The Obsidian Alternative for Your New Tab
Obsidian is a local-first markdown vault with a deep plugin ecosystem. Start Page HQ is the new-tab companion you've been missing — quick markdown drafts, notes, and dashboards every time you open a browser.
What People Love About Obsidian
Before we get into where Start Page HQ goes further, credit where it's due.
- Truly local-first — your notes stay as plain markdown files on your own disk.
- A deep plugin ecosystem and a power-user community that builds incredible workflows.
- A graph view and bidirectional links that make connected thinking feel native.
- Free for personal use with no artificial caps on note count or vault size.
- Native apps for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android.
Where Start Page HQ Goes Further
Specific differences, not vague claims.
Lives on Every New Tab
Obsidian is a desktop or mobile app you have to launch. Start Page HQ lives on every new tab in your browser, so quick capture and review happen without context switching.
63+ Widgets, Not Just a Vault
Obsidian is a markdown vault. Start Page HQ ships notes and a markdown editor alongside tasks, RSS, weather, podcasts, AI tools, dev utilities, and more — all included.
No Sync Subscription Required
Obsidian Sync is a separate paid add-on. Start Page HQ includes cross-device sync in the base $3.99/month, $25/year, or $49 lifetime plan — no extra subscription.
Hosted Web App on Any Browser
Obsidian requires a native install. Start Page HQ runs at startpagehq.com on locked-down work computers, shared machines, or any browser — no install required.
Multi-Page Dashboards by Context
Build separate pages for Work, Personal, News, and Tools. Switch with a click. Obsidian organizes by vault and folder; Start Page HQ organizes by full new-tab dashboards.
AI Built In
AI image generation, translation, instant answers, and AI news summaries ship as widgets — no plugin install required, no API key juggling.
Side-by-Side Comparison
An honest line-by-line look at how the two stack up.
| Feature | Obsidian | Start Page HQ |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / Sync $4-8/mo | $3.99/mo, $25/yr, $49 LTD |
| Free tier | Yes (full app) | Free demo only |
| Lives on every new tab | No | Yes |
| Chrome | No | Yes |
| Firefox | No | Yes |
| Safari | No | Yes |
| Edge | No | Yes |
| Hosted web app | No | Yes |
| Native desktop apps | Mac, Windows, Linux | No |
| Cross-device sync | Sync add-on $4-8/mo | Included |
| Local-first markdown files | Yes | No |
| Graph view of linked notes | Yes | No |
| Plugin ecosystem | Yes | No |
| Markdown editor widget | Native | Yes |
| Multi-page dashboards | No | Yes |
| Kanban tasks widget | Plugin required | Built in |
| RSS / podcasts / Hacker News | Plugin required | Built in |
| AI tools | Plugins / API keys | Included |
| Developer tools (JSON, regex, diff) | No | Yes |
Widgets That Replace Obsidian
Drop these onto your dashboard and you've covered Obsidian's core features — plus a lot more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for your full vault. Obsidian is a local-first knowledge graph and Start Page HQ does not try to compete with the graph view, plugin ecosystem, or vault-scale linking. Think of Start Page HQ as the new-tab companion to Obsidian — quick capture, daily dashboards, and 63+ other widgets, while Obsidian stays your long-term knowledge base.
There is a free public demo at startpagehq.com/demo where you can try every widget without signing up. Full access requires a paid plan: $3.99/month, $25/year, or $49 one-time. All plans include all 63+ widgets, sync, and AI credits.
No. Start Page HQ stores notes in the cloud so they sync across devices. If local-first markdown is non-negotiable for you, keep Obsidian for your vault and use Start Page HQ for the new-tab dashboard.
Yes. Cross-device sync is included in the base $3.99/month, $25/year, or $49 lifetime plan. No Sync add-on, no per-device cost.
Yes. The Markdown Editor widget gives you a live preview pane for drafting markdown, and the QuickNote widget supports markdown formatting too.
Yes. Use the hosted web app at startpagehq.com directly in any browser — no install required. Or install the extension for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge if your IT policy allows browser extensions.
Ready to Try Start Page HQ?
Free, no signup required for the live demo. See if it clicks in under a minute.