Zettory
Core knowledge model
Zettory
Markdown, link, image, and Excalidraw notes remain reusable source material; Kanban and retrieval sit on top.
Obsidian
A local vault of files, centered on Markdown notes, links, core plugins, and optional community plugins.
Visual organization
Zettory
Custom-column Kanban workspaces organize note-backed cards by workflow; Excalidraw is a separate first-class drawing note.
Obsidian
Canvas provides an infinite 2D space for notes, media, web pages, groups, and connections, stored as JSON Canvas.
Search and AI
Zettory
Built-in shared fuzzy note search plus a Knowledge Base with lexical + local semantic retrieval and citation-backed local RAG.
Obsidian
Core Search and Quick Switcher are built in; additional workflows, including third-party integrations, can be added through community plugins.
Extensibility
Zettory
Opinionated feature set with fewer moving parts and one integrated notes-to-Kanban-to-RAG workflow.
Obsidian
Designed as a foundation that can be shaped with core plugins, community plugins, themes, and CSS.
Pricing model
Zettory
Free tier up to 100 notes and 3 Kanban boards; Pro is $18 one time for unlimited notes and boards on up to 2 personal Macs.
Obsidian
The core app is free without limits; Sync and Publish are optional subscription services, and Catalyst is an optional one-time supporter license.
Where the products overlap
Both products treat local knowledge as something you should be able to keep and work with directly. Both support Markdown-centered thinking and visual organization, and both can serve a personal knowledge workflow without requiring a cloud document database.
Where Zettory is more opinionated
Zettory packages a specific flow: capture reusable notes, place them on Kanban when they become active work, retrieve by exact words or semantic similarity, then ask citation-backed questions with a local model. You do not need to assemble those layers from plugins.
Where Obsidian is broader
Obsidian exposes more building blocks and customization. Canvas is freeform rather than column-based, the app runs across more platforms, and the community plugin ecosystem can reshape the workflow substantially. That flexibility can be a strength when you want to design your own system.
Choose based on the workflow you want to maintain
Zettory is aimed at people who want an integrated Mac workflow with Kanban and local retrieval already connected to the note library. Obsidian is aimed at people who value a configurable Markdown environment and are comfortable selecting the combination of core features, plugins, and optional sync services that fits them.