Stik vs Obsidian — Quick Capture Comparison
Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base. Stik is a lightning-fast capture tool. Here's how they compare when all you need is to jot something down instantly.
| Feature | Stik | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Global keyboard shortcut | ⌘⇧S — works from any app | No built-in global shortcut |
| Note format | Plain markdown (.md) files | Plain markdown (.md) files |
| Local-first storage | Yes — ~/Documents/Stik/ | Yes — vault on local disk |
| App size & resource usage | ~15 MB, native Rust/Tauri | ~400 MB+, Electron-based |
| On-device AI search | Yes — semantic search, zero cloud | Not built in; plugin capabilities vary |
| Open source | Yes — MIT license | No — proprietary |
| Price | Free | Free core; Sync from $4/user/month and Publish $8/site/month (annual billing) |
| Knowledge graph & backlinks | No | Yes — graph view, backlinks, plugins |
| Plugin ecosystem | No | Yes — 1,500+ community plugins |
| Git-based sharing | Yes — share folders via git | Possible with manual git setup |
Checked September 5, 2026 against Apple Notes documentation, Obsidian pricing, and SideNotes for Mac. Prices are in USD; taxes and regional pricing may vary.
The bottom line
Obsidian excels as a long-form knowledge management system with its graph view, backlinks, and extensive plugin ecosystem. If you're building a second brain or managing a personal wiki, Obsidian is a great choice.
But if your primary need is speed — capturing a fleeting thought before it disappears — Stik is purpose-built for that. No app switching, no finding the right note, no waiting for Electron to load. Just ⌘⇧S, type, done.
Stik is also fully open source (MIT), uses a fraction of the resources (native Rust vs Electron), and includes on-device AI for semantic search — no paid plugins or cloud required.
Many users run both: Stik for capture, Obsidian for organization. Since both use plain markdown files, they work together seamlessly.
Try Stik free
Download Stik and start capturing thoughts in with the global shortcut. Free, open source, no account required.
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