How to share an Obsidian note with someone who doesn't use Obsidian

The question usually comes up at a bad moment: the plan is finished in Obsidian and the team needs it today. Which method is right depends on two things. Does the other person need to edit it, or just read it? And should their changes end up back in your note?

Quick answer

1. Export to PDF or HTML

1. Open the note and choose Export to PDF from the note's menu or the command palette.
2. Pick page size and margins, save, and attach the file to an email or chat.
3. For HTML, use a community plugin such as Webpage HTML Export, which can save a note as a single HTML file.

Good for: a final version that must not change, such as a signed proposal or a report for the record. Drawbacks: out of date the moment you edit the note. Wide tables can be squeezed or cut (tables in Obsidian covers fixes), and some plugin output may not render. Replies come back by email, and you copy them in by hand.

2. Copy into Google Docs (or Notion)

1. In Google Docs, choose File, Open, Upload, and pick the note's .md file. Docs converts it.
2. Or enable Tools, Preferences, Enable Markdown, then right-click and choose Paste from Markdown.
3. Fix what did not convert (callouts become plain text; Dataview queries come across as their code), then share by email.

Good for: handing a document over to a team that will own it from now on. Drawbacks: from the first comment there are two versions, and the team's is the real one. Notion works the same way; see myone.page vs Notion.

3. Obsidian Publish

1. Subscribe to Publish and create a site.
2. Click Publish changes in the ribbon, select the note (and anything it links to that should be public), and publish.
3. Send the note's URL. Optionally set a site password under site options.

Good for: public notes, documentation, a knowledge garden. Drawbacks: it is a website, not a private share: there is no way to give one note to three specific people, and the only access control is a password for the whole site. Readers cannot edit. More in Obsidian Publish alternatives.

4. Share Note plugin

1. Install Share Note from Settings, Community plugins.
2. Run Share current note from the command palette, or choose Share note on the web in the note's menu. The first time, a browser page checks you are human; no account or email is needed.
3. The link is copied to your clipboard. Share again after editing and the same link shows the new version.

Good for: sending one note, read-only, quickly and privately. It keeps your theme, and notes are encrypted by default (the note text; attachments are not), with optional expiry. Drawbacks: readers cannot edit or comment, anyone with the link can read it, and you cannot limit it to named people.

5. Obsidian Sync shared vault

1. Put the note in a vault you sync with Obsidian Sync (a separate shared vault is wise; collaborators see the whole vault).
2. In Settings, Sync, manage the remote vault and invite the other person by the email of their Obsidian account.
3. They connect to the vault from their own Obsidian and Sync subscription.

Good for: a small team that all uses Obsidian and wants to work in the same files. Drawbacks: this does not answer the question in the title. Obsidian's help says every collaborator needs an active Sync subscription, so each person needs Obsidian and pays. Collaborators get the same permissions as the owner, except inviting others.

6. myone.page

1. Install the myone.page plugin (free).
2. Add myone.page: true to the note's properties, or start from a template. The note opens as a styled page.
3. Click the share button. The plugin publishes the note, writes the link into the note and copies it.
4. List who may edit or read in the note's editors: and viewers: properties: email addresses, a whole @company.com, or anyone on a paid plan.

Readers open the link in a browser and sign in with Google or an email link. Editors click into the text and type. Within about 60 seconds the edit is in your note, as long as Obsidian is running on one of your devices. If you both changed the same line, their version is saved next to your note rather than overwriting it. The page is encrypted in Obsidian before upload, with the key in the link after #, so the server stores only ciphertext; how myone.page is built covers what that does and does not protect.

Good for: plans, reports and proposals you want people to read and edit while the note stays the original. Drawbacks: the page uses myone.page's format (Markdown with a few callouts), so some notes need small changes to look their best. Three shared pages are free; more, or links open to anyone without sign-in, need a paid plan. It is not a public website: pages are not indexed by search engines.

Which to pick

• A final, unchangeable version: PDF.
• The team will take the document over: Google Docs or Notion.
• Public notes, a site: Obsidian Publish, or Quartz if you prefer to host it yourself.
• Read-only, private, one note, free: Share Note.
• Everyone uses Obsidian: a Sync shared vault.
• They don't use Obsidian, should edit, and you want the edits in your note: myone.page.