Opensidian vs Google Docs

Google Docs is an online editor for collaborative documents. Opensidian is a desktop notes app: your notes are markdown files in a folder on your disk, connected with [[wikilinks]], backlinks, tags and a graph view. They solve different problems.

Differences

• Where your text lives. Opensidian notes are plain markdown files on your disk. Google Docs documents are online and stay in sync across phone, tablet and web browser.
• Working together. Google Docs is built for collaboration, with comments and permissions for who can edit, comment, download, share or view. Opensidian has no shared or real-time editing.
• Offline. Offline Google Docs needs Chrome or Edge and the Google Docs Offline extension, and you mark files "Available offline". Opensidian notes are files on your disk, so there is nothing to make available.
• Format. Opensidian uses markdown. Google Docs imports Word and PDF files and can export a document as Markdown.
• Platforms. Google Docs runs in a web browser, with apps in the App Store and Play Store. Opensidian release builds are Linux x86_64 only; you can also try a web version.
• Licence and price. Opensidian is open source under GPL-3.0-or-later, non-profit and costs nothing.
• Sync. Opensidian has no sync service of its own; you sync the folder with a tool you choose.

When Google Docs is the better choice

If several people write the same document, comment on it or need controlled sharing, use Google Docs: Opensidian has no collaboration features. If you work from a phone or tablet, or on Windows or macOS, Google Docs has apps and a browser version there; Opensidian does not have release builds there.

When Opensidian fits

If you keep personal notes that link to each other and want them as files you own, Opensidian fits. It also fits if you want an open-source app whose source you can read.

Moving notes from Google Docs to Opensidian

In Google Docs, open a document and choose File > Download > Markdown (.md); you can also select text and use "Copy as Markdown". Put the downloaded .md files into a folder and open that folder in Opensidian. Opensidian has no Google Docs importer, so this is done one document at a time.

More comparisons

All comparisons · OneNote · Obsidian · Logseq · Tangent · FAQ · Security · Install Opensidian

Google Docs is a trademark of its owner; opensidian is not affiliated with it.