Free, Self-Hosted Obsidian Sync with LiveSync and Traefik

Guide: Obsidian with Free, Self-Hosted, Instant Sync

The LiveSync plugin for Obsidian is one of the best self-hosted services I've set up. It provides seamless, instant, and secure note synchronization across all devices. Since most tutorials skip essential details, I created this comprehensive guide using Docker, CouchDB, and Traefik.

🧭 Why This Guide?

If you've ever bounced between tools like Notion, Microsoft Loop, or even Apple Notes, you probably know the frustration: great features, but limited control. Maybe you’ve tried Obsidian and loved its local-first approach — but hit a wall when it came to syncing your notes across devices without paying or giving up control.

This guide is for people who want:

• A secure, private, and self-hosted way to sync Obsidian notes
• Full compatibility with desktop and mobile apps
• A solution that’s free, real-time, and encrypted

We’ll walk you through every step — no assumptions, no skipped details. By the end, you'll have a fully functional sync setup using Docker, CouchDB, Traefik, and the Obsidian LiveSync plugin.

Let’s build your own personal sync server — no subscriptions, no black boxes.

🛠️ How It Works

This setup includes:

1. Obsidian App — Installed on each device (Windows/macOS/Linux/iOS/Android). Offline-friendly.
2. CouchDB — A self-hosted database to store your notes (encrypted). We'll use Docker.
3. LiveSync Plugin — Connects Obsidian to your CouchDB, syncing in real time.

✅ Prerequisites

• A server with Docker and Docker Compose installed.
• Traefik v2 as your reverse proxy.
• A domain (e.g., your-domain.com) and a subdomain pointing to your server (e.g., obsidian.your-domain.com).

📦 Step 1: Set Up CouchDB with Docker & Traefik (Your Setup May Vary)

Depending on how your server is configured, this step may look slightly different for you.

💡 Note: This tutorial assumes you're using Docker with Traefik as a reverse proxy. If you're using another reverse proxy (like Nginx or Caddy), or deploying to a platform like CapRover or Dokku, adapt this step accordingly — the core idea is the same: expose CouchDB securely over HTTPS.

services:
  couchdb-obsidian-livesync:
    container_name: obsidian-livesync
    image: couchdb:3.3.3
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=America/Bogota
      - COUCHDB_USER=obsidian_user
      - COUCHDB_PASSWORD=YOUR_VERY_STRONG_PASSWORD
    volumes:
      - ./data:/opt/couchdb/data
      - ./etc/local.d:/opt/couchdb/etc/local.d
    networks:
      - traefik-net
    labels:
      - "traefik.enable=true"
      - "traefik.http.routers.obsidian.rule=Host(`obsidian.your-domain.com`)"
      - "traefik.http.routers.obsidian.entrypoints=https"
      - "traefik.http.routers.obsidian.tls.certresolver=letsencrypt"
      - "traefik.http.services.obsidian.loadbalancer.server.port=5984"

networks:
  traefik-net:
    external: true

Note: 🔐 Make sure to replace passwords and domain names. 📂 Persist your volumes to avoid losing data on container restart.

Then run:

docker-compose up -d

If you're not using Traefik, here’s what to focus on:

• Ensure port 5984 is accessible via HTTPS.
• Secure CouchDB behind basic auth and a reverse proxy with TLS/SSL.
• Make sure your domain or subdomain (like obsidian.your-domain.com) points to your server and has a valid SSL certificate.

🌐 Step 2: Initial CouchDB Setup

Navigate to:
https://obsidian.your-domain.com/_utils/

1. Log in using your COUCHDB_USER and COUCHDB_PASSWORD defined in your docker-compose.yml.
2. Click the <-> icon in the top-left to expand the sidebar.
3. Select Setup from the menu.
4. Click Configure a Single Node.
5. Confirm your credentials when prompted.
6. Leave other settings at default and click Configure Node.

🧪 Step 3: Verify & Create Your Database

✅ Verify Installation

1. Click Verify from the sidebar.
2. Click Verify Installation.
3. You should see a success banner and six green checkmarks.

🗃️ Create Database

1. Go to Databases → Click Create Database.
2. Database name: obsidiandb (or unique names like obsidiandb_fredy)
3. Partitioned: Choose Non-partitioned.
4. Click Create.

⚙️ Step 4: CouchDB Configuration for LiveSync

Head to Configuration in the sidebar.

Click + Add Option and enter the following settings:

Click Save Changes after each addition.

🖥️ Step 5: Obsidian Desktop Setup

1. Download Obsidian for your operating system.
2. Open the app and click Create new vault.
3. Choose a name and a local path.
4. Click Create to initialize the vault.

🔌 Step 6: Install & Configure LiveSync Plugin

1. Go to Settings → Community plugins.
2. Enable community plugins.
3. Click Browse and search for Self-hosted LiveSync.
4. Install and enable the plugin.

🛰️ Remote Database Configuration

1. Click the 🛰️ Remote Database Configuration button in the plugin settings.
2. Fill in:

Remote Type: CouchDB
URI: https://obsidian.your-domain.com
Username: obsidian_user
Password: YOUR_VERY_STRONG_PASSWORD
Database Name: obsidiandb