Like many Obsidian users, I have spent countless hours trying to find the perfect system to manage my notes, projects, and ideas. While Obsidian’s core features are powerful, I have always felt there was a major gap when it came to structured data. The need to create databases, manage lists, and visualize information in a clean, organized way often forced me to rely on other applications.
That all changed with the introduction of Obsidian Bases. This new core feature has reshaped my vault and allowed me to build robust, interactive databases directly on top of my existing notes. Although Bases is in the early stages, it is good enough to replace my databases in other apps.
What is Obsidian Bases?
Unlock databases
I have always loved the flexibility of Obsidian, but my workflow felt incomplete. I would have all my thoughts and notes interconnected, yet as soon as I needed any kind of structure (a project list, a content calendar, or even a simple reading list), the system broke down.
The community was quick to point me to plugins like Dataview, a powerful tool that could query my notes and display them in a table. It was incredible in theory, but in practice, I found it clunky.
I spent a couple of hours trying to learn a new syntax just to get a basic list of my projects, and the process felt more like programming than note-taking.
Then came Obsidian Bases. I can now simply use the command menu and insert a database with a single click. I can drag and drop columns, filter my notes with a few clicks, and even switch between different views like a table or list. Bases finally gave me the power of structured data without the painful learning curve.
Obsidian Bases features
Good enough for v1.0
Since its launch, I have been exploring Obsidian Bases, and I have found it to be solid and exactly what I needed. Obsidian bases are quite different from Notion. When you create a new database on any page, it pulls up all the pages from your vault (even if there are thousands of them).
From there, I can filter notes based on specific conditions and find my relevant notes in no time. I can even select Properties and start adding relevant columns to the Bases (more on that in a minute).
The first thing I noticed was the speed. Navigating through thousands of notes in a base is incredibly fast, which is a major advantage over other community plugins and rival tools like Notion.
I can’t tell you how many times I ran into loading indicators when dealing with large Notion databases.
I can now create a table view for a quick overview of all my projects and then switch to a card view for a more visual, Kanban-style layout.
Even though this is just the first version of Obsidian Bases, it feels robust and complete. It shows that a well-designed core feature can be far more effective than a collection of third-party plugins.
Obsidian Bases in action
Organize info like a pro
Bases offers a practical, real-world solution to the organizational problems I have always had. Let me walk you through some of the databases I have created.
My first and most impactful database is for project management. Before Bases, I had project notes everywhere in my vault. Now, I have a single base that pulls every note tagged with #project or #task. Each row in this table is a project note or a task.
I can add a column with task status, priority, a simple number, and more. I have added another database where I display all my Obsidian templates.
I have also built a simple Reading List base that I love. Every book note I create goes into this database. The properties (columns) I use are Author, Rating, Status, and Date Finished. I can quickly filter this database to see all the books I want to read next or sort by rating to see my all-time favorites. It’s a clean, simple, and powerful way to keep track of everything without ever leaving Obsidian.
If you have given up on Obsidian because of the lack of databases, I highly recommend giving Bases a try. It’s not just limited to power users only. This tool can transform any workflow that needs a little bit of structure. It does require a learning curve, though. It is fundamentally different from other Notion databases.
Obsidian Bases is a game-changer
The introduction of Obsidian Bases didn’t just add another feature to my favorite note-taking app; it fundamentally changed how I work. Now, I no longer need to deal with another app or a spreadsheet for tackling a project or creating a database.
Of course, it’s far from perfect. If you are used to Notion’s database types or automation, you may feel left wanting more. The good news is, Obsidian developers already have a solid plan for Bases, and I can’t wait to see how they take it to the next level with future updates (I would love to see more view types and properties for columns).