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Cancel Obsidian: The Right Way
How to cancel obsidian and reclaim your subscription: a guide for south african users
What is obsidian and why you might want to cancel
Obsidian is a note-taking and knowledge-management application that stores your notes locally in Markdown files, allowing you to build a networked "vault" of interconnected ideas. The core app is free, cross-platform and emphasises data ownership, but Obsidian offers optional paid services like Sync (for device synchronisation) and Publish (to share notes online). If you've subscribed to either service and want to stop paying, you need to know the exact steps to cancel before auto-renewal charges you again.
The main features of obsidian
Obsidian gives you Markdown support, local-first storage (your data stays on your device), plugin extensibility to customise the app, and optional paid services. The emphasis on offline access and data ownership appeals to users who want full control. However, if you decide the subscription doesn't fit your workflow or budget, cancellation is straightforward once you know where to look.
Who should cancel obsidian
You might cancel if you've switched to another note-taking tool, if the subscription cost doesn't justify your usage, or if you prefer to use only the free core features. Whatever your reason, Stopee has helped thousands of consumers navigate subscription cancellations, and we'll walk you through Obsidian step by step.
Understanding your consumer rights in south africa
South Africa gives you legal protections when you buy digital services online, and Obsidian subscriptions fall under these rules.
The cooling-off period under the ECT act
The Electronic Communications and Transactions (ECT) Act grants you a 7-day cooling-off period from the date you conclude a digital service agreement. This means you can cancel most Obsidian subscriptions within 7 days without penalty and without giving a reason. When you exercise this right, Obsidian must refund you in full within 30 days of your cancellation request. This is a powerful lever: if Obsidian denies your refund within the 7-day window, you have legal grounds to escalate to the National Consumer Commission (NCC).
Protection under the consumer protection act (CPA)
The Consumer Protection Act limits return rights for digital goods once delivered or accessed, unless the product is defective or misdescribed. However, if your Obsidian subscription is not delivering the advertised features (for example, if Sync fails to synchronise or Publish is non-functional), you may have recourse under general fairness and quality standards. The CPA also requires that digital services be supplied with reasonable care and skill. If Obsidian fails to do so, contact Stopee's expert advisors or escalate directly to the NCC.
How to cancel obsidian: step-by-step methods
Obsidian lets you cancel through three different routes depending on where you bought your subscription; each method takes only a few minutes.
Cancel via the obsidian website (Sync and publish subscriptions)
This is the fastest and most direct route if you subscribed through Obsidian's own billing portal.
- Go to obsidian.md and log into your account using your email address and password.
- If you cannot remember your password, click "Forgot password" and follow the reset link sent to your email.
- Once logged in, navigate to the Account or Billing section (usually in the top-right menu or under account settings).
- Look for "Invoices and refunds" or "Subscriptions".
- Find the subscription you wish to cancel: either Sync or Publish.
- Check the billing date to confirm which subscription you are viewing.
- Select the Cancel button next to your chosen subscription.
- You may see a retention offer (a discount or extension); you can ignore this and proceed if you wish to cancel.
- Confirm your cancellation when prompted. Obsidian will immediately disable auto-renewal.
- Your subscription remains active until the end of the current billing period; no further charges occur after that date.
- Save or screenshot the confirmation email you receive from Obsidian for your records.
- Pro tip: Note the date your paid access expires (usually shown in the confirmation) so you know when you lose Sync or Publish features.
Cancel via the apple app store (iOS)
If you subscribed to Sync or Publish through your iPhone or iPad, you must cancel through Apple.
- Open the Settings app on your iOS device.
- Do not open the Obsidian app; go directly to the device Settings.
- Tap your Apple ID at the top of the settings menu.
- You may need to enter your Apple ID password or use Face ID to proceed.
- Select Subscriptions (or "iTunes and App Store" then "Subscriptions").
- This shows all active subscriptions tied to your Apple ID.
- Tap Obsidian from the list.
- If you see multiple Obsidian entries, check the plan name (Sync or Publish) to cancel the right one.
- Select Cancel Subscription or Edit subscription, then confirm cancellation.
- Apple will ask you why you are cancelling; you can skip this question.
- Receive confirmation on screen that your subscription is cancelled.
- Warning: Apple does not send an email confirmation; take a screenshot of the cancellation confirmation for your records.
Cancel via google play (Android)
Android users who subscribed through the Google Play Store must cancel there.
- Open the Google Play Store app on your Android device.
- Tap the profile icon in the top-right corner.
- Select Subscriptions from the menu.
- Google Play displays all your active subscriptions.
- Tap Obsidian - Connected Notes (or whichever plan you are subscribed to).
- Verify that it shows Sync or Publish, depending on which you purchased.
- Select Cancel subscription at the bottom of the screen.
- Google Play may offer a retention discount; ignore this and proceed to cancel if you wish to exit.
- Confirm cancellation by tapping Cancel subscription again when prompted.
- Your paid access continues until the renewal date.
- Take a screenshot of the confirmation screen for your records.
- Pro tip: Google Play emails a confirmation to your Gmail address; check your inbox and mark it as important.
Obsidian pricing and subscription costs in south africa
Understanding what you are paying for helps you decide whether cancellation is the right choice.
How obsidian charges south african users
Obsidian prices all subscriptions in USD (United States dollars). Your bank or payment processor (such as Stripe or PayPal) automatically converts USD to ZAR (South African rand) at checkout. The exchange rate applied is the rate on the day of purchase, so your ZAR amount may vary slightly month to month. Keep this in mind if your monthly charges seem to fluctuate.
Subscription plans and what you pay
| Plan | Price (USD) | Billing period | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sync | USD 8/month or USD 96/year | Monthly or annual | End-to-end encrypted synchronisation of your vault across devices |
| Publish | USD 16/month or USD 144/year | Monthly or annual | Publish and share your notes online with a custom URL |
| Catalyst (one-time supporter licence) | USD 25 | One-time purchase | Early access to beta builds and a supporter badge in the community |
| Commercial licence | USD 50 per user per year | Annual | Permission to use Obsidian for commercial or business purposes |
If you are on a monthly plan and want to save money, switching to the annual plan before you cancel could reduce your cost per month. However, annual payments are non-refundable after 7 days under Obsidian's policy, so only choose annual if you are confident you will use Obsidian for the full year.
What happens after you cancel your obsidian subscription
Cancellation is not the same as deletion; here is what changes and what stays.
Your access and billing after cancellation
Once you cancel, Obsidian stops auto-renewal and no further charges occur after your current billing period ends. Your paid features (Sync or Publish) remain active until that final renewal date, so you can still use them right up until the last day. After the expiry date, Sync will disconnect and Publish will take your site offline; the free core features of Obsidian remain available forever.
Your data, vaults and published content
Cancelling does not erase your local files or vault. All notes stored on your device remain exactly as they are. If you were syncing multiple devices via Sync, those connections simply stop working, but the notes themselves stay on each device. If you used Publish to share notes online, Obsidian may keep your published site accessible for a grace period (typically 30 days after cancellation), so you have time to archive or download your content before it disappears. Contact Obsidian support directly if you need clarity on how long your published site remains online after you cancel.
Can you get a refund when you cancel obsidian
Your refund rights depend on how you paid and how long ago you subscribed.
Refunds for purchases via obsidian.md (web billing)
Obsidian offers a full, no-questions-asked refund within 7 days of any web purchase through its official billing portal. This aligns with South Africa's ECT Act cooling-off period. If you cancel within 7 days, submit a refund request through your account settings under "Invoices and refunds", and Obsidian will process the refund to your original payment method within 30 days. After 7 days, Obsidian generally does not offer refunds unless you have a legitimate complaint (such as a defective product or billing error). In those cases, contact Obsidian support via their website and reference the Consumer Protection Act or your specific issue; Stopee recommends documenting the problem with screenshots before you reach out.
Non-refundable items
Catalyst (supporter licence), Commercial licences and any Obsidian Credit you purchase are non-refundable regardless of how much time has passed. These are treated as final sales, so think carefully before you buy them.
Refunds for app store and google play purchases
If you subscribed through Apple or Google, you do not request a refund from Obsidian; you request it from Apple or Google directly. Apple's App Store refund window is typically 14 days from purchase, while Google Play offers 48 hours. Once either refund window closes, Apple and Google rarely grant exceptions. If you believe you have grounds for a refund (for example, the Obsidian app is broken on iOS), contact Apple Support or Google Play support immediately and explain the issue. Stopee recommends keeping detailed notes of any problems (crashes, missing features, sync failures) with dates and times to strengthen your refund request.
Common mistakes people make when cancelling obsidian
It is frustrating to think you have cancelled only to be charged again; here are the traps to avoid.
Mistake 1: cancelling the app instead of the subscription
Deleting the Obsidian app from your phone does not cancel your subscription. Auto-renewal continues, and you will be charged on your renewal date. You must cancel the subscription through your account, the App Store or Google Play before deleting the app. Verify cancellation by checking your billing portal or subscription settings a week before your renewal date.
Mistake 2: ignoring retention offers and thinking you have cancelled
When you try to cancel, Obsidian (or Apple or Google) may show you a discount or special offer to keep you as a customer. If you tap the offer instead of proceeding to cancel, you remain subscribed and re-authorize your card. Always tap "Cancel" or "Cancel subscription" at the final confirmation step, even if a discount pops up first.
Mistake 3: not keeping cancellation confirmation
Screenshots and emails are your proof. If Obsidian or your bank charges you after cancellation, you need evidence that you cancelled on a specific date. Keep your confirmation email from Obsidian, your screenshot from Apple or Google Play, and any bank statements showing the charges. If you do not have proof, your dispute with the company (or with Stopee) becomes much harder to resolve.
Mistake 4: forgetting to cancel all subscriptions
If you are subscribed to both Sync and Publish, you must cancel each one separately. Cancelling Sync does not cancel Publish. Log in and check your account to see how many active subscriptions you have, then cancel each explicitly.
Your checklist before and after cancellation
Use this checklist to ensure you cancel correctly and protect yourself.
| Step | Action | Tick when done |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Log in to your Obsidian account and note your renewal date and plan type (Sync, Publish, or both) | |
| 2 | If your subscription is less than 7 days old, request a refund immediately after cancelling | |
| 3 | Follow the cancellation steps for your method: web, App Store or Google Play | |
| 4 | Take a screenshot of the cancellation confirmation page | |
| 5 | Save the confirmation email from Obsidian, Apple or Google to a folder | |
| 6 | One week before your old renewal date, log in again and verify that no charge has been applied |
Obsidian contact details and escalation in south africa
If Obsidian refuses to cancel, denies a refund you are entitled to, or continues to charge you after you cancel, you have options to escalate.
How to contact obsidian
Obsidian operates a support portal on its website at obsidian.md/support. You can submit a support ticket there and expect a reply within 24 to 48 hours. For billing disputes specifically, include your order number (from your invoice), the date you cancelled and your cancellation confirmation screenshot. Obsidian's support team is responsive and usually resolves billing issues quickly. If support does not resolve your issue within 7 days, escalate to Stopee or the National Consumer Commission.
Escalation to the national consumer commission (NCC)
If Obsidian ignores your cancellation request, denies a refund within your 7-day cooling-off period, or continues to charge you, you can lodge a complaint with South Africa's National Consumer Commission. The NCC investigates consumer disputes and can order companies to refund you and pay damages. You can submit a complaint online at the NCC website (nccc.org.za) or by post. Include copies of all your cancellation confirmation emails, bank statements showing unwanted charges, and any support correspondence. Stopee has helped thousands of consumers file NCC complaints and supports you in every step of the process.
Obsidian systems office locations in south africa
Obsidian does not currently operate a physical office in South Africa. The company is based in the United States and serves customers globally. For all cancellations, refunds and billing inquiries, contact support exclusively through the official website at obsidian.md. Do not attempt to contact parent companies or resellers; always go directly to Obsidian's own support portal to maintain a clear record of your communication.
Summary: take control of your obsidian subscription today
Cancelling Obsidian takes minutes, and you have strong legal protections in South Africa. Whether you cancel through the web portal, App Store or Google Play, follow the step-by-step instructions above and keep your confirmation proof. If your subscription is less than 7 days old, request a refund immediately; the ECT Act and Consumer Protection Act are on your side. If Obsidian refuses to cancel or refund you, escalate to the NCC and do not hesitate to reach out to Stopee for guidance. Stopee has supported thousands of South African consumers in cancelling subscriptions, disputing unwanted charges and recovering refunds. Visit stopee.com today for more cancellation guides and expert advice on subscription management.