How do I sync Obsidian between iPhone and Mac for free?

Store your Obsidian vault inside iCloud Drive on your Mac. On iPhone, open Obsidian → Open vault → iCloud Drive → select the vault folder. Sync is automatic and free.

Can I sync Obsidian between Android and Windows?

Yes. Use Syncthing (free, peer-to-peer) or Google Drive + Autosync for Android. Both keep your vault in sync between Windows and Android without a paid subscription.

Does Obsidian Sync work on all devices?

Yes. Obsidian Sync ($10/month) works on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. It also syncs plugin settings, themes and hotkeys — which free file-sync services cannot do.

← Sync & Backup

Sync Obsidian Between Devices

Step-by-step setup for every sync method — free options using iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive and Syncthing, plus Obsidian Sync for the best experience.

Pick Your Device Combination

🍎 + 📱

Mac → iPhone / iPad

iCloud Drive (free)

🪟 + 🤖

Windows → Android

Syncthing (free)

🪟 + 📱

Windows → iPhone

Obsidian Sync or iCloud for Windows

🍎 + 🤖

Mac → Android

Syncthing or Google Drive

💻 + 💻

Any desktop → Any desktop

Dropbox / Drive / Syncthing

🌍 All platforms

All devices

Obsidian Sync ($10/mo)

📱 Sync Obsidian via iCloud Drive Free

Best for: Mac + iPhone / iPad. Zero configuration on the Mac side — just move your vault inside iCloud Drive.

Mac setup

Enable iCloud Drive: System Settings → Apple ID → iCloud → iCloud Drive → On. Make sure "Desktop & Documents Folders" is not the only thing synced.

Move your vault: In Finder, drag your vault folder into the iCloud Drive location (shown in the Finder sidebar). Wait for the upload icon to disappear — all files are now in iCloud.

Reopen in Obsidian: In Obsidian: Open another vault → Open folder as vault → navigate to iCloud Drive → select your vault. Done.

iPhone / iPad setup

Install Obsidian: Download from the App Store — free.

Open vault: Tap Open vault on the start screen.

Choose iCloud: Tap Open folder as vault → navigate to iCloud Drive → select your vault folder.

Allow access: Tap Open when Obsidian asks for folder permission. Notes sync automatically from this point.

💡 iCloud syncs in the background — changes on Mac appear on iPhone within seconds when both are online.

🔄 Sync Obsidian via Syncthing Free & Private

Best for: Windows + Android, Linux + Android, or any cross-platform combination without a paid cloud service. Syncthing is fully open-source and peer-to-peer — your notes never touch a third-party server.

Install Syncthing on both devices: Download Syncthing for Windows/Mac/Linux from syncthing.net. On Android, install Syncthing-Fork from Google Play (free).

Add your vault as a shared folder: On your desktop, open Syncthing web UI (usually http://127.0.0.1:8384) → Add Folder → set the folder path to your Obsidian vault → note the Folder ID.

Pair the devices: In Syncthing, go to Add Remote Device on the desktop and enter your Android device ID (visible in Syncthing-Fork → Device ID). Accept the pairing request on the phone.

Share the vault folder with Android: On desktop, edit the vault folder → Sharing tab → tick the Android device. On Android, accept the incoming folder share and set a local path (e.g. /storage/emulated/0/Obsidian/MyVault).

Open in Obsidian on Android: Open Obsidian → Open vault → Open folder as vault → navigate to the synced folder. All notes are now live on both devices.

📦 Sync Obsidian via Dropbox Free tier available

Best for: Windows + Windows, Mac + Windows, or any desktop combination. The Dropbox free tier (2 GB) is enough for most Obsidian vaults.

Desktop setup

Install Dropbox desktop app: Download from dropbox.com and sign in. A Dropbox folder appears in your file system.

Move vault into Dropbox: Drag your vault folder into the Dropbox folder. Wait for the green tick — fully synced.

Reopen in Obsidian: Open another vault → Open folder as vault → select the vault inside Dropbox.

Set up on second machine: Install Dropbox on the second computer and sign in. The vault syncs automatically — then open it in Obsidian.

⚠️ Conflict prevention tips

Dropbox syncs file-by-file. If you edit the same note on two devices while offline, Dropbox creates a conflict copy. To minimise conflicts:

→Always let Dropbox finish syncing before opening Obsidian on a second device.

→Don't keep Obsidian open on two computers simultaneously while editing the same notes.

→Add .obsidian/workspace.json to your vault's .gitignore if using Git — this file changes every session.

⭐ Obsidian Sync (Official Service) $10/month

The official end-to-end encrypted sync service. The only method that also syncs plugin settings, themes, hotkeys, and workspace layout across all platforms.

Setup (any platform)

Subscribe: Go to obsidian.md/pricing and subscribe to Obsidian Sync. Create an Obsidian account if you don't have one.

Enable in Obsidian: Settings → Core plugins → Sync → Enable. Then click the Sync icon in the left sidebar.

Create a remote vault: In the Sync panel click Create new remote vault. Set an encryption password (remember it — Obsidian cannot recover it).

Connect on other devices: Install Obsidian, sign in with your account, go to Settings → Sync → Connect and select the remote vault. Enter the same password.

Choose what to sync: In Sync settings, toggle on Plugins, Plugin settings, Themes, and Appearance — these are off by default.

What Obsidian Sync includes

✅End-to-end encryption — Obsidian cannot read your notes

✅Syncs plugin settings, themes & hotkeys

✅12 months of version history per note

✅Works on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

✅No file-size conflicts — built for Obsidian

✅Selective sync per vault

Price: $10/month or $96/year. Includes 10 GB storage and up to 10 remote vaults. A 2-week free trial is available.