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.

Request for Refund for Auto-Renewed Subscription

Another verbatim forum thread, a two-year user whose annual plan silently renewed. The 7-day refund window runs from the *charge* date, so a renewal you spot quickly is usually refundable through **Billing → Invoices and refunds**. If the button doesn't appear, email **support@obsidian.md** with the charge date, amount and account email, and say the renewed period is unused. Obsidian's refund page also invites contact for refunds "past 7 days after purchase due to exceptional circumstances", an unnoticed auto-renewal is worth arguing there.

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.

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.

What is Obsidian's refund policy?

Straight from the pricing FAQ: full refunds within **7 days of purchase**, no questions asked, for **Obsidian Sync and Publish** only. **Catalyst licenses, Commercial licenses and Obsidian Credit are non-refundable.** You claim it yourself, log in, go to **Billing → Invoices and refunds → View**, click **Get refund** beside the payment, then **Request refund**. Doing so cancels auto-renewal and deletes remote vaults or publish sites. Past 7 days, the refund page tells you to contact support for exceptional circumstances; there's no automatic pro-rata refund.

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 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.

What if Obsidian ignores my cancellation or refund request?

Obsidian is a small team and email replies aren't instant, one commercial-license holder reported over a week of silence. Build a paper trail: cancel in the account UI and screenshot it, then email **support@obsidian.md** with a clear subject like "Refund request, Obsidian Sync, [account email], charge [date/amount]". Chase every 72 hours referencing the original date. If a charge still lands after a documented cancellation, your card issuer or PayPal dispute route is the backstop, and your local Markdown notes are never at risk either way.

How do I cancel Obsidian Publish for one site?

Publish is billed **per site**, so cancel the specific site's subscription in **obsidian.md/account** rather than your whole account, other sites and Sync stay untouched. The site remains live until the end of the paid period. Two warnings: taking a *refund* on Publish deletes the site immediately and irretrievably, and once the subscription lapses, published content on Obsidian's servers is retained for about a month before permanent deletion. Export or keep your local vault first, the source Markdown lives on your device regardless.

REFUND GUIDE

How to Get an Obsidian Refund Within 7 Days.

Inside 7 days their own policy is on your side; statutory cooling-off rights may stack on top. Outside it, you've still got tools, a clear email, a card-issuer chargeback, the lot. Here's the playbook for Obsidian.

Last verified 13 days ago against Obsidian’s own Terms · UK, US, and EU rights covered below

The short answer

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.

Or let yoink chase the refund.

30 seconds to set up. yoink emails Obsidian, cites the policy, escalates if ignored, and surfaces the win when the money lands.

Get yoink (App Store) →

What Obsidian actually says

“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.”
, verbatim from Obsidian’s terms

7-day cancellation windowPro-rata refund: noStatutory cooling-off: 14 days in UK + EU on new subs

How long does a Obsidian refund take?

Most merchants agree to a straightforward refund within 1 to 3 working days of a well-written email request. Once agreed, the money itself takes another 3 to 5 working days to land, that part is card-network processing and no merchant can skip it. If nothing has arrived 10 working days after a written “refund approved”, reply on the same thread asking for the ARN (acquirer reference number), which your bank can trace.

Note Obsidian’s own policy works on a 7-day window, ask inside it and the request is routine; outside it you’re relying on goodwill or statutory rights.

What you can claim

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

United States

Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA)
Dispute any credit-card charge in writing within 60 days.
For US credit-card payments, the FCBA gives you 60 days from the statement date to dispute a Obsidian charge in writing. Your card issuer is required to investigate and may withhold the disputed amount during the process.
California ARL refund right
Refund if cancel was blocked or unclear.
If Obsidian made it hard to cancel under California ARL, you’re entitled to a refund of charges taken since the obstruction. Multiple class actions (including against Adobe + Hulu) have set the precedent.

Worldwide

Card-issuer chargeback
Visa/Mastercard chargeback works everywhere they do.
Open a chargeback for “subscription not cancelled” or “services not as described”, your bank initiates, Obsidian has ~45 days to defend. Works regardless of where Obsidian is headquartered.
PayPal Buyer Protection
If you paid via PayPal, open a dispute.
PayPal’s Buyer Protection covers “item not as described”, applies to services that didn’t deliver. Resolution typically within 20 days.

Rights in other regions (United Kingdom, European Union)

United Kingdom

Section 75, Consumer Credit Act
Credit card issuer is jointly liable. £100-£30,000.
For UK credit-card charges between £100 and £30,000, your card issuer is jointly liable with Obsidian for any breach. Call your bank, say “Section 75 claim”, send evidence. Usually resolved in 2-4 weeks.
Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013
Full refund within the 14-day window.
Inside 14 days of starting any Obsidian subscription, you’re entitled to a full refund of any payment taken, no questions, no policy override.
Citizens Advice + Trading Standards
For repeated bad-faith refusals.
Free escalation lane: file with Citizens Advice (08082231133), they pass it to Trading Standards. Slow (8-12 weeks) but creates a paper trail Obsidian can’t ignore.

European Union

Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU
14-day withdrawal across all EU member states.
EU-wide statutory right to withdraw and recover any payment within 14 days of subscription start. Mirrored in local law in every EU country.
ECC-Net cross-border escalation
EU Consumer Centre network mediates against EU sellers.
If Obsidian is based in another EU country, your local European Consumer Centre will mediate the dispute for free. List of national contacts at commission.europa.eu.

The 4-step refund email

Email the right address
Use support@obsidian.md, the route yoink has verified actually gets read for Obsidian.
Use a clear subject line
Subject: Refund Request, [your account email]

Send this body

Hi Obsidian team,

I'm requesting a refund of the recent charge on my subscription, account [your account email].

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 refund will be processed to my original payment method.

Best,
[your name]

Wait 7-14 days, then escalate
If you haven’t heard back in 14 days, escalate via the regional route above, a card-issuer chargeback works in every market.

Refund FAQ for 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.