Sync Vault vs Obsidian Sync

Sync Vault vs Obsidian Sync: Which Should You Choose?

Both Sync Vault and Obsidian Sync keep your notes in sync across devices. But they take very different approaches. This guide breaks down the key differences to help you pick the right one.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Sync Vault (Free)	Sync Vault (Pro)	Obsidian Sync (Official)
Price	Free	$4/mo or$ 59 lifetime	$8/mo or$ 96/year
Cloud Storage	Your own (Baidu, Aliyun, WebDAV, S3)	Your own + Baidu, Quark, OneDrive	Obsidian’s servers only
Storage Limit	Unlimited (your cloud quota)	Unlimited	1 GB included
VFS (Zero-Space Sync)	No	Yes	No
4K Video Streaming	Trial only	Yes (Baidu, Aliyun, Quark)	No
P2P Real-Time Sync	No	Yes (WebRTC + Yjs)	Yes (but limited)
MCP AI Integration	Limited	Full access	No
E2E Encryption	Yes	Yes	Yes
Conflict Resolution	Keep latest	Smart merge + manual	Smart merge
Cross-Platform	macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android	Same	Same

Key Differences

1. Cloud Storage: Your Data, Your Cloud

Obsidian Sync stores your notes on Obsidian’s servers. You get 1 GB included, and can buy more at $0.15/GB/month. Your data lives on their infrastructure.

Sync Vault uses your own cloud storage — Baidu Netdisk, Aliyun Drive, OneDrive, WebDAV, S3, and more. Your notes stay in accounts you control. No extra storage fees if you already have a cloud subscription.

TIP

Why This Matters If you already pay for Baidu VIP or Aliyun Drive, Sync Vault lets you use that storage for notes — no additional cost.

2. VFS: Access TBs Without Filling Your Disk

Obsidian Sync downloads everything to your device. A 50 GB vault means 50 GB on every device.

Sync Vault Pro uses VFS (Virtual File System) — files appear as tiny stubs (.osvc) in your vault. They occupy zero space until you click to hydrate them. Access terabytes of notes from a 200 MB local footprint.

3. Video Streaming: Watch Without Downloading

Obsidian Sync doesn’t support video streaming. You must download large files to view them.

Sync Vault Pro streams 4K video directly from Baidu, Aliyun, and Quark — zero local storage required. Perfect for researchers with large video libraries.

4. MCP AI Integration: Let AI Read Your Cloud

Obsidian Sync has no AI integration. Your notes stay locked in Obsidian’s ecosystem.

Sync Vault Pro includes a built-in MCP Server. Connect Claude, Cursor, or Trae to your vault. Ask questions about thousands of cloud PDFs without downloading them.

5. P2P Collaboration: Real-Time Editing

Both support real-time collaboration, but with different approaches:

Obsidian Sync: Server-mediated, requires internet
Sync Vault Pro: Direct device-to-device via WebRTC, works on LAN with zero latency

When to Choose Obsidian Sync

You want a simple, set-and-forget solution
You don’t mind paying $8/month for 1 GB storage
You don’t need video streaming or AI integration
You prefer Obsidian’s official infrastructure

When to Choose Sync Vault

You already have cloud storage subscriptions (Baidu, Aliyun, etc.)
You need to access TB-scale vaults without filling your disk (VFS)
You want 4K video streaming from cloud drives
You want AI tools (Claude, Cursor) to read your cloud files
You want to save money — Pro costs less than Obsidian Sync

Migration Guide

Switching from Obsidian Sync to Sync Vault is straightforward:

Export your vault from Obsidian Sync (Settings → Sync → Export)
Install Sync Vault from the community plugins market
Connect your cloud storage (see Cloud Setup)
Import your vault into Sync Vault
Disable Obsidian Sync to avoid conflicts

IMPORTANT

Important Disable other sync plugins (including Obsidian Sync) when using Sync Vault to avoid conflicts.

Pricing Comparison (Annual)

Plan	Sync Vault	Obsidian Sync
Free	$0	—
Basic	—	$96/year (1 GB)
Pro (Monthly)	$48/year	—
Pro (Yearly)	$32/year	—
Lifetime	$59 (one-time)	—

Sync Vault Pro saves you $64/year compared to Obsidian Sync, with unlimited storage and more features.

Sync Vault: Use your own cloud, pay less, get more.