How to move from Obsidian to Joplin, step by step
Main topic: How to move from Obsidian to Joplin · Facts checked 3 November 2026 — prices change, so re-check the official page before acting on them.
Last checked: 3 November 2026
Step by step
- Copy the vault. Make a full copy of your vault folder. Everything below happens to the copy, never the original.
- Convert links in the copy. Where possible, convert links to standard Markdown links before import. For pictures that means , not the ![[filename.jpg]] wikilink form — and Obsidian wikilinks like [[note title]] can arrive in Joplin as literal text. Community link-converter and export plugins exist that can help with this, but none is guaranteed — test on a few notes first.
- Import the folder in Joplin desktop. Use File > Import > MD - Markdown (Directory) — the menu wording varies by version (you may see “Markdown directory” instead), so check in your version. Pick the copied folder. The directory structure becomes the notebook hierarchy, and attachments import as Joplin resources.
- Check the import. Work through notebooks and tags, links, pictures and attachments, and note dates and properties.
- Rebuild plugin features by hand. Dataview, Templater and graph views have no Joplin equivalent — Joplin has no Obsidian graph or plugins.
- Set up sync and encryption separately. Joplin’s sync and encryption are its own setup, done after the import. Test on a second device before you delete the Obsidian copy.
What breaks
| What breaks | What actually happens |
|---|---|
| Wikilinks | [[note title]] links can arrive as literal text. Convert links in the copy first — pictures need the standard  form, not ![[filename.jpg]]. |
| Dataview and Templater | No equivalent in Joplin. Queries, dashboards and templates are rebuilt by hand — or dropped. |
| Graph | Joplin has no Obsidian-style graph view. |
| Canvas | Canvas files do not import. |
| Plugin settings | Settings stored for Obsidian and its plugins do not move. |
| Live-folder editing | Joplin is database-based: it does not read or edit your vault folder live. After import, your notes live and are edited inside Joplin. |
↔ Scroll this table sideways — the rest of the page stays put.
Final check before you delete the old copy
- Open 10 notes in Joplin and read them properly.
- Click 10 links and confirm each one lands on the right note.
- Open 5 pictures or attachments and confirm they load.
- Check tags and dates — and your note properties — on a sample of notes.
- Test search for a few words you know are in your notes.
Then test sync on a second device. Only when all of that passes is it safe to delete the Obsidian copy.
Questions people ask
Can Joplin open my vault folder directly?
No. Joplin does not read a vault folder live — it stores notes in its own database. You import a copy of the folder instead (File, Import, MD - Markdown (Directory); the menu wording varies by version), and from then on you work inside Joplin.
Will my folders become notebooks?
Yes. When you import a Markdown directory, the directory structure becomes the notebook hierarchy in Joplin, and attachments come in as Joplin resources. Check the result against your folder layout after import.
What about pictures?
Pictures import as Joplin resources — but convert the embeds first: standard Markdown  imports properly, while the Obsidian ![[filename.jpg]] wikilink form may not. Test on a few notes with pictures before importing the whole vault.