What is Logseq?
Logseq is an open-source, local-first knowledge base built around blocks and bidirectional links rather than pages. Notes are plain-text Markdown or Org-mode files stored on your own disk, so the graph stays readable and portable outside the app, and it layers PDF annotation, task management and flashcards on top of that outline. It is free and licensed under AGPL-3.0, with development funded through Open Collective rather than a paid tier. The project is splitting into two products: Logseq OG keeps the file-based Markdown graphs, while the main Logseq app moves to a local database for better performance and sync. It suits people who think in outlines and want their notes stored as files they own.
Verified product facts
- Type
- note-taking appEditorially reviewed
- Platform
- macOS
- Apple Silicon
- Yes
- Pricing
- Open sourceDeveloper-stated
- Open source
- Yes
- Developer
- LogseqDeveloper-stated
- Relationship to Nuanyue
- Third-party product — not published by NuanyueEditorially reviewed
- Licence
- AGPL-3.0
- Current version
- 2.0.1Developer-stated
- Official website
- logseq.com/
Last updated . Facts marked developer-stated come from the developer and are not independently confirmed; editorially reviewed marks a Nuanyue judgement.
Key features
What Logseq does at a glance.
Block-based outliner
With bidirectional links and block references
Plain-text Markdown and Org-mode files
Stored locally
PDF annotation and task management
Inside the same graph
Flashcards and queries
Built from your own notes
Plugin and theme ecosystem
With a plugin API
Local-first
Graphs run on your own device, with no account required
What you can use Logseq for
- Writing notes as an outline of linked blocks
- Referencing one block from elsewhere in the graph
- Annotating PDFs inside your notes
- Turning notes into flashcards for review
- Keeping notes as Markdown files you can open outside the app
Who is Logseq for?
- People who think in outlines and want their notes stored as files they own
- Users who want a local-first knowledge base with no account
- Anyone who wants to read and edit their notes outside the app
Who is Logseq not for?
- Anyone who needs settled storage — the 2.0.1 desktop release is labelled Beta Testing and the developers warn that data loss is possible
- Users who want new features while staying on file-based Markdown — Logseq OG receives only security and dependency updates
- People who prefer a conventional page-and-folder editor — Logseq is built on blocks and bidirectional links
Limitations
- The minimum macOS version is not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks
Strengths and trade-offs
What Logseq does well, and what to weigh before choosing it. Points marked developer-stated come from the developer’s own material and have not been independently confirmed.
Strengths
- Released under AGPL-3.0 with the full source on GitHub, so the app can be audited, forked and self-built.
- Notes are stored as plain-text Markdown or Org-mode files in a folder you choose, not in a proprietary database.Developer-stated
- The official release publishes native arm64 (Apple Silicon) and x64 macOS builds, alongside Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Trade-offs
- The current 2.0.1 desktop release is labelled 'Beta Testing': the database version is still beta and the developers warn that data loss is possible.
- The project is mid-split — the file-based version is now Logseq OG and receives only security and dependency updates, with no new features.Developer-stated
First-use experience
What the app asks of you when you set it up. Only established facts appear here; anything we could not confirm is left out rather than guessed at.
- Installation
- Download the .dmg for Apple Silicon (arm64) or Intel (x64) from the official GitHub releases page and drag Logseq to Applications.
- First launch Developer-stated
- Starts by creating or opening a local graph — a folder of Markdown or Org-mode files on disk — rather than a hosted workspace.
- System integration Developer-stated
- Runs as a standalone Electron app that reads and writes a graph folder you pick; no account or sign-in is required.
- Apple Silicon
- Supported
What it does
Logseq is a knowledge base built on blocks and bidirectional links rather than pages and folders. Every line is a block that can be referenced and linked elsewhere in the graph, which is what makes it feel like an outliner first and a document editor second.
It is open source under AGPL-3.0 and local-first: a graph is a folder on your own disk, not a cloud workspace.
Logseq and Logseq OG
The project is splitting into two products:
- Logseq — the database (DB) version, which the developers call “the main version going forward”. It targets better performance, graph synchronisation and collaboration.
- Logseq OG — the original file-based version. It stays in maintenance and receives security and Electron updates, but no new features.
No migration is forced. Markdown will keep working through Logseq OG, and both apps can be installed side by side.
Notes as plain files
A graph is a directory of plain-text Markdown or Org-mode files, so it stays readable and portable outside the app. The DB version keeps its graph on your device as well, and the developers describe it as end-to-end encrypted. PDF annotation, task management, flashcards and queries all sit on top of the same outline.
Beta status
The current 2.0.1 desktop release is labelled “Beta Testing”. The README is explicit that the DB version is in beta and that “data loss is possible”, and recommends automated or regular SQLite backups. Treat it as a working tool, not as settled storage.
Apple Silicon
Logseq publishes a native arm64 macOS build. The 2.0.1 release includes
Logseq-darwin-arm64-2.0.1.dmg for Apple Silicon and
Logseq-darwin-x64-2.0.1.dmg for Intel, so both are first-party downloads from
the official repository.
Release history
Dated releases recorded for Logseq, newest first, each with the source it was read from.
nightly (2.0.2-alpha)
Nightly desktop build on the 2.0.2 alpha line.
Source: Source repository
2.0.1
Current stable desktop release and the first public beta of the database (DB) version.
Source: Source repository
Questions about Logseq
Is Logseq free?
Yes. Logseq is free and open source under AGPL-3.0; development is funded through donations on Open Collective rather than a paid tier.
What license is Logseq released under?
The GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL-3.0), with an additional permission covering a set of Clojure libraries listed in the license file.
Where does Logseq store my notes?
In a local graph folder of plain-text Markdown or Org-mode files that you choose. The app does not require an account, and the files stay readable outside Logseq.Developer-stated
What is the difference between Logseq and Logseq OG?
Logseq is the database version and the main product going forward. Logseq OG is the file-based Markdown version, kept in maintenance with security and Electron updates but no new features.Developer-stated
Does Logseq run on Apple Silicon Macs?
Yes. The official 2.0.1 release ships separate arm64 and x64 macOS builds — Logseq-darwin-arm64-2.0.1.dmg and Logseq-darwin-x64-2.0.1.dmg.
Alternatives to Logseq
Apps that could replace this one — the same job, a different trade-off.
Obsidian
Local-first Markdown notes, with optional paid sync.
Both are local-first note apps that store plain files and link notes together; Obsidian is Markdown-file-first with a larger plugin ecosystem, while Logseq is outline- and block-first and open source under AGPL-3.0.
Competitors
Direct competitors: overlapping features aimed at the same users.
Notion
Hosted workspace for notes, docs, databases and wikis.
Both are knowledge-management tools, but Notion is a hosted cloud workspace with a proprietary block model while Logseq is local-first and keeps notes as plain files.
Compared with
Head-to-head comparisons Nuanyue has published.
Craft
Block-based docs, notes and tasks for Mac, with AI and publishing built in.
Both organise notes as blocks, but Craft is a closed-source, Apple-platforms document app while Logseq is cross-platform and open source.
Similar apps
Related in purpose, but not a straight swap.
Joplin
Open-source markdown notes with end-to-end encryption and sync you control.
Both are open-source note apps that store notes locally, but Joplin is notebook- and note-oriented with sync services while Logseq is a block outliner with a graph view.
Links
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the sources below. Last updated .
- Logseq — official websiteGrade B
- Logseq — developer websiteGrade B
- Logseq — documentationGrade C
- Logseq — source repositoryGrade D
