@cstross @Kye I think if you ignore all the plugins, at it's base Obsidian is pretty simple. The problem is if you are the type of person who can waste days customizing your environment and you feel compelled to try all the fluffy plugins, then you can easily fall right down the rabbit hole.

I just like that I can sync everything via my own Nextcloud instance or iCloud. (And the dataview plugin has allowed me to make the most functional digital cookbook I've ever had.)