Logseq

You have three different note-taking apps open, a stack of post-its on your desk, and somewhere in a Google Doc there are still notes from last week. Sound familiar? Then it’s time for a system that gathers all your thoughts in one place – without having to sign up for a cloud subscription first.

Logseq: the company

Logseq is an open-source project that was started in 2020 by Tienson Qin. The tool is completely free to use and is developed by a small team that received funding through OpenCollective and later venture capital. The special thing? All code is publicly available under the AGPL license.

The philosophy behind Logseq is simple: your data belongs to you. That’s why the app stores everything locally as plain text files. No mandatory cloud, no vendor lock-in. You can stop using Logseq tomorrow and simply open all your notes in any text editor.

The company makes money with an optional sync service, but the core functionality remains free forever. This attracts a loyal community of developers, students, and privacy-conscious users who actively contribute to plugins and themes.

Who is Logseq for?

Logseq is built for people who process a lot of information and want to make connections between ideas. Think of:

• Students and researchers who annotate PDFs and link sources to their notes
• Writers and content creators who build a web of ideas for articles or books
• Knowledge workers who want project notes, meetings, and personal insights in one place
• Privacy-minded people who don’t trust cloud-only solutions
• Developers who want to version their notes in Git or edit them via scripts

Not suitable for teams that collaborate in real-time or people looking for a ready-made solution without setup time. Logseq requires an investment in learning the workflow, but rewards that with a flexible system that does exactly what you want.

What can Logseq do?

Logseq is packed with features that help you build knowledge rather than just store it. These are the most important:

• Outliner structure – Everything in Logseq revolves around bullets. Each point can expand, indent, and reference other pages. Perfect for quickly capturing thoughts without thinking about structure.
• Bidirectional links – Type double square brackets [[like this]] and you automatically create a link to a page. Logseq also shows which other pages link to this page, so you discover unexpected connections.
• Daily journal – Every day Logseq automatically opens a new daily page. Write down everything that comes to mind there. Later you can tag important points or drag them to project pages.
• Graph view – A visual map of all your notes and how they’re connected. Useful for seeing patterns in your thinking, but gets messy with hundreds of pages.
• PDF annotation – Drag a PDF into Logseq and you can directly highlight and annotate text. Those highlights are automatically linked to your notes, including page number and citation.
• Queries and filters – Build advanced searches to show, for example, all TODOs from last week, or all notes with a specific tag. Does require some time to learn the query syntax.
• Flashcards and spaced repetition – Turn any bullet point into a flashcard by adding #card after it. Logseq automatically schedules reviews according to the spaced repetition algorithm.
• Whiteboards – A newer feature that allows you to create visual diagrams and drag notes onto a canvas. Useful for mindmaps or planning projects.
• Plugins and themes – The marketplace offers hundreds of community plugins, from Pomodoro timers to Kanban boards. You can also write your own CSS to customize the interface.
• Markdown and Org-mode – Choose between two file formats. Markdown is more accessible, Org-mode offers more power for power users from the Emacs world.

All these features work completely offline. You only need your internet connection if you use the sync service or install plugins.

What does Logseq cost?

The Logseq application itself is completely free. You download the app, point to a folder on your computer, and you’re done. No credit card needed, no trial that expires.

Want to automatically sync your notes between your laptop, phone, and tablet? Then you have three options:

• Free synchronization – Use iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Syncthing, or Git. This works fine for many people, but can cause conflicts if you work on two devices at the same time.
• Logseq Sync (€ 5/month) – The official sync service with end-to-end encryption. More reliable than iCloud, but not cheap if you only need sync.
• Sponsor tier (€ 15/month) – Access to experimental features and insider builds, plus you support the development. Especially interesting if you care deeply about the project.

For most users, the free plan is sufficient. Many people use Git to version and sync their notes, which also provides backups. Another popular solution: Syncthing for direct peer-to-peer sync without cloud.

Compared to Roam Research (€ 15/month required) or Notion (free but cloud-only), Logseq is a bargain. You only pay if you want extra convenience, not for basic functionality.

What should you watch out for?

Logseq is powerful, but not perfect. These are the main pain points users encounter:

The mobile apps are the weak point. Especially on iOS, users complain about crashes, slow loading times, and an interface that doesn’t work well on a small screen. Taking notes on the go is possible, but feels clunky compared to native apps like Apple Notes or Notion.

Synchronization is a source of frustration. iCloud Drive seems logical for Apple users, but regularly causes conflicts when you switch between devices quickly. The official Logseq Sync works better, but feels expensive for what it does. Git is reliable but requires technical knowledge.

Performance becomes an issue with large graphs. Once you have thousands of pages and tens of thousands of bullets, you’ll notice that searching becomes slower and the app sometimes freezes during indexing. The announced database version is supposed to fix this, but it’s been in the works for years.

The learning curve is steeper than competitors. Notion has templates and tutorials, Obsidian feels familiar if you’ve ever used a text editor. Logseq forces you to think in bullets and work with double square brackets. The first week feels awkward.

Development seems to have slowed down. The team is working on a major overhaul (the database version that scales better), but that means bugs in the current version sometimes remain for a long time. The community stays active, but you can tell the core team is small.

Collaboration is almost entirely absent. You can share your graph via Git, but real-time collaboration like in Notion or Google Docs isn’t available. Logseq is built for personal knowledge management, not for teams.

What do others think?

The Logseq community is enthusiastic but realistic. On Reddit and in YouTube reviews, you see a recurring pattern: people love the privacy and flexibility, but are frustrated with the mobile experience and sync issues.

Students swear by the PDF annotation. Finally, they can link highlights from papers directly to their notes without having to switch between apps. The flashcard feature is praised by people learning languages or studying for exams.

Obsidian users who switch appreciate the outliner workflow. Instead of long documents, you write short thoughts that you can rearrange later. That feels more natural for many people, especially when brainstorming or processing meetings.

The criticism focuses mainly on execution. “Great concept, mediocre app” is a commonly heard summary. People want Logseq to work, but run into bugs that have been known for months. The promise of the database version keeps many users on board, but patience is running out.

YouTube reviewers from 2025 are cautiously positive. They acknowledge that Logseq is unique in its approach, but recommend it mainly for desktop users who are willing to handle sync themselves. For people who need a reliable mobile app, they point to Obsidian or Craft.

The community remains active. New plugins appear weekly, and on the forum, experienced users help newcomers with queries and workflows. That community spirit is a strong point, but doesn’t fully compensate for the slow official development.

Logseq alternatives

Logseq doesn’t quite fit what you’re looking for? These are the best alternatives:

• Obsidian – Also local, also with bidirectional links, but focused on long texts instead of bullets. Better mobile app and faster with large vaults. Choose this if you prefer writing essays over creating outlines.
• Roam Research – The original outliner with bidirectional links, but fully cloud-based and € 15/month. Choose this if you’re willing to pay for a polished experience and don’t need local storage.
• Notion – All-in-one workspace with databases, kanban boards, and team collaboration. Much broader than Logseq but less focused on connecting knowledge. Choose this if you’re looking for a project management tool instead of a second brain.
• Remnote – Combines outlining with spaced repetition, specially built for students. Less flexible than Logseq but better integrated flashcards. Choose this if you’re mainly studying and less brainstorming.
• Capacities – Newer tool that centers objects and relationships instead of pages. Modern interface and good mobile app. Choose this if you want a fresh start without the legacy of older tools.

Each of these tools has a free version or trial, so you can experiment comfortably before choosing. Many people eventually use a combination: Logseq for personal knowledge, Notion for projects, Obsidian for long texts.

Frequently asked questions

Is Logseq completely free?

Yes, the desktop and mobile applications are completely free and open-source. You only pay if you want to use the official encrypted synchronization service (Logseq Sync). For sync, you can also use free alternatives like iCloud, Git, or Syncthing.

Where are my notes stored?

Logseq is ‘local-first’, which means all your data is stored locally on your device as plain text files in Markdown or Org-mode format. You are the complete owner of your data and can open the files in any text editor, even without Logseq.

How can I sync my notes between devices?

You have three options: the paid Logseq Sync (€ 5/month), free cloud storage like iCloud Drive or Google Drive, or technical solutions like Git or Syncthing. iCloud can cause conflicts with simultaneous use, Git is more reliable but requires some technical knowledge.

Can I use Logseq for collaboration with my team?

No, Logseq is built for personal use. You can share your graph via Git or a shared folder, but there’s no real-time collaboration like in Notion or Google Docs. For teams, there are better alternatives.

Does Logseq work well on mobile?

The mobile apps are functional but not great. Especially iOS users complain about crashes and slow performance. You can take notes on the go, but the experience isn’t as smooth as native apps. For intensive mobile use, Obsidian or Craft is a better choice.

Can I import my notes from Notion or Obsidian?

Yes, there are community plugins and scripts to import notes from other tools. The quality of the import depends on how complex your original notes are. Simple Markdown files import without problems, databases and embedded content require more manual work.

Conclusion

Logseq is a powerful tool for people who want to get serious about knowledge management without giving up their data. The outliner workflow and bidirectional links make it easy to connect ideas, and the PDF integration is unbeatable for students and researchers.

But it’s not a tool for everyone. The mobile experience is disappointing, sync requires workarounds or a paid subscription, and the learning curve is steep. If you’re looking for a ready-made solution that works right away, you’re better off with Notion or Obsidian.

Choose Logseq if you care about privacy, are willing to invest time in learning the workflow, and mainly work on desktop. The free version is already complete enough to last you for years. And if you don’t like it after all? Your notes are just text files you can take anywhere.

For desktop users who want control over their data, Logseq is one of the best choices. For mobile warriors or teams, there are better alternatives. Just try it – it costs you nothing but some time.