Is Obsidian Overkill? A Minimalist's Honest Review

by admin in Productivity & Tools 25 - Last Update December 1, 2025

Rate: 4/5 points in 25 reviews

Is Obsidian Overkill? A Minimalist's Honest Review

I have to be honest. When I first heard about Obsidian, I rolled my eyes. As someone who champions digital minimalism, the idea of a tool with a sprawling graph view, a universe of community plugins, and a cult-like following seemed like the exact opposite of what I needed. My simple text editor was working just fine. Yet, the nagging idea of future-proofing my notes and owning my data kept pulling me back. So, I decided to give it a fair shot, fully expecting to declare it \'overkill\' and retreat to my simple tools.

My disastrous first week

My initial experience was exactly as I feared. I fell down the rabbit hole. I spent hours watching videos about the \'perfect\' setup, installing plugins for things I didn\'t even do, and trying to force my brain into a rigid system like Zettelkasten. I was spending more time managing the tool than thinking. It felt like I was building a complex machine just to write down a shopping list. The \'graph view\' everyone raved about? To me, it was a chaotic spiderweb that just gave me anxiety. I was ready to quit.

The minimalist \'aha\' moment

Just before uninstalling it, I had a thought: What if I ignored 95% of its features? What if I treated Obsidian not as a complex \'second brain\' but as a simple, local-first folder of text files that could talk to each other? That\'s when everything changed for me. I did a complete reset:

I uninstalled every single community plugin. I went back to the core experience.
I hid the graph view. I realized I don\'t need to \'see\' my connections to know they exist.
I stopped trying to follow a system. I just started writing notes as I always had, but now, if I mentioned a concept from another note, I\'d simply put it in double brackets `[[]]`. That\'s it.

Suddenly, the noise was gone. What was left was a blazingly fast, clean, and private writing environment. It was the simple text editor I loved, but with a superpower I only used when I needed it.

So, is it overkill?

Here\'s my final take after months of using it this way. Yes, Obsidian *can* be massive overkill if you let it. If you approach it as a project to be built, you\'ll get lost. However, if you approach it as a simple tool and commit to ruthless simplicity, it becomes something else entirely: a powerful, private, and future-proof home for your thoughts that respects your minimalist principles.

For me, the key wasn\'t learning all of Obsidian\'s features, but having the discipline to ignore them. The real power isn\'t in the plugins or the graph; it\'s in the quiet confidence of knowing your notes are just simple text files, owned by you, forever. And for this minimalist, that\'s not overkill—it\'s peace of mind.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What's the biggest mistake beginners make with Obsidian?

From my experience, the biggest mistake is trying to install dozens of plugins and build a 'perfect' system from day one. I found it's much better to start with plain text files and only add a feature when you feel a specific, recurring pain point.

Can Obsidian really be used for simple note-taking?

Absolutely. That's how I use it 90% of the time. At its core, it's just a beautiful editor for local text files. I ignore the complex features like the graph view and just focus on writing and creating simple links between notes. You don't have to use every feature.

Is there a steep learning curve for a minimalist?

The learning curve is as steep as you make it. If you try to learn everything at once, it's overwhelming. But if your goal is just to write and link notes, I believe you can be productive within the first 15 minutes. My advice is to learn the basics of Markdown, and that's it to start.

What is the main benefit of Obsidian over simpler apps for a minimalist?

For me, the single biggest benefit is data ownership and longevity. My notes are just plain text files on my computer, not locked in a proprietary cloud service. I know I'll be able to read them in 20 years, regardless of what happens to the app itself. That peace of mind is invaluable.

Do you need to understand concepts like 'Zettelkasten' to use Obsidian?

Not at all. I initially got bogged down in all the productivity jargon. I found real value when I forgot about complex methods and just started using it my own way—as a simple place to connect my thoughts. You can always explore those methods later if you feel the need.