Quick verdict
If you write long notes, documents or structured notes and want thousands of plugins to tailor everything, choose Obsidian. If you think in bullet points, like jotting things down in a daily journal and want open source software, choose Logseq. Both are free and work with Markdown files, so trying them doesn’t lock you in.
Pick Obsidian if…
- You write long notes, study notes or documents with headings and paragraphs.
- You want to customise everything with community plugins and themes.
- You want to organise information in tables (Bases) or visual canvases (Canvas).
- You don’t mind it not being open source as long as your notes stay yours.
Pick Logseq if…
- You think in bullet points and outlines rather than paragraphs.
- You like jotting each day down in a journal and having everything link up on its own.
- You want to quote or reuse individual lines (blocks) in other notes.
- You prefer open source software.
Obsidian vs Logseq: point by point
| Feature | Obsidian | Logseq |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Freemium | Open Source |
| Platforms | WindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS | WindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS |
| Use | Offline | Offline |
| Writing style | Free-form documents, like a word processor | Bullet-point outline: every line is a block |
| Start screen | Whichever note you choose | Today’s journal |
| Links between notes | Yes, with [[links]] and a graph view | Yes, with [[links]] and a graph view |
| Quoting fragments | Block references with an identifier | Its strong point: any line can be quoted or embedded |
| Tasks | Checkboxes; more options with plugins | TODO/DOING/DONE, dates and built-in queries |
| Plugins | Thousands of community plugins | Plugins and themes, fewer of them |
| Syncing between devices | Obsidian Sync (paid) or your own cloud | Your own cloud or tools such as Syncthing |
| Open source | No (free, including for work use) | Yes (AGPL licence) |
Key differences
Document or outline
This is the key difference. Obsidian lets you write however you like: headings, paragraphs, lists, tables. Logseq organises everything into nested bullet points, which is great for loose ideas and meeting notes but less comfortable for long texts.
Journal and organisation
Every day Logseq opens a journal page where you jot down anything and link it to topics; notes organise themselves through the links. In Obsidian daily notes are optional and you decide the folder structure.
Ecosystem
Obsidian has one of the largest plugin communities: calendars, tasks, tables, export, AI… Logseq also supports plugins and themes, but the catalogue is smaller.
Business model
Logseq is open source and free. Obsidian is free for personal and work use but is not open source; it is funded by optional paid services such as syncing (Sync) and web publishing (Publish).
What they have in common
- Both store your notes on your computer, as files you can open with any editor.
- Both work offline on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
- Both link notes together and show a graph of connections.
- You don’t need an account to start using either.
Try them for free
Step-by-step guide: how to switch from Notion to Obsidian
Not convinced by either? See every free alternative to Notion
Frequently asked questions
Which one is more like Notion?
Neither is the same: both keep your notes on your computer instead of in the cloud. Obsidian comes closer if you used Notion for documents and tables (thanks to Bases and its plugins); Logseq, if you used it as a journal or for lists and tasks.
Are they free?
Yes. Logseq is free and open source. Obsidian is free for personal and work use; you only pay if you want its official syncing or web publishing.
Can I move my notes from one to the other?
Largely yes, because both use Markdown files. What doesn’t carry over in the same way are each app’s own features, such as Logseq’s block references or Obsidian’s plugins.
How do I sync my notes with my phone?
With Obsidian you can use Obsidian Sync (paid) or keep the folder in your usual cloud. With Logseq, the most common option is to sync the folder with your own cloud or with Syncthing.
Independent: we have no commercial relationship, sponsorship or affiliation with Notion or with these alternatives, and nobody pays us to recommend them. Links go to their official websites and are not affiliate links; the site is funded only by Google AdSense ads, which don't influence the selection. Learn more.
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