Decision snapshot (checked February 16, 2026):
- Best for:
ClickUpif you need a free Notion replacement for team docs, tasks, forms, and basic workflow automation in one workspace. - Best for:
Obsidianif you want a free, local-first Markdown knowledge base with no hard app limits and optional paid sync. - Not for:
ClickUpif your free workflow depends on heavy custom fields or lots of automations; free caps hit quickly. - Not for:
Obsidianif you need native real-time team collaboration without paying for Sync or adopting extra workflow tools. - Budget tier: both are genuinely usable at
$0; ClickUp’s upgrade path starts at$7/user/month(annual billing), Obsidian’s core app stays free with optional add-ons. - Complexity: ClickUp is workflow-first and broader; Obsidian is notes-first and deeper for personal knowledge systems.
Head-to-Head: Tool A vs Tool B
| Comparison Area | ClickUp (Free Forever) | Obsidian (Free Core App) | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core model | Work management platform: tasks, docs, forms, boards | Local Markdown knowledge base with plugin ecosystem | ClickUp replaces more of Notion’s team workflow stack; Obsidian excels at personal/technical note systems |
| Free price | $0 | $0 | Both are valid free starts, no trial-only trap for core usage |
| Storage on free | 60MB workspace storage (official storage limits doc) | No core app storage cap stated; local files on your devices | ClickUp free can bottleneck fast with uploads; Obsidian scales with your own disk/storage setup |
| Collaboration on free | Multi-user workspace, collaborative docs, free plan members | Local-first; team collaboration mainly via paid Sync shared vaults or third-party sync methods | Teams can operate inside ClickUp immediately; Obsidian collaboration needs setup and often paid add-ons |
| Automation on free | 5 active automations, 100 actions/month | No native business workflow automation layer like ClickUp’s | ClickUp gives starter automation; power workflows outgrow free limits quickly |
| Custom fields / structured work | 60 custom field uses on free | Highly flexible note structures via Markdown/plugins, but less native PM schema | ClickUp is stronger for tracked execution; Obsidian is stronger for flexible knowledge modeling |
| Forms on free | 1 form | No first-party forms product equivalent | Intake-heavy workflows fit ClickUp better |
| Upgrade trigger | Storage, custom-field uses, automations, forms | Usually sync/publish needs, not core editing limits | ClickUp upgrades are often operational; Obsidian upgrades are usually convenience/collaboration |
The decision frame matters more than feature count: you are choosing workflow-first (ClickUp) versus knowledge-first (Obsidian).
Facts: ClickUp’s pricing page and help docs confirm free limits (60MB storage, one form, capped automation/custom-field usage). Obsidian’s pricing and license pages confirm free core usage for everyone, with paid Sync/Publish optional.
Interpretation: If your team shares docs and coordinates execution every day, ClickUp’s free tier is more immediately complete as a Notion replacement. If your priority is long-term notes ownership and offline control, Obsidian is stronger.
Pricing Breakdown
Below is tier-by-tier pricing based on official pages, checked February 16, 2026.
| Tier | ClickUp | Obsidian | Practical Cost Signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free Forever ($0) | Core app free ($0) | Both can run indefinitely without forced upgrade |
| First paid step | Unlimited: $7/user/month billed yearly | Sync Standard: $4/user/month yearly ($5 monthly) | Obsidian’s first paid step is cheaper, but it solves sync, not full team PM |
| Mid-tier paid | Business: $12/user/month billed yearly | Sync Plus: $8/user/month yearly ($10 monthly) | ClickUp’s paid tiers add PM depth; Obsidian paid tiers add collaboration/storage on notes |
| Publishing | Included as part of broader platform features | Publish: $8/site/month yearly ($10 monthly) | Obsidian separates publishing cost cleanly by site |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Commercial support license optional at $50/user/year; enterprise offerings separate | ClickUp is structured for centralized enterprise work management; Obsidian keeps core usage open |
Sources (date checked: 2026-02-16):
- ClickUp pricing: https://clickup.com/pricing
- ClickUp workspace storage limits: https://help.clickup.com/hc/en-us/articles/33463620625559-Workspace-storage-limits
- ClickUp automations limits: https://help.clickup.com/hc/en-us/articles/23477062949911-Automations-feature-availability-and-limits
- ClickUp custom field limits: https://help.clickup.com/hc/en-us/articles/6303536766231-Intro-to-Custom-Fields
- ClickUp forms limits: https://help.clickup.com/hc/en-us/articles/25810829634711-Form-view-feature-availability-and-limits
- Obsidian pricing: https://obsidian.md/pricing
- Obsidian Sync pricing/details: https://obsidian.md/sync
- Obsidian Publish pricing/details: https://obsidian.md/publish
- Obsidian license overview: https://obsidian.md/license
- Obsidian “free for work” update: https://obsidian.md/blog/free-for-work/
One important uncertainty to call out: some older ClickUp help entries still reference 100MB free storage in upgrade messaging, while the current storage-limits article and pricing page indicate 60MB. I treated 60MB as authoritative because those pages are the current plan-limit references.
Where Each Tool Pulls Ahead
ClickUp pulls ahead when your free Notion alternative must coordinate people, not just information.
Scenario: 6-person startup running weekly execution in one place
Pick ClickUp. You get collaborative docs, tasks, board/calendar views, and lightweight automations without stitching tools together.
- Tradeoff: Free limits (custom fields, automations, form count, storage) can constrain your process once you standardize workflows.
- Risk: You may design around free limits, then need a fast paid migration once usage scales.
ClickUp also wins when intake and task orchestration matter.
Scenario: Client requests flowing through forms into action queues
ClickUp’s native forms and automations are closer to Notion-plus-operations out of the box.
- Tradeoff: Form and automation capabilities are materially better on paid plans.
- Risk: Teams underestimate action-volume growth and hit monthly automation ceilings mid-cycle.
Obsidian pulls ahead when ownership, speed, and local control are the primary constraint.
Scenario: Solo operator building a private knowledge system
Pick Obsidian. You keep plain-text Markdown files, work offline, and avoid workspace-level free caps.
- Tradeoff: Out-of-the-box team operations are weaker than ClickUp’s work-management model.
- Risk: Plugin-heavy setups can create maintenance overhead and onboarding friction.
Obsidian also wins for regulated or privacy-sensitive knowledge work.
Scenario: Research, legal prep, security documentation, or long-form technical writing
Local-first architecture and optional paid services let you control exposure and sync scope tightly.
- Tradeoff: Collaboration usually requires Sync subscription design or external tooling discipline.
- Risk: Without explicit governance, teams can fragment into inconsistent vault structures.
The Verdict
ClickUp is the best free Notion alternative for the majority of teams because it matches how teams actually work: shared docs, tracked execution, and basic process automation in one product.
That recommendation is not absolute. Obsidian is the better free choice when your core job is thinking, writing, and building a durable personal or small-team knowledge base with maximum control over files and platform dependence.
If you are a small team with immediate collaboration and project coordination needs, choose ClickUp.
If you are a solo expert or documentation-heavy team prioritizing local control and Markdown longevity, choose Obsidian.
If you are a growing team expecting structured workflows, approvals, and recurring automations within 90 days, start with ClickUp and budget for paid features early to avoid process rewrites.