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✓ checked Aug 2
The Obsidian app is free for personal use, and students and faculty get 40% off the paid add-ons: Obsidian Sync drops to around $2.40/month and Publish to around $4.80/month. Verify with your school email right in your account settings.
How to claim it
- Create an Obsidian account. Download the app free at
obsidian.mdand create an account (needed for the discount and for Sync/Publish) - Open your billing settings. Log in and go to
obsidian.md/account/billing, then find the Discount section - Apply with your school email. Click Apply, choose the education discount, and enter your school email address
- Confirm the verification email. Click the verification link sent to your school inbox. Approval is often instant; otherwise Obsidian reviews it within 3 business days
- Subscribe at 40% off. Once approved, the discount applies to Obsidian Sync and Publish on your account
Who's eligible
Who can get the Obsidian Student Discount - 40% Off Sync & Publish student discount?
Students and faculty members at education organizations like universities and high schools, plus employees of nonprofit organizations. Verified with a school email address, or with a student ID card or transcript via support if you don't have one.
How long does Obsidian Student Discount - 40% Off Sync & Publish student access last?
The discount has an expiration date shown under Billing in your account settings. Obsidian emails you a reminder a week before it expires, and you can reapply as long as you're still eligible. The exact validity period isn't published.
Is the Obsidian Student Discount - 40% Off Sync & Publish student discount available worldwide?
Obsidian's official pages list no country restrictions. Verification runs on your school email, or on documents sent to support, so it works for students internationally.
What's included
Obsidian is the local-first Markdown note-taking app loved for linking notes into a personal knowledge base. The app itself costs nothing for personal use, which already makes it one of the best student note tools. The student discount applies to the two paid add-ons: Obsidian Sync (end-to-end encrypted sync across devices, normally $4/month billed annually) and Obsidian Publish (turn notes into a website, normally $8/month billed annually) are both 40% off for students and faculty. That works out to about $2.40/month for Sync. You claim it inside your Obsidian account settings with a school email, and approval is often instant.
- 40% Off Obsidian SyncEnd-to-end encrypted syncing of your vault across unlimited devices, with version history. Normally $4/month billed annually, around $2.40/month with the student discount.
- 40% Off Obsidian PublishPublish your notes as a polished website, ideal for a digital garden or study wiki. Normally $8/month per site billed annually, around $4.80/month with the discount.
- The App Itself Is FreeObsidian's core app is free for personal use with no sign-up required. Your notes are plain Markdown files stored locally, so you own them forever.
- Fast In-Account VerificationApply from your account's billing settings with a school email. Approval is often instant, and manual review takes up to 3 business days. No school email? A student ID or transcript sent to support works too.
Fine print & gotchas
- 40% off Sync and Publish only. The Commercial license and Catalyst tiers are not included, and the discount doesn't stack with early bird pricing.
- The discount expires and must be renewed. Obsidian emails you a week before expiry; reapply from your billing settings while you're still eligible. The exact validity period isn't published.
- Discounted dollar prices are calculated. Obsidian officially states "40% off"; the $2.40 and $4.80 monthly figures are computed from the listed regular prices and assume annual billing.
- An Obsidian account is required. The claim flow lives in your logged-in billing settings, so you need an account even though the app itself works without one.
- School email preferred, documents accepted. Instant approval typically needs a school email; student ID or transcript via support takes a manual review.
Common questions
Is Obsidian free for students?
The Obsidian app is free for everyone for personal use, students included, with no account required to start taking notes. The 40% student discount is for the optional paid add-ons: Obsidian Sync (sync across devices) and Obsidian Publish (share notes as a website).
How much does Obsidian Sync cost with the student discount?
Obsidian Sync normally costs $4/month billed annually ($5/month billed monthly). With the 40% education discount that comes to about $2.40/month billed annually. Obsidian's pages state the 40% figure; the dollar amounts are calculated from the listed regular prices.
Does the discount cover Obsidian Publish too?
Yes. Obsidian's official pages state the 40% discount applies to both Sync and Publish. Publish normally costs $8/month per site billed annually, so the discount brings it to about $4.80/month.
Do teachers and faculty get the discount too?
Yes. Obsidian offers the same 40% discount to faculty members at education organizations like universities and high schools, and to employees of nonprofit organizations. The claim flow is the same, using your organization email.
How long does the student discount last?
The discount has an expiration date, visible under Billing in your account settings. Obsidian sends a reminder email a week before it expires, and you can reapply through the same steps as long as you're still a student or faculty member. The exact validity period isn't published.
What if I don't have a school email address?
You can still get verified. Send a photo of a document that proves eligibility, such as a student ID card or transcript, to Obsidian's support team along with your account email, and they'll review it manually.
Does the discount apply to the Commercial license?
No. The 40% education discount covers only Obsidian Sync and Obsidian Publish. The Commercial license ($50/user/year for work use) and the one-time Catalyst supporter tiers are not discounted, and the discount doesn't stack with early bird pricing.
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$2.40/mo · $48/year (Sync at full price) Get deal →