Looking for an Obsidian alternative for catching things from any app, rather than for long-form writing? Obsidian is a Markdown note-taking app built around a folder of files, backlinks and a large plugin ecosystem. ReticulOS is built around capture and recall: an always-on-top widget that saves text, links and images from any app into collections, and built-in AI that answers from your notes with citations. Pick Obsidian for long-form linked writing; pick ReticulOS if your problem is catching things mid-task and finding them again.
At a glance
| ReticulOS | Obsidian | |
|---|---|---|
| Built around | Capturing from any app into collections | Writing linked Markdown notes in a vault |
| Capture from other apps | One shortcut captures the current selection; always-on-top widget | Typically via copy-paste, a web clipper or plugins |
| AI over your notes | Built in (Ret), with a source for every answer | Available through community plugins |
| Storage | Encrypted database on your device; exports to Markdown or JSON | Plain Markdown files in a folder you choose |
| Extensibility | Fixed feature set | Large community plugin and theme ecosystem |
| Platforms | Linux and Windows, Mac coming next | Desktop and mobile |
Choose Obsidian if…
- You want your notes as plain files you can open in any editor.
- You rely on backlinks, a graph of linked notes, or specific plugins.
- You need mobile apps today.
Choose ReticulOS if…
- You lose things between tabs, chats and documents and want one-shortcut capture.
- You want AI answers over your own notes that cite their sources, without setting up plugins.
- You want an always-available pane on your desktop rather than a separate app window.
Using both
Plenty of people who write in Obsidian collect in ReticulOS. The quotes, links and snippets you catch mid-task go into a collection with one shortcut, without switching to your vault.
When a collection is ready to become writing, export it: ReticulOS writes a folder of Markdown files with YAML front matter, with pictures saved as real files, which Obsidian opens as a vault.
Questions
Can I move my notes between ReticulOS and Obsidian?
ReticulOS exports a folder of Markdown files with YAML front matter, which Obsidian can open as a vault. Importing an Obsidian vault into ReticulOS is not part of the current beta.
Is ReticulOS free?
Yes. The free plan is the whole app, with no time limit. The Founder Edition is an optional one-time purchase for the first 100 backers.
Does ReticulOS work offline?
Yes. Saving, organising, editing and exporting work offline, and search by meaning does too after a one-time download of its model. Only Ret's AI answers need a connection to the AI service you use.
Start saving.
Free for Linux and Windows, in beta now. Your first note takes one shortcut.
Linux and Windows today · Mac coming soon · Questions? support@reticulos.com
