Complete guide to keeping your Obsidian vault in sync across all devices and safely backed up. Free and paid methods, step-by-step setup, and backup strategies.
Sync Obsidian Between Devices
iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, Syncthing and Obsidian Sync — free and paid methods compared.
Free methods available Read guide → 💾Backup Obsidian Vault
Manual copy, Git versioning, cloud backup and automated strategies to protect your notes.
Step-by-step guide Read guide → ☁️Obsidian Cloud Sync Setup
Detailed setup instructions for iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive and Obsidian Sync service.
Full setup walkthrough Read guide →All six main ways to sync your Obsidian vault — at a glance.
| Method | Cost | Platforms | Rating | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iCloud Drive | Free | Mac + iPhone/iPad | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | No setup needed on Apple devices | Plugin settings not synced |
| Dropbox | Free / Paid | All platforms | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Works on Windows, Mac, Linux, mobile | Selective sync can cause conflicts |
| Google Drive | Free / Paid | All platforms | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Large free storage tier (15 GB) | Desktop app required |
| OneDrive | Free / Paid | Windows + mobile | ⭐⭐⭐ | Built into Windows | Occasional file-locking issues |
| Syncthing | Free | All platforms | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Fully private, no cloud server | Requires setup on each device |
| Obsidian Sync | $10/mo | All platforms | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Syncs plugin settings + version history | Paid — but purpose-built |
Your vault is a regular folder of Markdown (.md) files. Any app that can sync a folder can sync Obsidian — no special integration needed.
Markdown files are tiny (a typical note is under 10 KB) and sync almost instantly even on slow connections.
Unlike Notion or Evernote, you are never locked into a single sync provider. Switch from Dropbox to iCloud any time by simply moving the vault folder.
