The Obsidian plugins people install most add drawing, templates, vault queries, task tracking, version control and better tables. Obsidian's own stats file shows how often each has been downloaded, but downloads aren't the whole story, so check the date of each plugin's last release too. Ten of the most downloaded follow, in no particular order.
Obsidian's community plugins add features the core app doesn't ship with, and the ten below are among the most downloaded of them, going by Obsidian's official community plugin stats file. That file records all-time downloads and the date of each plugin's latest release. It doesn't carry ratings, so you won't find any here.
They're listed alphabetically and in no particular order, with downloads and release dates as of Oct 2026. If you're still choosing between note apps, my Notion vs Obsidian comparison is worth reading first.
Ten Obsidian community plugins at a glance
Type and Good for come from each plugin's own short description. The stats file says nothing about plans, so every cell in the last column reads Not stated.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Tables | Table editing | Navigating, formatting and changing Markdown tables | Not stated |
| Calendar | Daily notes calendar | Browsing your daily notes from a calendar view | Not stated |
| Copilot | AI agents in your vault | Running AI agents such as Claude Code and Codex in a vault | Not stated |
| Dataview | Vault queries | Running advanced queries across your whole vault | Not stated |
| Excalidraw | Drawing and sketching | Creating and editing drawings inside your notes | Not stated |
| Git | Version control | Version control with automatic backups | Not stated |
| Kanban | Boards | Work boards saved as plain Markdown | Not stated |
| Style Settings | Theme adjustments | Adjusting theme, plugin and snippet CSS variables | Not stated |
| Tasks | Task tracking | Due dates, recurring tasks and filters across your vault | Not stated |
| Templater | Templates | Creating and using dynamic templates | Not stated |
Ten community plugins with millions of downloads
Advanced Tables
Best for: Anyone who keeps tables in their notes and wants easier navigation, formatting and editing than typing every row by hand.
Calendar
Best for: Daily note keepers who want to explore past notes by date, from a plugin whose last release in the stats file is April 20, 2021.
Copilot
Best for: Turning a vault into an assistant by running AI agents inside it, for people who want their notes to do some of the work.
Dataview
Best for: Pulling lists and tables out of your notes with advanced queries, for vaults that have grown too big to browse by hand.
Excalidraw
Best for: Visual thinkers who'd rather sketch than type, and want to create and edit drawings without leaving their vault.
Git
Best for: Backing up a vault automatically with version control, so you can go back to an earlier copy of a note you've changed.
Kanban
Best for: Planning work on boards that are saved as plain Markdown, so the whole board stays readable as an ordinary note.
Style Settings
Best for: Tweaking the look of your theme, plugins and CSS snippets by adjusting the variables they expose, for people who like a custom setup.
Tasks
Best for: Tracking to-dos across a whole vault with due dates, recurring tasks, done dates and filtering, for people who plan inside their notes.
Templater
Best for: Building notes from dynamic templates, for anyone who starts the same kinds of note every day and wants them filled in for them.
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Downloads against last release: the gap in Obsidian's own numbers
The stats file shows something a taste list won't: a big download count doesn't mean a plugin is still getting releases. Calendar has 3,229,120 downloads, yet its last release in the file is April 20, 2021, as of Oct 2026. Excalidraw has the most downloads on this list, 8,763,578, and its latest release is October 12, 2026.
Two plugins here, Style Settings and Kanban, are published by the Obsidian Community Archive, and their last releases are August 24, 2024 and May 31, 2024. A last release date tells you when the plugin last shipped an update, nothing more. Check it before you build a daily habit around a plugin.
Which kind of plugin for which job
- You think in pictures: pick a drawing plugin.
- You start the same kind of note every day: pick a templates plugin.
- Your vault's too big to browse: pick a query plugin that builds lists and tables for you.
- You plan your week inside your notes: pick a task plugin or a boards plugin.
- You can't risk losing notes: pick a version control plugin with automatic backups.
- You want AI help in your vault: pick a plugin that runs AI agents inside it.
Adding community plugins one at a time
- Back up your vault before you install anything that edits notes for you.
- Add one plugin, use it for a week, and notice what it changed.
- Check the last release date in Obsidian's plugin browser before you rely on it.
- Remove the plugins you haven't opened in a month, so your settings stay easy to manage.
Do you make an Obsidian plugin? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing Obsidian plugins
Start with the job, not the download count. Pick one plugin for the thing that slows you down most, check its last release date, and live with it for a week before you add the next. A huge download count tells you plenty of people tried it; the release date tells you when it last got an update.
If Obsidian still feels like hard work after a few plugins, my list of Obsidian alternatives and my roundup of the best note-taking apps are worth a look.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most popular Obsidian plugins?
Going by Obsidian's official stats file as of Oct 2026, the most downloaded include plugins for drawing, templates, vault queries, tasks, version control and tables. The ten here have between 2,791,098 and 8,763,578 downloads each.
Does Obsidian rate its community plugins?
The official stats file carries downloads and the last release date only, with no ratings, so that's what this list uses.
How can I tell if an Obsidian plugin is still updated?
Look at the date of its last release. On this list the oldest is April 20, 2021 and the newest is October 23, 2026, as of Oct 2026.
Are Obsidian community plugins free?
The stats file doesn't say, so this page marks every plugin Not stated. Check each plugin's own page in Obsidian before you rely on it.
How many Obsidian plugins should I install?
As few as do the job. Add one at a time, back up your vault first, and remove the ones you stop using.
