How to Migrate from Notion to Obsidian in 2026

Notion to Obsidian migration: export your Notion workspace as Markdown, then import the folder into Obsidian. Steps: Notion Settings > Export content > Markdown & CSV > download the export. Unzip and open the folder as an Obsidian vault.

What Transfers Well and What Doesn’t

Transfers well: page titles, text content, headers, bullet lists, numbered lists, inline links to external URLs.

Transfers poorly: Notion databases (become Markdown tables, lose database view capabilities), toggle blocks (become bullet points), embedded content and Embeds, synced blocks, formulas, relation properties, and Notion’s native integrations.

The Markdown Export Limitation

Notion exports to Markdown but uses some non-standard syntax. Image embeds often appear as broken links pointing to S3 URLs that expire. You will need to download images separately. Internal page links are exported as file paths, which Obsidian can handle if the folder structure is preserved.

Setting Up Obsidian After Import

• Open Obsidian, choose "Open folder as vault" and select the unzipped Notion export.
• Install the Dataview plugin (community) if you relied on Notion database views.
• Update internal links using the Obsidian link converter plugin.
• Re-attach any broken image embeds manually.

Why People Move from Notion to Obsidian

Primary reasons: local storage (Notion is cloud-only), privacy, offline access, control over the file format (plain Markdown), and the Obsidian plugin ecosystem for researchers who want custom workflows.

Primary reasons to stay in Notion: team collaboration, databases, real-time sync, no maintenance overhead, integrations with Slack, Gmail, and other tools.

Alternative: Keeping Both

Many users keep Notion for collaborative work and team wikis while moving personal knowledge management to Obsidian. This is a common setup for knowledge workers who need both team databases and personal note-taking.

What Changes and What Doesn't

Notion to Obsidian migration exports content as Markdown files. Notion's database properties (tags, dates, relations) export as frontmatter in markdown. Block-level references and embeds don't transfer cleanly.

The honest assessment: Notion and Obsidian have different information architectures. Notion is relational databases. Obsidian is a linked notes graph. Trying to recreate Notion's database structure in Obsidian misses the point of both tools.

Start fresh in Obsidian. Export important Notion content as reference archives accessible from Obsidian, but build your Obsidian vault around links and ideas rather than copying Notion's structure.

For mobile capture during transition (and after): both Notion and Obsidian have weak iPhone apps. Nemos handles mobile capture independently — voice notes, screenshots, article clips — feeding into either system. The migration doesn't disrupt your capture workflow.