Pret vs Obsidian
Obsidian is built for thinking in private. Packing is something you do together.
Obsidian is a fantastic personal knowledge base: local files, markdown, endless plugins. But packing is a family activity. Sharing a vault with your partner means sync subscriptions and a markdown crash course - and ticking off items in a markdown file at the bottom of a suitcase pile is no fun. Pret gives everyone the same live list, with zero setup for them.
Side by side
What matters when you're packing for the whole crew.
| When you're packing | Prêt | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Built for packing |
Yes - packing lists are the entire product
|
No - a personal knowledge base |
| Remembers each person's needs |
Built in: every person has reusable templates that grow with them
|
Markdown templates, if you create them |
| New trip, ready-made list |
Automatic: pick who's coming and the list prefills itself
|
Manual, or community plugins you configure |
| Filter by person or topic |
One tap - pack one bag or one person at a time
|
Tags and queries you define yourself |
| Pack together, in real time |
Invite your partner; everyone checks off the same list live
|
Hard - sharing means paid sync and onboarding into markdown |
| Setup effort |
About five minutes, once
|
Hours, plus plugin upkeep |
| Price |
Free to try, then €8/year or €35 once
|
Free; Sync from ~€4 per month |
When Obsidian is the better choice
We'd rather you pick the right tool than just pick us.
- You want a private, local-first notebook for everything you know and plan.
- You enjoy markdown, plugins and owning your files completely.
- You're the only one packing and your travel notes link into a bigger system.
Keep your second brain in Obsidian. Give your suitcase its own app.
Why people switch to Pret
Pret does exactly one thing: it makes packing easier for your whole holiday crew - your family, your long-standing group of friends. No databases to design, no boards to maintain, no system to babysit. Set up your people and topics once, and every trip starts with a list that's already right.
More comparisons
See how Pret stacks up against the other tools people pack with.
Pret vs Apple Notes
A great scratchpad - but your packing list starts from zero every trip.
Read the comparison →Pret vs Notion
You can build a packing system in Notion. The question is whether you want to maintain it.
Read the comparison →Pret vs Trello
Boards are great for projects. A suitcase isn't a project.
Read the comparison →Pret vs Google Sheets
A spreadsheet can hold anything - which is exactly the problem.
Read the comparison →