I’m utterly amazed a web app hasn’t been approved yet. I use web app aggregation tools like rambox, ferdium, stack next ,etc. I like to keep my notes in there along with a lot of other things so I can keep the clutter down on my desktop. It’s a total no brainer to have a webapp available for that sole purpose. I mean, especially if you’re paying the $8 for sync, you should be able to use it on the web if you like.
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I would really like this too.
I have multiple laptops’s OS’s ect. it is impactical to use a desktop app everywhere, i self host most of my needs on a docker host and i would like obsidian to be available, but until it is i will wait.
+1 for having a complementary web app. I think that taking notes should be as simple as opening Google Keep on any device, for example a computer at your workplace, just to write up a few notes or ideas without installing or syncing anything locally. I’ve even tried to migrate to Roam Research and several other PKM apps for that reason, but each alternative has had their own serious issues, so I’ve come back to Obsidian every time. But the friction still remains. The mobile app is nice, but working on it is not time efficient compared to working on a device with a proper screen and keyboard.
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foam is a way, but the local image would be a problem
Would love to have this feature! I recently switched to Arc as my main browser. Makes you want to run everything in there. Including Obsidian.
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I would also love to have this feature! 
This would make it much easier to work with my notes in business context.
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How about we collect some alternatives/workarounds to fill the gap until obsidian is available in the browser.
I’ll start with GitHub - Dullage/flatnotes: A self-hosted, database-less note taking web app that utilises a flat folder of markdown files for storage.
It’s in the browser and I can edit my notes. Like obsidian it’s doesn’t need a database.
Bonus: it additionally has a WYSIWYG editor!
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There is this docker container available from the comunity:
https://github.com/sytone/obsidian-remote
It works, but it is slow due to the fact that it uses VNC in the backgroud.
Other option, but without editing possibility, seems to be:
https://github.com/secure-77/Perlite
Last but not least, code-server suports the folder structure of obsidian and markdown:
https://github.com/coder/code-server
but then the obsidian specifics plugins/features are not available.
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Definently the most needed feature request! Would love if the creators could release a web version of Obsidian. Being able to selfhost would be a plus too
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I think we can all agree that this is one of the most, if not the most, requested feature.
We REALLY need an Obsidian web app. Even if the devs launch it in some beta, minimum viable offer, form initially. That’s all good. It doesn’t have to be perfect or fully match the native desktop app functionality. We just want to see things progressing.
I’m more than happy to contribute monetarily to get this going asap.
Please, devs, listen to the community and think of ways to fast-track the development/implementation.
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Just to remind those who tend to overlook this: we do not all agree that this is needed. I (and others like me) have no use for a web version, with Obsidian running very well on laptop, desktop and phone. I can always access my vault and work in it. Obsidian Sync is already multi-user, for those who need that. Giving up end-to-end encryption would be a dealbreaker for me.
I realise that many of the people who want this are unable to access their vaults on their work devices. That’s unfortunate, but one could always try to convince the IT people to make an exception, and failing that, in most work environments, people are allowed to bring in their own laptops. And if not, well, you’re out of luck; capitalism will do that to you. This is not a problem a software company should be expected to solve at the expense of their own principles.
I would much rather see the developers spend their time on other enhancements and added features. A web version would probably require a lot of their attention. It would bring new safety concerns, perhaps, and increase the likelihood of instability. And even if it were cheap in terms of development resources, safe, stable, and doable without giving up on principles: there are also users (some? many?) who don’t want this.
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Not at all acceptable to me.
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This feature is a critical need for me. Data relevant to a PKM comes >90% from the browser and having a .md PKM as a default new tab is a very effective habit stack for me. Switching to another open-source alternative to remedy this.
Just adding my 0.02. If Obsidian wants to be a true drop-in replacement for something like Notion, this will be necessary.
If they don’t build it, someone else will. Let users oauth connect their icloud, google drive, dropbox, etc that is already used by Obsidian elsewhere, and parse their json config files to replicate the environment relatively closely. The data itself is just Markdown, after all.
I use iCloud to sync, and could see myself paying another service monthly to connect to iCloud Drive and give me a full web-only experience.
We may see a day where Obsidian releases a web client themselves, but is limited to Obsidian Sync customers only.
I’m not sure what Obsidian roadmap is and why they launched cosmetic improvements over functional ones that are much required and requested. The releases are less substantial than they used to be.
I have followed this topic with interest. My need is related. I use obsidian, with obsidian sync on a PC, iPad and iPhone. Storage size is the killer for me on my mobiles, as my vault is now over 10Gb as is now the largest app on my mobiles. A web version would instantly solve this, even if it was read only. I would be happy enough to store anything new while mobile on Simplenote and transfer it manually when at my pc.
However as most of the size of the data is in the _resources folder, it would solve my problem if I could at least have obsidian store _resources in cloud storage.
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I attempted to use Obsidian Publish, but I couldn’t selectively password-protect notes. Recently, DayOne released a web version that works well. They also prioritize privacy and managed to find a solution.
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I’ve been seeing an increasing number of highly relevant use cases for a “web” version of Obsidian.
Students may be required to use Chromebooks or “checked-out” laptops on which they’re prohibited from running (or unable to run) local applications (and wouldn’t want their data stored locally even if they could).
Shared computers (e.g., presentation rooms, shared corporate office space, video production, etc.) on which one needs to access and update notes are another great use case.
Computers used while on vacation or otherwise away from a personal device…
The list goes on and on. I completely appreciate Obsidian’s local-file philosophy, but I see its use being greatly constrained by not providing a seamless way by which data can be accessed over the web.
iCloud is a very good analog; full-fledged local applications exist for MacOS and iOS platforms, but data are still available through icloud.com - for exactly the use cases I stated above (and many more). Apple wouldn’t bother providing this functionality if it wasn’t useful…
Although roll-your-own options exist, I can see an Obsidian-supported cloud-based service reliant on Obsidian Sync data being another great future feature.
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Obsidian via browser would be a great solution for all those school and company computers that do not allow the installation of Obsidian. Even if the function were limited, the editing of md files alone would be a huge relief. Thank you.
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I think there are two distinct ways to offer a web version:
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The notes stay local and the web app asks for permission to read the write to the local filesystem. No user data is ever uploaded to the cloud. This is a pure replacement of the Obsidian executable. This is similar to a web app like vscode.dev.
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The web app gets its data from the cloud. This is similar to a web app like Evernote Web or Notion.
Personally, I am looking for Option 1. But Option 2. is likely what most people ask for when they ask for a web app.
I understand Obsidian is based on Electron, which means it’s already written using web technologies. So Options 1. is probably not than far. Take a look at the File Syetem Access API
What are the benefits of Option 1 over an executable?
- not requiring any executable to be installed.
- Security: this is as secure as the browser, which means much more than any executable installed on the OS with broad permission of reading the entire file system. notably, Obsidian is based on Electron, so it’s embedded chromium is probably never truly up to date, therefore subject to security vulnerabilities.
Option 1 would solve the Chromebook use case, assuming users are using Google Drive to sync their notes.
if Obsidian was open source, I’d be glad to contribute.
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