Free Obsidian Sync: Autosync vs Syncthing – Backup & Settings Tips
Obsidian has become one of the most popular notes and knowledge management apps, empowering users to organize information and connect ideas in a flexible system. A key attraction of Obsidian is that your notes are stored as local Markdown files rather than being locked into a proprietary database.
However, this flexibility comes at the cost of portability – accessing your notes across devices can be challenging without a sync solution. That‘s why choosing the right Obsidian sync setup is critical for any serious user.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore the top options for syncing Obsidian vaults across devices – all without paying a cent. Let‘s dive in.
While Obsidian does offer official encrypted sync for $8/month, there are several capable free alternatives that leverage cloud storage or open-source sync software. The two most popular free options are Autosync and Syncthing.
Autosync
Autosync is a simple plugin that lets you two-way sync your Obsidian vault with cloud storage providers like Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive.
To set it up, simply install the Autosync plugin, connect your cloud account through Obsidian‘s plugin options, and enable sync on the chosen folders. That‘s all – any changes made locally or through the cloud will automatically propagate to keep your vaults in sync.
The great benefit of Autosync is convenience – since it piggybacks on Dropbox/Drive sync, your notes are accessible through those services‘ apps and web interfaces too. This gives you multiple ways to view and edit your notes on the go.
However, Autosync can occasionally run into issues with long sync delays, loss of version history, or conflicts if edits occur on two devices simultaneously. It also can‘t sync attachments stored outside the vault folders.
Syncthing
Syncthing takes a different approach – it‘s a decentralized open-source file synchronization service that lets you sync folders directly between devices. There are no intermediary servers involved – your devices talk to each other directly via the Syncthing software.
Setting up Syncthing takes a few more steps compared to Autosync. You need to install the Syncthing software locally on each device first. After assigning an ID per device, you can connect them together and select which folders to synchronize.
Once configured, Syncthing will silently keep those folders in perfect sync across your machines without any manual intervention. It also fully preserves version histories and handles conflicts gracefully.
The main downside to Syncthing is that your notes aren‘t accessible through other apps like Drive or Dropbox. The sync only works one-on-one between your designated Syncthing devices.
Other Options
There are a few other ways to sync Obsidian too, like using Git version control systems or commercial file sync services. However, these either require advanced technical know-how or cost money for the best experience.
For uncomplicated free sync between just your own machines, Syncthing and Autosync are the top contenders to consider.
Before setting up your vault sync, it‘s absolutely vital that you create a full independent backup copy first. Sync failures or conflicts can occasionally corrupt vault data, so having backup redundancy is a lifesaver.
Once your backup is secured, tailor these recommended settings for smooth and safe Obsidian syncing:
Folders – Only sync your actual Obsidian vault folders rather than your entire drive or documents folder. This avoids needlessly transmitting extraneous data.
Frequency – Set Autosync or Syncthing to sync as immediately as possible whenever changes occur. Frequent small syncs are safer than batched overflow syncs.
Versioning – Enable version history in your cloud storage if available. This lets you revert note changes if anything gets corrupted down the line.
Method – Use two-way sync rather than simple one-way mirroring. Two-way sync ensures all devices see the latest file changes rather than just overwriting data.
Getting your Obsidian vault to automatically sync between a desktop computer and mobile device does take some additional consideration.
For starters, sync software like Autosync and Syncthing work most seamlessly when both endpoints run the same software natively. So getting your vault to sync directly from a Linux machine to an Android phone works well with Syncthing running on both.
Syncing to indirect targets like cloud storage tends to have more delays and inconsistencies. However, that approach allows mobile access since things like the iOS Obsidian app can only read files saved in iCloud/Dropbox, not local device storage.
Therefore, the best solution is an Autosync-style configuration that syncs your desktop vault to the cloud, which is then accessed by your mobile apps. There will be some lag as changes propagate through the cloud, but eventual consistency is ensured.
Just bear in mind that directly editing the same notes on both mobile and desktop concurrently can still cause sync conflicts. So treat mobile as more of a reviewing interface unless you limit editing to one target endpoint.
When running an automated Obsidian sync system across devices, a lot can go wrong if you aren‘t careful:
Don‘t mix sync services – Using something like Autosync to sync your vault to Dropbox while also directly syncing to your phone via Syncthing is asking for corruption. The services will fight over which file version is authoritative. Stick to just one sync method.
Fix conflicts immediately - If you do find your files falling out of sync with duplicate copies on each device, fix the conflicts right away. Delete excess copies and preserve just the latest definitive version to prevent divergence.
Mind mobile limitations – Obsidian mobile limitations like lack of attachment support or plugin compatibility can cause mobile sync issues. Consider reviewing mobile notes without extensive editing to sidestep problems.
Test extensively first – Before relying on your sync setup for critical daily notes, run it through the wringer to catch any flaws early. Stage test scenarios with dummy notes to confirm seamless syncing.
Hopefully this guide has illuminated some effective solutions for keeping your Obsidian notes neatly synchronized across all your devices. With the flexibility of Markdown files and capable sync tools like Syncthing and Autosync, you can now craft a tailored pipeline for accessing your second brain anywhere.
The key is resisting overcomplication. Find the right single-source sync option for your personal cross-device use case, apply the recommended config tips above, and stay vigilant to detect and resolve any sync conflicts that emerge.
Do that and you‘ll be able to focus on your knowledge management rather than data management when using Obsidian! Let me know if you have any other tips for simplified Obsidian syncing too.