What stays the same
- Your notes stay plain Markdown files, in the folders you already have.
- [[Links]], backlinks and the graph work the way you’re used to, and so do callouts and links to a block.
- Niv reads your Obsidian templates folder and never writes to .obsidian.
- Nothing locks you in: the same files still open in Obsidian or any editor.
What Niv adds
- Writing together, live
- Share a Space and write in the same note at the same time, each person with a cursor. Inviting people from the app is coming soon.
- Sync, free
- Your notes sync across your devices at no cost.
- Publish a note
- Turn a note into a public web page from the app. Links between published notes keep working.
- Your own AI agent
- Niv’s chat runs the agent you already have (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or OpenCode) on your notes, with your account and an access level you choose.
- Versions from the last 90 days
- Each note keeps its versions from the last 90 days. Compare an earlier one and restore it.
What Obsidian does that Niv doesn’t
- Community plugins and themes. Niv runs none of Obsidian’s plugins.
- Apps for Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android. Niv is on the Mac today.
- Canvas, Obsidian’s board for laying notes out in space.
Try it without moving anything
Download Niv and choose your vault’s folder when it asks. Your notes open where they are. Niv keeps its own data in a .niv folder inside the vault.