How To Sync Obsidian Notes Across Different Devices For Free

This method works like charm.

5 min readFeb 19, 2022

Obsidian is one of the best things I discovered in 2021. I consume a lot of content. And like many others, I struggled to remember what I consumed.

That’s when I learned about building a second brain, an extension of your brain. You externalize all ideas and information that you want to remember.

As David Allen said:

Your brain is for having ideas not holding them.

What is Obsidian

Obsidian is a free, open-source, markdown personal knowledge management software that you can use as you like. Moreover, it is local and works offline. That’s one of the biggest advantages it offers over other apps like the notion, Evernote, roam research, etc.

One of the biggest problems, I faced when they launched for multiple platforms was the sync feature.

I couldn’t afford their sync feature($10/month). So I looked for other free alternatives. I tried syncing across devices with google drive, one drive, Dropbox, FolderSync, and many other options.

But the one I stayed with was syncthing. It works like charm for syncing your obsidian notes across different devices.

What is Syncthing?

Syncthing is a free, open-source file syncing application. It allows you to sync files between different devices over the Internet. Your data is safe, secure and encrypted. So you will never have to worry about your data.

How to Sync Obsidian Files For Free Using Syncthing

I have a windows computer and an android phone. So, this tutorial will involve the method that works on them. But also for other platforms, the same method will work.

Disclaimer: Make sure you have backed up your notes before proceeding. Although the process is simple but might be confusing at first. So safety first.