Google Contacts Manager vs Obsidian Bases

Google Contacts Manager

By Google Workspace

Manage your Google contacts, contact groups, and shared directory from AI chat.

Obsidian Bases

By Steph Ango (Kepano / Obsidian)

Create database views over your Obsidian notes to track projects, tasks, and reading lists.

Google Contacts Manager

• Create, update, and delete contact groups to organize your people
• Search your contacts by name, email, or phone number
• Add new contacts or update existing ones in bulk
• Browse your company directory and find colleagues
• Copy auto-created contacts into your main contact list

Obsidian Bases

• Creates table, card, list, or map views of your notes based on filters you set
• Lets you group and sort notes by any property (status, date, tags, folders)
• Calculates fields automatically like days until deadline or price totals
• Shows summaries like averages, sums, and counts across your filtered notes
• Works with your existing Obsidian notes without changing how you write them

Reach for Google Contacts Manager when…

• You need to quickly add a bunch of new contacts from a spreadsheet or list
• You're organizing contacts into groups for an event or campaign
• You want to search your company directory without switching apps
• You need to clean up duplicate or auto-created contacts

Reach for Obsidian Bases when…

• You're managing projects or tasks in Obsidian and want a cleaner view than scattered notes
• You need to track reading lists, book notes, or research with custom filters and groupings
• You want to see calculated info like "days overdue" or "total budget" without manual updates
• You're organizing lots of notes and need different views (table vs cards) for different contexts