An Obsidian alternative you open in the browser.
Obsidian keeps a folder of markdown on your computer, with plugins and a graph. Orbit Thread keeps notes, documents, images and recordings in the browser, searches them on this device, and cites the source when you ask.
Choose Thread when
- You want to open it in a browser, including on a phone, without installing a desktop app.
- The pile includes PDFs, slides, photos and voice, not only notes you typed.
- You want cited answers, and the option to run LM Studio or Ollama on your computer or to leave AI off.
- You want optional sync across your devices without running your own sync.
Stay with Obsidian when
- Your notes must live as plain markdown files in a folder, editable in any editor as the live copy.
- You depend on a plugin, canvas or graph.
- You already have a vault and a sync method you trust.
Side by side
Where the notes live
Obsidian. Markdown files in a folder you choose.
Orbit Thread. This browser’s private storage first. An export is an archive you can restore, not a live Obsidian vault.
Setup
Obsidian. A desktop app, then your vault.
Orbit Thread. Open the site. No account is required on one device.
Beyond typed notes
Obsidian. Attachments and community plugins.
Orbit Thread. PDFs by page, Office files, local OCR for images, and voice transcribed on the device.
Asking
Obsidian. Plugins and whatever model you connect.
Orbit Thread. Ask is built in and cites the note, page or timestamp. AI is optional and not resold.
Sync
Obsidian. Obsidian Sync, or a method you set up.
Orbit Thread. Optional. With an account, a copy is hosted in the EU. “Keep on this device only” is never uploaded.
Start beside the vault, not by replacing it
You can open Thread and drop in the files and notes you want searchable, without turning an Obsidian vault into something else. Export from Thread is always available, including after a trial ends.
Practical questions
Will my Obsidian vault open in Thread?
Thread does not open an Obsidian vault as its live library. Capture or drop the notes and files you want here. The vault can stay where it is.
Are my notes plain markdown files?
The live copy is in this browser’s private storage, and in the EU only if you turn sync on. You can export an archive and restore it. That archive is not an Obsidian vault.
Does Thread have a plugin graph?
No. Organisation is Spaces, links and search. A Space can keep search and Ask inside one project.
What does it cost?
A 30-day trial needs no credit card. After that, Thread is €10/month or €96/year. If you don’t subscribe, the workspace stays readable, searchable and exportable.