Notion vs Obsidian Shortcuts
A side-by-side comparison of keyboard shortcuts between Notion (28 shortcuts) and Obsidian (14 shortcuts) on macOS. See how common actions map across both apps.
Shared Categories
These shortcut categories exist in both apps. Compare how the same actions are mapped to different key combinations.
General
| Notion | Action | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| ⌘ N | New Page | — |
| ⇧ ⌘ N | New Window | — |
| ⌘ P | Quick Find | — |
| ⌘ [ | Go Back | ⌘ [ |
| ⌘ ] | Go Forward | ⌘ ] |
| ⌘ \\ | Toggle Sidebar | ⌘ \\ |
| ⌘ / | Turn Into / Commands | — |
| ⌘ D | Duplicate Block | — |
Only in Notion
Most popular (1)
| ⇧ ⌘ L | Switch dark mode / light mode |
Create and style your content (6)
| ↩ | Insert a line of text |
| ⇧ ↩ | Create a line break within a block of text |
| ⇧ ⌘ S | Strikethrough (when text selected) |
| ⌘ V | Paste over a link (when text selected) |
| Tab | Indent / nest content |
Edit and move blocks (5)
| Esc | Select block you’re currently in |
| ⌘ A | Select the block your cursor is in |
| Space | Open selected image fullscreen |
| ⌥ ⌘ T | Expand or close all toggles in a toggle list |
| ⇧ ⌘ P | Move page to |
Switching Between Notion and Obsidian
Both Notion and Obsidian are popular tools in the Productivity category. When switching between them, the biggest challenge is re-learning keyboard shortcuts — actions you perform automatically in one app require conscious effort in the other.
The comparison above highlights where shortcuts overlap (making the transition easier) and where they differ (requiring new muscle memory). Focus on learning the differences first, since the shared shortcuts will transfer naturally.
For a complete shortcut reference, visit the full shortcut pages: