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The open-source, self-hosted Obsidian alternative built for teams
Last updated June 30, 2026
Obsidian is a beloved local-first markdown app — your notes are plain files you own, with an unrivaled plugin ecosystem and graph view. But it is built for one person: closed-source, no real-time multiplayer, no built-in AI or MCP, and Obsidian Publish is a hosted service you cannot self-host. tela keeps Obsidian's best idea — knowledge as portable markdown you own — and makes it a real team platform.
tela vs Obsidian, at a glance
| Feature | tela | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| License | Open source (AGPL-3.0) | Proprietary / closed-source |
| Self-hostable | Yes — self-host free, plus a free cloud tier | Local app; Publish is hosted, not self-hostable |
| Real-time collaboration | Yes — multiplayer editing | No — single-user; async vault sync |
| Team controls (SSO, roles) | Yes | No — single-user product |
| Ask your docs (AI) & MCP | Built in — semantic + full-text, answers with citations | None official (community plugins) |
| Generate docs from your code | Yes — Atlas builds a cited, coverage-checked wiki from git + Jira | No |
Why teams switch to tela
- Real-time multiplayer with SSO and roles; Obsidian is single-player with async vault sync.
- Open-source and self-hostable — including the published surface; Obsidian Publish is a paid hosted service you cannot run yourself.
- AI and agents are built in, not assembled from community plugins of varying license and maintenance — and Atlas generates docs from code.
When Obsidian is the better choice
For a single user's personal knowledge base, Obsidian is hard to beat: local-first and offline by default, an enormous plugin library, the graph view, and total control over a folder of files on your disk. For solo PKM or a personal digital garden, stay with Obsidian.
Frequently asked questions
Is tela a good Obsidian alternative?
Yes. Real-time multiplayer with SSO and roles; Obsidian is single-player with async vault sync. tela is open-source (AGPL-3.0), self-hostable, and markdown-native, with a built-in MCP server so AI agents read and write your docs.
Can I self-host tela and connect AI agents to it?
Yes. Self-host tela for free (AGPL-3.0) or start on the free cloud tier. Its built-in MCP server exposes 39 scoped tools, so agents like Claude read and write your wiki directly.
When is Obsidian the better choice?
For a single user's personal knowledge base, Obsidian is hard to beat: local-first and offline by default, an enormous plugin library, the graph view, and total control over a folder of files on your disk. For solo PKM or a personal digital garden, stay with Obsidian.
Try tela
tela is an open-source (AGPL), self-hostable team wiki. Self-host it, or start on the free cloud tier at telawiki.com. See the MCP server docs for connecting your agents, or compare tela with other tools.
obsidian.md — pricing + license (verified 2026). tela facts current as of June 2026.