Cancel Sync subscription

This is a real Obsidian forum thread title, a user who'd just paid asked how to cancel *and* get their money back. A moderator's answer is the shortcut most people miss: turning off renewal is not a refund. Log into your account and go to **Billing → Invoices and refunds → View**, then click **Get refund** next to the payment and confirm **Request refund**. If you're inside 7 days of purchase, Sync and Publish refunds are full and no-questions-asked, and the refund cancels your auto-renewal at the same time.

Will I lose my notes if I cancel Obsidian Sync?

No. Obsidian stores notes locally as plain-text Markdown files on your device, so cancelling only stops the cloud service, your vault stays exactly where it is. What you do lose is server-side: after your subscription lapses, remote vault data is retained for about a month and then deleted permanently, and taking a **refund** deletes remote vaults and publish sites immediately with no way to retrieve them. So back up your vault folder locally first, then cancel. Shared vaults also stop syncing for your collaborators, not just you.

Restarting/cancelling account

A real forum thread title. Cancelling a subscription and deleting an account are separate actions in Obsidian. Cancelling Sync or Publish in **obsidian.md/account** stops billing but keeps the account, so you can resubscribe later, useful because you don't need an account to use the free app at all. If you want the account itself removed, handle that separately in account settings or ask **support@obsidian.md**. Do the subscription cancellation *first*: deleting or abandoning an account is not a reliable way to stop a recurring charge.

Is there a free trial for Obsidian Sync?

The Obsidian app itself is free without limits and needs no sign-up, so there's no trial to manage there. Sync and Publish are paid from day one, the 7-day no-questions refund effectively works as your trial: subscribe, test it, and claim the refund in **Billing → Invoices and refunds** if it isn't for you. Commercial licenses have been advertised with a 14-day free trial, but that licence is optional and non-refundable once bought, so decide before the trial converts.

Can I pause Obsidian Sync instead of cancelling?

There's no documented pause or freeze option. The practical equivalent is cancelling before renewal and keeping working locally, your vault is just Markdown files, so nothing breaks. Be aware of the clock: if your Sync or Publish subscription expires, your data stays on Obsidian's servers for roughly one month and is then deleted permanently, so a long "pause" means starting the remote vault from scratch when you return. Back up locally before you go dark, and resubscribe from the same account when you want Sync again.

Can I downgrade my Obsidian plan instead of cancelling?

Some downgrades exist, moving between billing cycles (annual at $4/user/month vs monthly at $5) or between Sync tiers where offered, and students, faculty and non-profit employees qualify for a **40% discount** on Sync and Publish. Two catches worth knowing: Obsidian will not refund the difference if you paid full price and only later qualify for the discount (it applies from the next renewal), and switching plans is not a substitute for the refund if what you actually want is money back on a charge inside 7 days.

Why am I still being charged after cancelling Obsidian?

Usually one of three things: the cancellation never completed (no written confirmation), the subscription bills through Apple or Google and must be cancelled there, or a minimum term is still running. Charges continuing after a confirmed cancellation can be disputed with your bank as a chargeback.

How do I delete my Obsidian account?

Cancel the subscription first, then request account deletion in settings or by email. If there is no self-serve option, email a written erasure request citing the applicable data-protection law; most companies complete erasure within about 30 days.

How to Cancel Obsidian Sync Outside the App.

Q: Does Obsidian charge a cancellation fee?

No. There's no cancellation fee, no minimum term and no exit charge on Sync or Publish, you cancel in your account and the plan simply runs out at the end of the period you've paid for. The trade-off is the other direction: outside the 7-day refund window Obsidian's terms say fees are non-cancellable and non-refundable, with no refund for unused service, so cancelling mid-term generally means you forfeit the remainder rather than pay anything extra. Cancel just before a renewal date to avoid paying for a period you won't use.

Q: Does Obsidian charge a cancellation fee?

Rolling monthly plans end at the period already paid for with nothing extra to pay. Fixed minimum-term plans can carry an early-exit charge until the term ends, check your signup terms for a minimum-term end date.

Here's the fastest way to cancel Obsidian and what to expect.

Last verified 13 days ago · data refreshes daily · sources: homepage, pricing, terms, terms, web-search

The fastest way

Cancel Obsidian Sync or Publish at obsidian.md/account under Billing, there is no cancel button inside the desktop or mobile app. For money back, use Billing → Invoices and refunds within 7 days of purchase (full, no questions). Past 7 days, email support@obsidian.md with subject "Refund request, Obsidian Sync, [account email]"; replies typically take several days.

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Every way to cancel Obsidian

Online (fastest): Direct cancel flow: obsidian.md/account
Email: Email support@obsidian.md with the template below, the route that creates a paper trail and carries the refund ask.

Timing matters: Cancel before your renewal date, monthly and annual Sync/Publish plans auto-renew, and refunds are only self-serve within 7 days of the charge. After a subscription lapses, remote vault/publish data is kept about one month, then deleted permanently.

The 4-step cancellation

Email the verified address
support@obsidian.md, the standard route for Obsidian.
Use a precise subject
Subject: Cancellation Request, [your account email]

Send this template

Hi Obsidian team,

I'm writing to cancel the subscription on my account, [your account email].

Please treat this as formal notice of cancellation, effective from the end of the current billing period. Under the FTC's Click-to-Cancel rule, cancellation must be available through a channel as simple as the one I signed up through.

Please confirm by reply that the subscription has been cancelled and that no further charges will be taken.

Best,
[your name]

Wait for confirmation
Wait 24 hours. If there's no response, send a polite one-line follow-up referencing the original request.

Obsidian plans you can cancel

Sync
$5 per user/month billed monthly, or $4 per user/month billed annually. Cancel from the web account page; access runs to the end of the paid period.
$5.00/mo
Publish
$10 per site/month billed monthly, or $8 per site/month billed annually. Cancelled per site from the account page.
$10.00/mo
Catalyst
$25 USD one-time payment, not a recurring subscription, so there is nothing to cancel.
Commercial license
$50 USD per user, per year. Optional, the app is free even for commercial use.
$50.00/yr
Obsidian Credit
Prepaid credit usable against any Obsidian license or service; no recurring billing.

What happens to what you’ve already paid

Two different rules apply depending on what you bought. Obsidian Sync and Obsidian Publish subscriptions (monthly or annual) get a full no-questions refund within 7 days of the charge, claimed yourself in your account under Billing → Invoices and refunds. One-off purchases, Catalyst ($25), Commercial licenses ($50/user/year) and Obsidian Credit, are explicitly non-refundable, and the general Terms of Service state fees are non-cancellable and non-refundable with no refund for unused Services. Outside the 7-day window Obsidian's help page invites you to contact support for exceptional circumstances, but there is no stated pro-rata refund; cancelling simply stops future billing and you keep access until the paid period ends.

“We offer full refunds within 7 days of purchase with no questions asked for Obsidian Sync and Publish. However, please note that Catalyst licenses, Commercial licenses, and Obsidian Credit are non-refundable.”
, Obsidian terms

7-day cancellation windowPro-rata refund: no

Asking specifically for money back, not just a cancellation? See the dedicated Obsidian refund guide , same data, but framed around the policy + escalation paths.

Does Obsidian charge a cancellation fee?

We found no cancellation fee in Obsidian’s published terms. On a rolling plan you simply pay to the end of the current billing period and nothing after. If you’re inside a fixed minimum term, check your signup email for the end date, cancelling early is where fees usually hide.

What doesn’t work for cancelling Obsidian

Based on 5 sources, Reddit, app reviews, and direct testing. Skip these and save yourself the loop.

✕ Cancelling from inside the desktop or mobile Obsidian app, Sync/Publish billing lives in your web account only; multiple cancellation guides report there is no cancel option in the app and it must be done at obsidian.md/account.
✕ Cancelling via the App Store or Google Play subscription list, Sync and Publish are billed directly by Obsidian on obsidian.md, so there is no app-store subscription to cancel.
✕ Toggling 'don't renew' and assuming you were refunded, A forum user who stopped the renewal still had no refund until pointed to the separate Billing → Invoices and refunds flow, stopping renewal and requesting a refund are two different actions.
✕ Uninstalling the app or deleting your vault, Billing is tied to your Obsidian account, not the installed app; local notes are plain Markdown files and deleting them changes nothing about the subscription.
✕ Asking for a partial refund because you now qualify for the education/non-profit 40% discount, The refund help page states refunds are not offered in that case; the discount only applies to future renewals.
✕ Requesting a refund on Catalyst, a Commercial license or Obsidian Credit, The pricing FAQ names all three as non-refundable, and the Terms of Service say all fees are non-cancellable and non-refundable.
✕ Emailing support for general app or plugin help to get a faster billing answer, Obsidian's help site says email support covers only commercial licenses, account, payment and add-on services, everything else is routed to the forum/Discord, and one commercial-license holder reported 8 days with no reply.

Cancelled Obsidian but still being charged?

Three common reasons, in order of likelihood:

The cancellation didn’t actually complete. If you never received a written confirmation from Obsidian, treat it as not cancelled. Email support@obsidian.md referencing your original request date and ask for written confirmation plus a refund of any charge taken since.
You cancelled in the wrong place. Subscriptions started through the App Store or Google Play bill through Apple or Google, cancelling on Obsidian’s site doesn’t touch them. Check Settings → Subscriptions on iPhone, or Play Store → Payments & subscriptions on Android.
Billing lag. A charge that was already in flight when you cancelled can still land a few days later. One trailing charge can be normal; two is not.

If they keep charging after a confirmed cancellation, that’s chargeback territory: dispute the charge with your bank citing “subscription cancelled, merchant continued billing”. The yoink app also flags this automatically, it keeps watching your inbox after a confirmed cancellation and alerts you if Obsidian charges again.

How Obsidian will try to keep you

Obsidian may respond with a retention offer, a discount, a free month, or a downgrade to a cheaper tier. Don't engage with the counteroffer. Restate that you want a full cancellation and cite the consumer law again if they push back.

They’ll say: “Refund-as-deterrent: the help page warns that refunding Sync or Publish deletes remote vaults and publish sites permanently, even if you resubscribe.”
You say: Ask for the refund but state plainly that you accept remote-vault deletion and have your local Markdown vault backed up, the data warning is a consequence, not a condition, and it doesn't reduce your right to the 7-day refund.
They’ll say: “Offering a plan switch (monthly instead of annual) rather than money back when an annual renewal surprises you.”
You say: Reply: "I'm not asking to change plans, I'm asking to cancel and be refunded the renewal charge dated [date] under your 7-day policy." Repeat the charge date and amount in every message.
They’ll say: “Deflecting billing questions to the community forum and Discord instead of answering by email.”
You say: Keep it on email to support@obsidian.md, their own help page states email support exists for account, payment and add-on service inquiries, so quote that line and ask for a written confirmation of cancellation.
They’ll say: “The 7-day window quietly closing while you wait for a reply.”
You say: Claim the self-serve refund in Billing → Invoices and refunds immediately, then email. If day 7 has passed, cite the 'exceptional circumstances' route their refund page offers and, for card payments, note you can raise a chargeback with your bank.
They’ll say: “Auto-renewal on annual plans catching long-time users who never saw a reminder.”
You say: Point out the renewal was unnoticed and unused, ask for the refund within 7 days of the renewal date (not the original purchase date), and screenshot the account page showing zero usage since renewal.

Your rights when cancelling

The law where you live is the strongest hook, lead with it when you contact the company.

United States

FTC Click-to-Cancel Rule (2024+)
Cancel must be as easy as sign-up.
The Federal Trade Commission’s Click-to-Cancel rule requires Obsidian to make cancelling at least as simple as signing up, same channel, same number of clicks. If they buried the cancel button or forced a phone call, they’re in violation; report to reportfraud.ftc.gov.
California ARL (auto-renewal law)
Renewal must be cancellable online.
California Business & Professions Code §17602 forces any company billing California residents on auto-renewal to provide an online cancel mechanism. Lawsuits have been won on this; companies often refund quickly when it’s cited.

Worldwide

Card-issuer chargeback
Your bank can reverse the charge.
Visa, Mastercard, and Amex all run chargeback schemes, “goods/services not as described” or “subscription not cancelled” are valid reason codes everywhere they operate. Your bank handles the dispute; Obsidian has ~45 days to defend.

Rights in other regions (United Kingdom, European Union)

United Kingdom

Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013
14-day cooling-off on new subscriptions.
You can terminate any continuous service contract within 14 days of starting it and recover any payment, no questions asked. Applies regardless of Obsidian’s own policy.
Consumer Rights Act 2015
Services must be as described.
If Obsidian’s service was misrepresented or didn’t deliver what was promised, you have a statutory right to remedy (repair, refund, or price reduction) regardless of their terms.

European Union

Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU
14-day right of withdrawal across all EU states.
EU-wide statutory right to withdraw from any distance-sold contract within 14 days. Mirrored into local law in every member state. Obsidian must honour it regardless of where they’re headquartered.

Delete your Obsidian account (not just cancel)

Cancelling stops the billing; deleting removes your account and personal data. Do them in that order, deleting an account with an active subscription can leave the billing running with no way to log in and stop it.

If there’s no delete option in Obsidian’s account settings, email support@obsidian.md with the subject Account deletion request, [your account email] and ask for your account and personal data to be erased under state privacy laws such as the CCPA. They’re typically required to act on it, most companies complete erasure within about 30 days, and you should ask for written confirmation when it’s done.

Common questions about cancelling Obsidian

Sign in at **obsidian.md/account**, open the Sync (or Publish) section under your subscriptions and choose to cancel, then confirm. There's no cancel button inside the desktop or mobile app, and nothing to cancel in the App Store or Google Play, Sync and Publish are billed directly by Obsidian. Cancelling stops future charges; your subscription stays active until the end of the billing period you already paid for. Save the confirmation email or a screenshot of the account page showing the plan ending, in case a charge lands anyway.

Money-back questions (windows, pro-rata, chargebacks) are covered in the Obsidian refund guide. Need a human for something else entirely? The Obsidian contact guide lists every channel that actually answers.