Logseq vs Obsidian in 2026: which one should you use?

Pick Obsidian if you write long-form notes and want them as plain Markdown files that any editor can open, on every platform. Pick Logseq if you think in nested bullets and a daily journal, and you accept that Logseq 2.0 is still a beta that stores graphs in a database. We make Loam, a free, open source Mac app that keeps notes as Markdown files like Obsidian does, so we cover it as a third option near the end and say where it falls short.

Logseq vs Obsidian: what is the main difference?

Logseq is an outliner where every bullet is a block you can reference. Obsidian is a Markdown editor where every note is a document. In Logseq you write a nested list, usually inside a daily journal page, and link single blocks from other places. In Obsidian you write a page with headings and paragraphs, and you link whole notes to each other.

Both apps are built for linked notes and both put privacy first. They differ in the shape of a note, and in 2026 they also differ in where the notes live. The second difference gets its own section below.

Logseq vs Obsidian at a glance

The table sums up both apps on the points that decide most choices. The facts come from the official sites and documentation, and were checked on 2026-11-04. Both projects change fast, so check the release notes before you commit.

Sources: Obsidian: official site ↗ · Obsidian: pricing ↗ · Logseq: GitHub repository ↗ · Logseq: database version docs ↗

Is Logseq still file-based in 2026?

It depends on which Logseq you install. The original version keeps a graph as a folder of Markdown files. Logseq 2.0 is the database version, and its graphs are stored in a SQLite database. The Logseq team describes the database version as beta, and its README says that data loss is possible, so it recommends backups and a separate test graph.

The 2.0 release is also no longer a copy of the old app. According to the Logseq docs on the database version, blocks and pages are now one thing called a node, Org-mode files are no longer supported, and whiteboards were removed with the hope that they return as a plugin. The file version was split off into a separate repository, logseq/og. The latest official release on GitHub is Logseq 2.0.2, published on 2026-10-07 and titled Beta Testing.

Logseq can still hand you your notes in a readable form. The database version exports a graph as SQLite, as EDN, or as standard Markdown. The Markdown export leaves out block properties, and Logseq's own docs say it cannot capture all the data in a graph. Plan for that before you decide that a plain-text copy is a backup.

What is Logseq good for?

Logseq is good for people who capture first and organize later. You open the day's journal, type bullets, and link anything you mention. Because every bullet is addressable, you can reference one idea from ten places without copying it.

Best for

People who think in outlines and capture in a daily journal

Notes stored as

Markdown files in the original version, a SQLite database in 2.0

Platforms

Desktop apps, a web app and an iOS beta

Price model

Open source and free. Logseq Sync is a paid feature

• Today's journal is created automatically, and links such as [[Today]] or [[Next Friday]] resolve to the right day.
• Logseq lists task management, flashcards and PDF annotation among its core tools.
• In 2.0, properties have types such as text, number, date, checkbox, URL and node, and tags can carry their own properties.
• The repository is open source under AGPL-3.0.

What is the downside of Obsidian?

Obsidian is made for one person first, and many of its features come from community plugins that different people maintain. Shared notes need the paid Obsidian Sync service, which supports shared vaults. Its editor works on documents rather than outlines.

Best for

Long-form notes kept as plain files, on every platform

Notes stored as

Markdown files in a vault folder on your device

Platforms

Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android

Price model

Free for all uses. Sync from $4 a month, Publish from $8

• Obsidian stores notes on your device, so they open quickly, even offline. No sign-up is required.
• Notes are Markdown, Canvas boards use the open JSON Canvas format, and Bases views are saved as .base files or inside a note.
• The homepage speaks of thousands of plugins and themes, and the team maintains core plugins such as Daily notes and Bases.
• The Obsidian CLI page says that anything you can do in the app you can do from the terminal.

How do queries and databases compare?

Logseq has had its own query language for years: simple queries typed as {{query ...}}, and advanced queries for more control. In 2.0 the results appear in views and tables, and properties have real types, so numbers sort as numbers. Tags can define a shape for a kind of note, such as a task or a card.

Obsidian keeps properties as YAML at the top of each note, with types such as text, list, number, checkbox, date and tags. Bases, a core plugin, turns those properties into views with table, list and cards layouts. A base stays in your Markdown files and can live in a .base file.

Which has better plugins?

Obsidian's catalog is larger: its homepage speaks of thousands of plugins and themes. Logseq has a marketplace too, and its docs say that more than 65 plugins support the 2.0 database graphs. Plugins written for the file version may not work on a database graph, so check the plugin you rely on before you move.

How do sync and mobile compare?

Obsidian Sync costs $4 per user per month on the annual plan, or $5 billed monthly, with end-to-end encryption, version history and shared vaults. You can also skip it and sync the folder with iCloud, Git or another tool, because the vault is only files.

Logseq's 2.0 sync, also called RTC for real-time collaboration, is marked alpha. Per the docs it is available to sponsors on Open Collective, at $5 a month for backers and $15 for sponsors, and it can be self-hosted. On mobile, the 2.0 iOS app is in a TestFlight beta, and the docs say the new Android app has not been opened for testing yet. Obsidian's download page lists apps for iOS and Android.

Can you use AI agents with Logseq or Obsidian?

Yes, with both. Logseq 2.0 has an optional MCP server that lets AI applications connect to a graph. It can run from the desktop app or from the logseq command line, it supports batched edits, and it has a pretend option to preview changes. Obsidian has an official command line with commands such as obsidian daily and obsidian search, and its page lists agentic tools as a use case.

In Obsidian an agent can also read the Markdown files directly, because they sit on disk. In a Logseq database graph, it has to go through the MCP server or the command line. See Use Claude Code with your notes for the file-based workflow, and note-taking apps with MCP servers for a wider list.

Is Logseq or Obsidian free?

Both apps are free to use. Logseq is open source under AGPL-3.0, and its paid extras are Sync and Publish. Obsidian's license page says it is free for all purposes, including personal, commercial and non-profit use. Its optional paid services are Sync and Publish, and the Catalyst and Commercial licenses are voluntary support.

How do you move from Logseq to Obsidian?

For a file graph, copy the folder and open the copy as a vault. Bullets stay as nested Markdown lists. Block references and embeds are Logseq syntax, so check a few pages and plan to rewrite the ones you use a lot.

For a database graph, export it as standard Markdown from the graph menu, then open the exported folder. Block properties are not included in that export, so keep the SQLite export as the full backup. Moving the other way, Logseq's importer converts a Markdown file graph into a database graph and remaps some task statuses, for example LATER becomes Todo.

Where does Loam fit?

Loam is for a Mac user who likes Obsidian's files-first model and wants something open source with a command line. Notes are plain Markdown files in a folder you choose, and every action of the app is available from the loam command, so an agent works on the vault the way you do.

Best for

A Mac user who wants plain files, open source code and a command line

Notes stored as

Plain Markdown files in a folder you choose

Platforms

macOS 26 or later, on Apple silicon

Price model

Free and open source

• Notes are documents with an optional daily note, and structure comes from folders, links, tags and properties. See Daily notes and Tasks.
• Collections show notes as a table, a board or a gallery, driven by a .base file that reads the notes' properties.
• The core is small, every feature is a plugin, and each plugin declares its permissions before you enable it.
• Your vault syncs with Git, with an optional encrypted remote. See Git sync.

Where does Loam fall short?

• It runs on macOS only, with no iPhone, Android, Windows or Linux app.
• It is not an outliner. A bullet is not a block you can reference on its own.
• Its boards are JSON Canvas files, and it has no relational databases.
• Its plugin catalog is younger and smaller than Obsidian's.
• It has no web clipper.

If one of these is a dealbreaker, pick Obsidian or Logseq. For more options, read the best Obsidian alternatives for Mac and Notion vs Obsidian.

Which one should you choose?

Choose Logseq if:

• You think in nested bullets and want to reference single blocks.
• You capture in a daily journal first and organize later.
• You like open source software and are willing to use a beta, with backups.

Choose Obsidian if:

• You want notes as Markdown files that any editor can open.
• You need Windows, Linux, iPhone or Android apps that are finished.
• You rely on a large plugin catalog, or on a command line for scripts and agents.

Choose Loam if you work on a Mac, you want Obsidian's files-first model, and open source code and a command line matter more to you than platform reach.

Sources: Obsidian: Command line interface ↗ · Obsidian: Bases ↗ · Obsidian: Sync ↗ · Obsidian: license overview ↗ · Logseq: what changed in the database version ↗ · Logseq: releases ↗ · Logseq: file version repository ↗

Try Loam

Loam is free and open source. Install it with one command, open a copy of your Obsidian vault or Logseq file graph as a vault, and see whether the files-first model suits you. You can also compare it with Obsidian, with Logseq, or with every other app.