. A note shared with Caldera is a copy, like an email.
- Syncing your own devices. Sync keeps your vault the same on every device, with version history (1 month on Standard, 12 months on Plus). Caldera does not sync your vault.
- Official and end-to-end encrypted. Made by the Obsidian team, with AES-256 end-to-end encryption.
How sharing works with Caldera
- You and your friend install Caldera from Obsidian's community plugins and follow each other. Follow each other and you are friends.
- Open a note and run Share this note with a friend from the command palette.
- The note is encrypted on your device with your friend's key. The server stores only ciphertext.
- It arrives in your friend's vault under
Caldera/Inbox/as a normal note.
Step-by-step detail: how to share Obsidian notes privately and share Obsidian notes with friends. Caldera also gives you a profile and a way to meet other users: see a social network for Obsidian users.
Questions
Does everyone in a shared Obsidian Sync vault need a subscription?
Yes. Obsidian Help says all collaborators must have an active Sync subscription to access a shared vault, and a shared vault can have up to 20 collaborators.
Does Caldera sync my vault between my own devices?
No. Caldera shares notes with friends and publishes your profile. To keep your own devices in sync, use Obsidian Sync or another sync method.
Can my friend and I edit the same note at the same time?
Not with Caldera. Your friend receives a copy in their own vault, like an email. For live co-editing, use a shared Obsidian Sync vault.
Can Caldera's server read the notes I share?
No. Notes are encrypted on your device with your friend's public key, and the hub stores only ciphertext.
Is Caldera free?
Yes. The plugin, your page and sharing with friends are free and open source.