You own the files
Plain Markdown on your own disk, no lock-in, readable in any editor a decade from now. For notes-as-a-lifetime-archive people, nothing beats it.
Compared
Storywright vs Obsidian
Obsidian is a beloved local-first note app — Markdown files on your machine, linked into a graph, endlessly extensible. Storywright is a shared, purpose-built campaign companion. The real fork is who the notes are for: just you, or the whole table.
The short answer. Pick Obsidian if you want total control over plain-text files on your own device, love tinkering with plugins, and are mostly writing for yourself. Pick Storywright if the campaign is a shared thing — players who need their own journals and briefings, a session tracker, and recaps drafted for you — without building and maintaining a plugin stack. Obsidian is a personal knowledge vault you can bend toward TTRPGs; Storywright is built for the table from the start.
| Feature | Obsidian | Storywright |
|---|---|---|
| Built around | A local-first vault of linked Markdown files — a personal knowledge base you shape yourself. | The session loop for a whole table — prep, run, recap — with the world notebook attached. |
| Where your notes live | On your device as plain Markdown you fully own. Multi-device needs Sync (paid) or your own git/cloud folder. | Hosted and available anywhere you sign in; a JSON account export on every plan keeps your own records portable. |
| Players | No native multi-user access. Sharing with players means Publish (paid), Sync, git, or exported files — you build the workflow. | Players get their own journals, private notes, character goals, and per-session briefings — free, built in, on every plan. |
| Session tracking | Whatever you build from notes, templates, and plugins. | A dedicated tracker: tonight’s objectives, NPCs in play, locations — and a recap drafted from your notes. |
| Setup & upkeep | High ceiling, high effort: templates and community plugins can do almost anything, but you assemble and maintain the system. | Structured out of the box — nothing to assemble, nothing to keep patched. |
| Pricing | Free for personal use; Sync and Publish are separate paid add-ons. | Free tier for the GM; one paid tier (GM Pro, $9/month or $90/year); players free forever. |
| Extensibility | A huge community-plugin ecosystem — a genuine strength for tinkerers. | Opinionated and focused; fewer knobs, less to maintain. |
Comparison reflects publicly listed features and pricing as of July 2026. Obsidian’s add-ons and plugin ecosystem change; check obsidian.md for current details.
Where Obsidian shines
Infinite tinkering
Dataview, templater, and TTRPG community plugins let you build almost any system you can imagine — if building the system is part of the fun for you.
Works offline, everywhere
No account required, fast, and fully functional with no connection. Great for a GM who preps on a train.
Where Storywright shines
Built for the whole table
The moment players need to read, write, and be briefed, a personal vault turns into a sharing project. Storywright gives every player their own space on day one, free.
The night of the game
A session tracker and recaps drafted from your notes come standard — no plugin stack to assemble or keep working after an app update.
Nothing to maintain
Structure, sharing, and session flow are built in. You spend your time on the campaign, not on your tooling.
Do you have to pick one?
It is common to keep private, plain-text prep in Obsidian and use Storywright for the shared campaign — sessions, recaps, and player journals. The JSON export means the two can trade data rather than compete for it.
Questions GMs actually ask
Is Storywright an Obsidian alternative for TTRPGs?
For a shared campaign, yes — Storywright provides session tracking, recaps, and per-player journals without assembling a plugin stack. For a private, local-first, plain-text vault you fully own, Obsidian remains excellent.
Can my players use my Obsidian vault?
Not natively — Obsidian has no built-in multi-user access. Sharing with players means Publish (paid), Sync, git, or exported files, all of which you set up and maintain. Storywright gives each player their own journal and briefing for free.
Do I own my data in Storywright the way I do in Obsidian?
Not to the same degree — Obsidian’s local Markdown files are unbeatable for raw ownership. Storywright is hosted, and every plan includes a JSON account export; a complete world archive is still work we owe you.
Is Obsidian the same as Obsidian Portal?
No. Obsidian is a local-first note app; Obsidian Portal is a separate, long-running campaign-site host. See our Storywright vs Obsidian Portal comparison for that one.
Obsidian and other product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Storywright is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by them. This is an independent comparison; competitor facts reflect publicly available information on the review date noted above and may change — check the vendor for current details.
Try it on your real campaign.
Free to start. Free for your players, forever. JSON export on every plan — if it isn’t for you, your world leaves with you.