Launching Self-Host Mode, Retiring the Believer Plan
Copilot for Obsidian has crossed 1 million downloads! Thank you to every user who tried it, stuck with it, reported bugs, and pushed us to build something better.
This is a big milestone, and it is also a turning point.
Today I want to share three important updates:
- Launching Self-Host Mode
- Retiring the Believer plan (available until February 16, 2026)
- Announcing our partner program
Self-Host Mode
Our vision is simple: file-over-app, but for AI.
Obsidian led the way with a file-over-app philosophy. Your notes are local files, in your control, not locked inside a vendor database.
I want to extend that same philosophy to the AI era: you should own your AI stack and your data end-to-end.
More people are using Claude Code and similar AI agents from large AI companies without reading their data policies carefully.
For many of us, our vault is the most valuable digital asset we have: years of personal thinking, sensitive context, and private details.
Handing that over by default is not a wise trade.
Lock-in is still the default business model for big platforms. Once your workflow and life context are deeply embedded in one ecosystem, getting out becomes painful. You can see this clearly in the difference between tools built around open files and tools built around closed platforms.
At the same time, the economics are changing fast.
Tokens are becoming like running water. Models are increasingly interchangeable, and open-source models are now close to first-tier performance for many agent workflows.
The model is no longer the moat. Ownership is.
AI tools and AI companies will come and go, but your context and your agent tooling should stay with you: local, portable, and under your control.
Again: file-over-app for AI.
Retiring the Believer Plan
We launched Believer to help fund early development, and it worked because this community believed in us before the product was polished.
As usage has grown, the old structure is no longer the right long-term shape for the product.
We are retiring the Believer plan for new purchases and moving toward a clearer model centered on predictable credits plus self-host flexibility.
To our Believers, thank you so much for your continued support! We will continue honoring the commitments already made.
Partner Program
We have officially opened applications for our partner program.
If you are a creator, educator, researcher, or builder who shares our vision, we would love to work with you.
We are building long-term partnerships, not transactional campaigns.
We want partners who can help shape the roadmap and vision with us through real user feedback.
Our best collaborations come from people who use the product deeply, challenge our assumptions, and bring real user feedback from their communities.
If that sounds like you, apply here: obsidiancopilot.com/en/partners
What's Next
Next up:
- Improve Self-Host Mode features, onboarding and docs
- Make Projects mode more agentic and model-agnostic
- Launch our all-new desktop app (early access available to Believers and Supporters)
- Build AI tools that run on your terms
Stay Connected
Thank You
None of this happens without you.
Every bug report, every tough piece of feedback, and every success story has shaped what Copilot is becoming.
Thank you for helping us build with high standards, not shortcuts.
Logan Yang