Notion vs Obsidian vs Filarr: Complete Security Comparison 2025

Quick Comparison

Feature	Notion	Obsidian	Filarr
Primary Use	Collaborative workspace	Local note-taking	Secure file storage
Encryption	TLS only	Local files	AES-256-GCM (zero-knowledge)
Privacy	Low	High (local)	Highest (zero-knowledge)
Collaboration	Excellent	Limited	Good
Price	Free-$10/mo	Free-$50/year	€5-10/mo
Best For	Teams	Writers	Privacy-conscious users

Detailed Security Analysis

Notion: Collaboration-First, Privacy-Last

Security Model:

Your Device → Upload Plain Text → Notion Servers → Store → AI Processing

What Notion Can See: Everything

• All your notes (unencrypted)
• All your databases
• All your files
• Usage patterns for AI training

Encryption: TLS in transit only, no end-to-end encryption

Privacy Concerns:

• ✗ No client-side encryption
• ✗ Notion AI trains on your content (opt-out available)
• ✗ US-based company (CLOUD Act applies)
• ✗ Can comply with government data requests

Best for: Teams prioritizing collaboration over privacy

Obsidian: Local-First Privacy

Security Model:

Your Device → Local Markdown Files → (Optional) Sync Encrypted

What Obsidian Can See:

• Nothing by default (files stored locally)
• If using Obsidian Sync: Encrypted files only (end-to-end)

Encryption:

• Local files: System-level encryption
• Obsidian Sync: AES-256 end-to-end encryption

Privacy Strengths:

• ✓ Files stay on your device
• ✓ Sync is end-to-end encrypted
• ✓ No cloud dependency (base version)
• ✓ Plain markdown (no lock-in)

Privacy Weaknesses:

• ~ No cloud backup (unless you pay for Sync)
• ~ Must manage own backups
• ~ Sync costs $10/month extra

Best for: Privacy-conscious note-takers who want local control

Filarr: Zero-Knowledge File Security

Security Model:

Your Device → Encrypt Locally → Upload → Filarr Storage (Encrypted)
                ↓
           You Keep Keys

What Filarr Can See: Encrypted blobs only

• Cannot read file contents
• Cannot see filenames
• Cannot access your data

Encryption: AES-256-GCM client-side, zero-knowledge

Privacy Strengths:

• ✓ True zero-knowledge encryption
• ✓ Cloud backup included
• ✓ Multi-device sync
• ✓ GDPR compliant by design
• ✓ Can store any file type

Privacy Considerations:

• ~ Password recovery impossible
• ~ Search requires local decryption

Best for: Users who need cloud storage with maximum privacy

Use Case Recommendations

For Note-Taking

If you want collaboration: Notion

• Real-time editing
• Comments and mentions
• Team wikis
• ⚠️ But no privacy

If you want privacy: Obsidian

• Local markdown files
• Complete control
• Plugin ecosystem
• ⚠️ But no cloud by default

If you want both: Filarr + Markdown

• Store encrypted markdown in Filarr
• Edit locally with your favorite editor
• Sync encrypted versions
• ⚠️ But less integrated than Notion/Obsidian

For Document Storage

Notion: ✗ Not designed for file storage Obsidian: ~ Limited (attachments in vault) Filarr: ✓ Purpose-built for secure file storage

For Team Collaboration

Winner: Notion

• Real-time collaboration
• Permissions system
• Comments and tasks
• Integrations

Runner-up: Filarr (for security-conscious teams)

• Encrypted file sharing
• Audit logs
• GDPR compliance

Not recommended: Obsidian

• Limited collaboration features
• No real-time editing

Privacy Comparison Deep Dive

Data Collection

Notion:

{
  "collects": {
    "content": "All notes and files",
    "usage": "Pages viewed, time spent",
    "ai_training": "Yes (opt-out available)",
    "analytics": "Full behavioral tracking"
  }
}

Obsidian:

{
  "collects": {
    "content": "Nothing (local only)",
    "sync": "Encrypted files (if using Sync)",
    "analytics": "Anonymous usage stats (opt-out)"
  }
}

Filarr:

{
  "collects": {
    "content": "Encrypted blobs (cannot read)",
    "metadata": "File size, upload date",
    "analytics": "Minimal, anonymized"
  }
}

Government Data Requests

Scenario: Law enforcement warrant

Notion:

• Can provide full access to your notes
• Must comply with US legal requests
• No way to refuse

Obsidian:

• Local files: Not applicable
• Sync: Can provide encrypted data (useless without key)
• Cannot decrypt for authorities

Filarr:

• Can only provide encrypted data
• Cannot decrypt (zero-knowledge)
• Mathematically impossible to comply

Pricing & Value

Total Cost (1 Year)

Notion:

• Free: Personal use (good)
• Plus: $10/month = $120/year (for unlimited storage)
• ✓ Good value for collaboration
• ✗ Pay for features, not privacy

Obsidian:

• Free: Core app (excellent!)
• Sync: $10/month = $120/year (optional)
• Publish: $10/month = $120/year (optional)
• ✓ Best free option
• ✗ Must pay for cloud sync

Filarr:

• Free: 5GB storage
• Pro: €5/month = €60/year for 100GB
• ✓ Good value for encrypted storage
• ✗ Not free for meaningful storage

Which Offers Best Value?

For note-taking only: Obsidian (free, local) For team collaboration: Notion (free tier is generous) For secure storage: Filarr (best price for zero-knowledge)

Migration Scenarios

From Notion to Obsidian

# Export from Notion
1. Settings → Export All Workspace Content → Markdown & CSV

# Import to Obsidian
2. Copy markdown files to Obsidian vault
3. Fix image links (Notion export breaks them)
4. Install dataview plugin for databases

Difficulty: Medium
Time: 2-4 hours for large workspace

From Notion to Filarr

# Export from Notion
1. Export as Markdown or PDF

# Upload to Filarr
2. Encrypt and upload to Filarr
3. Files remain searchable via metadata

Note: Filarr is storage, not a Notion replacement
Best for: Archiving old Notion docs with privacy

From Obsidian to Filarr

# Sync your vault
1. Copy entire Obsidian vault to Filarr
2. Continue editing locally
3. Sync encrypted versions

Benefits:
- Encrypted cloud backup
- Access from multiple devices
- Maintain local editing

Security Features Comparison

Feature	Notion	Obsidian	Filarr
Client-Side Encryption	✗	✓ (Sync)	✓
Zero-Knowledge	✗	✓ (local)	✓
Two-Factor Auth	✓	N/A	✓
Audit Logs	~ (Enterprise)	✗	✓
GDPR Compliance	~	✓	✓
SOC 2 Certified	✓	N/A	Pending
Data Residency	US	Local/EU	EU only

Conclusion

Notion, Obsidian, and Filarr serve different purposes:

Choose Notion if:

• Team collaboration is priority #1
• You trust the platform with your data
• Features matter more than privacy

Choose Obsidian if:

• Privacy is paramount
• You want local-first control
• You're comfortable with markdown

Choose Filarr if:

• You need cloud storage with zero-knowledge encryption
• GDPR compliance is required
• You want encrypted multi-device sync

Best combined approach:

• Obsidian for daily note-taking (local, private)
• Filarr for backing up your vault (encrypted, cloud)
• Notion for team collaboration (when privacy isn't critical)

Try Filarr for Secure Document Storage

While Notion and Obsidian excel at note-taking, Filarr provides unmatched security for file storage:

✓ Zero-knowledge encryption ✓ EU-based servers ✓ GDPR compliant ✓ Open-source client

Start with 5GB free →