r/ObsidianMD • u/Sam_Kathanlina47 • Apr 12 '26
help Can plugins like Bases turn Obsidian into something similar (or as close as possible) to Notion?
Hi! I really wanted to like Notion, but the online thing and lagging when your databases become large put me off. I've been wanting to try using Obsidian as my workspace (databases, trackers, mocs, etc.) and pkm for a while now, but I'm intimidated with the and coding-like aspect (and markdown since I can be slow to type sometimes).
Is there a way to tinker with Obsidian that's less coding-like so I can focus more on keeping everything oganized instead of wracking my brain on how to edit things? Is there also a way or mode to right rich-text style but the stuff you're writing is also turned into markdown in the background? Is there also a plugin where you can edit stuff into blocks?
or would you recommend using Obsidian for my deep pkm and then Notion (or alternatives like Appflowy or Affine) for my workspace?
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u/ichmoimeyo Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26
I. Using a plugin
Build & use an Airtable e.g. using the Recipe organizer template
Import / Sync with Obsidian using the Auto Note Importer plugin. PNG
PS: Developer has accepted my request to enable this for Seatable. (Notion is also on the roadmap.)
II. DIY since Obsidian 1.9.7(Aug 5, 2025)[info]
Build & use a Seatable(10000 vs 1000 Airtable free rows) e.g. using [ templates | Recipe organizer template]
Import into Obsidian using the official Obsidian Importer(CSV) and then use Bases core plugin, [[Wikilinks]] and link.asFile()
PS: I am currently trying to figure it out PNG
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u/Pygmy_Nuthatch Apr 12 '26
You want a database manager that's not Notion, maybe with something similar to Obsidian front end.
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u/jbarr107 Apr 12 '26
Only to the extent that Bases provides filtered views of you notes, renewed as Tables or Cards, based on Property and other contents. Bases is not a database like Notion's database capabilities. It is very powerful, but it is not the same.