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Flywrite

Obsidian vs VS Code for writing with Claude Code

Pick Obsidian if your writing lives in a vault of linked notes you also want on your phone; Claude Code joins through the Claudian plugin or a terminal beside the vault. Pick VS Code if you also write code and want Anthropic's Claude Code extension, which sees your selection and can show each edit as a diff to accept or reject. If you mostly write long Markdown on a Mac, pick Flywrite, the third option: a writing app with the terminal built in, where Claude Code sees the file and text you're working on and the whole project is checkpointed when it starts.

Published by Flywrite. We make Flywrite, the third option on this page. Facts are from each product's own pages, checked . · Updated

Pick Obsidian if

  • Your drafts live in a vault of linked notes
  • You write on Windows, Linux, iPhone or Android too
  • You want a free app and don't mind adding a plugin or a terminal

Pick VS Code if

  • You write code as well as prose
  • You want Claude Code's editor extension, with each edit shown as a diff
  • You want a free editor with AI built in

Pick Flywrite if

  • You write articles, docs or plans on a Mac
  • You want Claude Code to see the file and text you're working on, with no plugin or extension to install
  • You want a rendered page styled your way, per project or per file

Facts side by side

Facts checked October 20, 2026
FactObsidian with Claude CodeVS Code with Claude CodeFlywrite
What it is A free notes app whose vault is a folder of Markdown filesA free code editorA Mac writing app for Markdown with a terminal built in
Price Free; Sync and Publish are paid add-onsFree for private or commercial use$99 a year, every feature, GitHub backup included
Claude Code Needs a paid Claude plan or a Console account in all three
Where Claude Code runs The Claudian community plugin's sidebar, or Claude Code in a separate terminal app opened in the vault folder; Obsidian has no terminal of its ownAnthropic's Claude Code extension panel, or the CLI in the integrated terminalThe terminal under your draft, with a Claude Code launcher; Codex, Cursor Agent or any CLI agent runs there too
What Claude Code sees With Claudian, the open note is linked by default and your selection goes with the prompt. In a separate terminal, it doesn't see the open note automaticallyYour selection and the active file, in the extension and in the integrated terminal while the extension is installedThe file you're in, the line you're on and the text you've highlighted, with no setup
Writing view Live Preview by default: formatted text inline, with most Markdown syntax hidden. Source mode shows every symbol; ⌘E switches to Reading viewA Markdown preview beside the source or toggled with it; an experimental Markdown Editor edits rendered Markdown directlyA Rendered view, with Source one keystroke away; your own theme, fonts and page width, per project or per file
Your files Markdown files in a vault folder, plus an .obsidian configuration folderAny folder you openAny folder of plain files; no vault
Undoing agent edits Claudian's “Rewind to here” or Claude Code's /rewind, neither of which tracks shell-command changes; File recovery keeps note snapshots, by default at least five minutes apartChat checkpoints before each request, and Claude Code's checkpoints and /rewind; neither reverses changes made by terminal commandsA whole-project checkpoint the moment Claude Code starts; restore the project or one file. /rewind works too
Backup and sync Obsidian Sync, a paid add-on, or other ways to sync a vault, such as iCloud or GitBuilt-in Git: commit, push, pull and sync, including with GitHubOne Sync button backs up to your own GitHub repository, with no Git commands; GitHub's free plan includes private repositories
Platforms Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android; Claudian is desktop onlyMac, Windows, LinuxMac

Sources: Obsidian pricing, Obsidian help, Claudian on GitHub, VS Code FAQ, VS Code Markdown, Claude Code in VS Code, Claude Code setup, Flywrite docs. Each source and its date is listed under Sources and limits.

Flywrite is $99 a year for Mac, with no AI fee. Buy Flywrite for Mac

Obsidian with Claude Code Plugin sidebar, or a terminal beside it VS Code Extension panel or terminal Flywrite Terminal under the page Obsidian with Claude Code Plugin sidebar, or a terminal beside it VS Code Extension panel or terminal Flywrite Terminal under the page
Illustration, not a screenshot.

Where each one wins

Where Obsidian wins

  • Free, including for work. Obsidian is free with no sign-up and needs no paid license for commercial use; Sync and Publish are optional paid add-ons.
  • On every device. Obsidian runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android. Claudian runs on desktop only.
  • A knowledge base, not just drafts. Wikilinks can update themselves when you rename a note, and backlinks and a graph view of how your notes connect come built in. Thousands of community plugins and themes add more.
  • Agent choice inside the vault. Claudian runs Claude Code, Codex and other agents in a sidebar, and its Inline Edit previews a change to your selection as a word-level diff.

Where VS Code wins

  • Free for any use. VS Code is free for private or commercial use, on Mac, Windows and Linux.
  • Claude Code's editor extension. It sees your selection, can show each proposed edit as a side-by-side diff to accept or reject, and keeps checkpoints you can rewind.
  • AI built in. Signing in gives an eligible GitHub account Copilot Free, or you can use your own model key in chat.
  • One app for code and prose. Built-in Git handles commits, pushes and pulls, and the integrated terminal opens at your workspace root.

Where Flywrite wins

  • A Markdown page you style your way. A Rendered view with Source one keystroke away, and your own theme, colors, fonts and page width, per project or per file.
  • No vault, just a folder. Any folder of plain files opens as a project, with no database or special format.
  • Free backup and sync to your own GitHub. One Sync button backs up the project to your own GitHub repository, with no Git commands. It's included in Flywrite, and GitHub's free plan includes private repositories.
  • Any CLI agent, with launchers. Claude Code, Codex and Cursor Agent have launchers, and any agent that runs in your Mac's terminal runs in Flywrite. Flywrite never charges for AI.
  • A terminal that knows your file. With no plugin or extension to install, Claude Code sees the file you're in, the line you're on and the text you've highlighted. Flywrite checkpoints the whole project the moment Claude Code starts.

Claude Code on a draft, step by step

Documented behavior from each product's docs, checked October 20, 2026
StepObsidianVS CodeFlywrite
Start Claude Code Open Claudian's sidebar, or start Claude Code in a terminal app opened in the vault folderOpen the Claude Code extension panel, or run it in the integrated terminalClick the Claude Code launcher in the terminal under your draft
Point it at your text Claudian links the open note and sends your selection; in a separate terminal, name the note in your promptSelect text: the extension sees your selectionSelect text: Claude Code sees your selection and open file
See the change Claudian's Inline Edit previews a word-level diff; Obsidian refreshes a note when a terminal agent changes the fileThe Markdown preview updates; in the extension's Manual mode, each edit opens first as a side-by-side diffThe editor updates live as Claude Code edits
Undo it Claudian's “Rewind to here”, or /rewind in the terminalChat checkpoints, or Claude Code's /rewindRestore the project or one file from the checkpoint taken when Claude Code started; /rewind works too
Undo a change made by a shell command Neither Claudian's rewind nor /rewind tracks it. File recovery keeps note snapshots, but its help doesn't say whether it captures changes made outside ObsidianNeither chat checkpoints nor /rewind reverses it; both point you to GitRestoring the project brings every file back to the checkpoint taken when Claude Code started, so later edits go back too; Flywrite saves a safety checkpoint first

Keep your vault or your editor, write in Flywrite

  1. Open the same folder. Choose Open Folder in Flywrite and pick your vault or your VS Code folder. Nothing moves and there's nothing to import.
  2. Make the page yours. Choose a theme, fonts and page width in Settings → Appearance.
  3. Start Claude Code from its launcher in the terminal under your draft. It sees your selection with no setup.
  4. Keep Obsidian or VS Code on the same files. They're ordinary Markdown files, and Obsidian refreshes when they change outside it.
  5. Connect GitHub for backup. One Sync button backs up the folder to your own GitHub repository.

Questions

Can Claude Code see the note I have open in Obsidian?

With Claudian, yes: a new chat links the open note by default and sends your selection with the prompt. Claude Code in a separate terminal doesn't see the open note automatically, though it can read it through Obsidian's own command line interface while Obsidian is running. In Flywrite, Claude Code sees your open file and selection with no setup.

Does VS Code have a WYSIWYG Markdown editor?

VS Code's docs describe an experimental Markdown Editor that edits rendered Markdown directly, and say it could change or be removed. The built-in preview sits beside the source or toggles with it. Flywrite has a Rendered view styled your way, per project or per file, with Source one keystroke away.

Can I use Obsidian and VS Code on the same folder?

Yes. An Obsidian vault is a folder of Markdown files; other editors can edit the notes, and Obsidian refreshes when they change. Flywrite opens the same folder too.

How do I undo an agent's edits in each?

Claude Code's /rewind works in all three, but it doesn't track files changed by shell commands, and neither do Claudian's rewind or VS Code's chat checkpoints. Obsidian's File recovery keeps note snapshots, and VS Code's and Claude Code's docs point to Git for the rest. Flywrite checkpoints the whole project when Claude Code starts, so restoring it brings back every file, whatever changed it.

Do I need a paid Claude plan?

Yes, in all three: Claude Code needs a Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise plan or a Console account, and the free Claude plan doesn't include it. Obsidian and VS Code are free, and Flywrite adds no AI fee of its own.

Is Flywrite on Windows or Linux?

No. Flywrite is a Mac app. Obsidian runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android, and VS Code on Mac, Windows and Linux.

Bring your agent to Flywrite

$99 a year · Mac · every feature

Buy Flywrite for Mac See how the terminal works

Sources and limits

Plans and features change, so check each product's current pricing before you buy.