You want direct access to your notes as a folder of files
Its documented vault model remains based on local Markdown.
Obsidian vs Logseq
The important question is no longer simply whether you prefer documents or outlines. Logseq now has a file-based OG edition and a newer database edition with different storage and migration behavior. Compare the exact edition you intend to install before making promises about portability or collaboration.
Which software fits your needs
Linked outlines and graph properties are central to your workflow
Its node and property model supports that style of organization, with edition-specific constraints.
The short answer
Obsidian is the clearer shortlist choice when you specifically want a vault of Markdown files. Logseq is worth evaluating when linked blocks and structured graph workflows match how you think. Treat its newer database edition as an evolving product with a separate backup and migration plan.
Prices and billing terms
Published prices keep their original currency and billing terms. Taxes, promotions and checkout prices can differ.
Obsidian
Core
Free
No account or paid license required
AvailabilityGlobal
Free for personal and commercial use.
SourceSync Standard — monthly
USD 5.00/month
Billed monthly per user
AvailabilityUSD list price
1 vault, 1 GB storage and 5 MB maximum file.
SourceSync Standard — annual
USD 48.00/year
Billed annually per user
AvailabilityUSD list price
Annual total calculated from the advertised $4 per month billed annually.
SourceSync Plus — monthly
USD 10.00/month
Billed monthly per user
AvailabilityUSD list price
10 vaults, 10 GB storage and 200 MB maximum file.
SourcePublish — annual
USD 96.00/year
Billed annually per site
AvailabilityUSD list price
Annual total calculated from $8 per month billed annually; separate from Sync.
SourceLogseq
The details, side by side
13 features
Documented differences. An unverified answer means we do not have enough evidence.
Platforms
Offline use
Obsidian
The local vault remains available without a connection; Sync merges changes when connectivity returns.
Vendor documentedSource
Edition distinction
Obsidian
Notes are Markdown text in a local folder and can be edited with other text editors.
Vendor documentedSource
Collaboration
Obsidian
All collaborators need Sync. Shared vaults do not provide live co-editing cursors or fine-grained permissions.
Vendor documentedSource
Export
Obsidian
Markdown files are directly accessible. Vault settings and extensions live separately in the .obsidian folder.
Vendor documentedSource
Logseq
DB offers SQLite with assets, EDN and standard Markdown exports. Markdown does not preserve every graph property.
Vendor documentedSource
Privacy and storage
Logseq
Not yet verified for this product.
Project portability
Obsidian
API import converts databases and formulas to Bases with limitations. ZIP import does not preserve databases.
Vendor documentedSource
Logseq
The importer has documented limits where multiple queries or embeds share one old block.
Vendor documentedSource
Free plan limits
Obsidian
Core use is free without a mandatory account. Sync and Publish are optional services.
Vendor documentedSource
Use at work
Obsidian
Commercial use is free; the paid commercial license is optional support.
Vendor documentedSource
Logseq
Not yet verified for this product.
Team limit
Obsidian
A shared vault supports at most 20 collaborators according to the current help page.
Vendor documentedSource
Logseq
Not yet verified for this product.
Linked structure
Obsidian
Not yet verified for this product.
Logseq
DB nodes combine page and block behavior with properties, tags and linked references.
Vendor documentedSource
Release status
Obsidian
Not yet verified for this product.
Logseq
The current main repository labels the database version beta and recommends a noncritical test graph.
Vendor documentedSource
DB backup format
Obsidian
Not yet verified for this product.
| Feature | Obsidian | Logseq |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android apps are documented. Vendor documentedSource | Desktop, mobile and browser options exist; DB mobile readiness differs from the OG app. |
| Offline use | The local vault remains available without a connection; Sync merges changes when connectivity returns. Vendor documentedSource | OG uses local file graphs. DB graph directories hold db.sqlite and a separate assets folder. |
| Edition distinction | Notes are Markdown text in a local folder and can be edited with other text editors. Vendor documentedSource | OG supports Markdown and Org-mode. DB graphs use SQLite rather than the same file graph layout. |
| Collaboration | All collaborators need Sync. Shared vaults do not provide live co-editing cursors or fine-grained permissions. Vendor documentedSource | The current repository describes DB real-time collaboration as alpha. The older file-sync guide explicitly excludes multi-person collaboration. |
| Export | Markdown files are directly accessible. Vault settings and extensions live separately in the .obsidian folder. Vendor documentedSource | DB offers SQLite with assets, EDN and standard Markdown exports. Markdown does not preserve every graph property. Vendor documentedSource |
| Privacy and storage | Official Sync documents end-to-end encryption; local-only use does not send notes to Obsidian. | Not yet verified for this product. |
| Project portability | API import converts databases and formulas to Bases with limitations. ZIP import does not preserve databases. Vendor documentedSource | The importer has documented limits where multiple queries or embeds share one old block. Vendor documentedSource |
| Free plan limits | Core use is free without a mandatory account. Sync and Publish are optional services. Vendor documentedSource | Open-source local applications are available; hosted sync enrollment is separate. |
| Use at work | Commercial use is free; the paid commercial license is optional support. Vendor documentedSource | Not yet verified for this product. |
| Team limit | A shared vault supports at most 20 collaborators according to the current help page. Vendor documentedSource | Not yet verified for this product. |
| Linked structure | Not yet verified for this product. | DB nodes combine page and block behavior with properties, tags and linked references. Vendor documentedSource |
| Release status | Not yet verified for this product. | The current main repository labels the database version beta and recommends a noncritical test graph. Vendor documentedSource |
| DB backup format | Not yet verified for this product. | A graph directory contains db.sqlite plus assets. A database-only backup does not include the separate assets folder. |
Begin with the Logseq edition
A broad Logseq label hides a major decision. The OG repository describes the file-based application, including Markdown and Org-mode support. The main repository now documents database graphs and labels that edition beta. Its new mobile and real-time collaboration work are described as alpha. This is not a claim that every Logseq installation is unstable; it is a reason to identify the exact product being compared. If you are following an old tutorial, confirm which edition it uses before installing extensions or importing an existing graph.
Source 1Source 2Compare the unit of work
Obsidian notes are files inside a vault. Logseq DB describes nodes that bring pages and blocks closer together, with properties and linked references. Those structures encourage different habits. For a writer producing finished articles, a document can be a natural unit. For someone recording a daily stream of small connected ideas, individual blocks may be more natural. This is an editorial fit judgment rather than a speed claim. Write the same short research session in each model and see whether the resulting structure still makes sense the next morning.
Source 1Source 2Local storage does not mean identical portability
Obsidian's text files can be inspected directly with another editor. In Logseq DB, a graph directory contains db.sqlite and a separate assets folder. That does not make the database inaccessible, but it changes the backup and external-editing workflow. Logseq's standard Markdown export does not preserve every property or timestamp. Keep a native backup for restoration and a readable export for access outside the app. Do not assume one format serves both purposes equally well. The right choice depends on what you need to preserve, not simply whether a product advertises local data.
Source 1Source 2Source 3Check sync and collaboration separately
Official Obsidian Sync is optional and its shared vaults have a different model from a live browser document. Logseq's older file-sync guide explicitly excludes multiple people editing the same graph, while the newer repository describes an alpha collaboration system for DB graphs. Those statements refer to different systems. The older guide also quotes contribution-based access, which this comparison does not promote as a verified current DB subscription price. Before paying, establish your edition, eligible devices and current enrollment terms. Avoid designing a team process around a feature that is still a test program.
Source 1Source 2Source 3Treat migration as a structural conversion
Moving between tools can change the meaning of links, properties and embedded content even when the words survive. Logseq's file-to-DB importer documents cases where several queries or embeds in one block do not all transfer. A folder of readable files also does not guarantee that another application understands every special syntax inside them. Choose a sample containing your actual complexity: a query, a reference, an attachment and a repeated daily-note pattern. Inspect the result and keep the source intact. This research has not executed that migration or verified extension compatibility.
Source 1Source 2A practical decision rule
Choose Obsidian when direct file access is a firm requirement and you want to build around that constraint. Choose Logseq when its structure solves a specific problem well enough to justify learning the edition's current behavior. With the DB beta, use a dedicated noncritical graph first, as the repository itself recommends. Decide what would make you stop the trial before moving a permanent archive. The useful outcome is a system you can keep writing in, back up and leave if necessary. Neither popularity nor an elaborate graph visualization is a substitute for those checks.
Source 1Source 2Source 3Our take
Obsidian is the simpler fit for a deliberate Markdown-file archive. Logseq can suit linked block workflows, but its OG and DB editions should be evaluated separately. Do not merge their sync, storage or maturity claims.
Common questions
Is Logseq still based on Markdown files?
The OG edition is file-based. The newer DB edition uses SQLite and has different export behavior. Specify the edition.
Is Obsidian open source?
Its core app is proprietary, even though the notes are ordinary files and many community extensions expose their source.
Check the sources
Evidence used for this comparison. A checked date records when we reviewed the source, not a promise that the vendor has made no changes since.
- Collaborate on a shared vault (opens in a new tab)
help.obsidian.md
- Import from Notion (opens in a new tab)
help.obsidian.md
- Obsidian pricing (opens in a new tab)
obsidian.md
- How Obsidian stores data (opens in a new tab)
help.obsidian.md
- Obsidian Sync plans (opens in a new tab)
obsidian.md
- Logseq DB documentation (opens in a new tab)
github.com · Document describes functionality as of 28 April 2026. Live read on 17 September.
- Logseq main repository (opens in a new tab)
github.com · Current README describes DB beta and mobile/RTC alpha.
- File-based Logseq Sync guide (opens in a new tab)
blog.logseq.com · Published 31 August 2024. Its price and collaboration details are explicitly scoped to the older file-sync beta.
Keep comparing
Notion vs Obsidian: shared workspace or personal knowledge base?
Note-taking · Start with Notion for an ongoing team process with shared pages and structured records. Start with Obsidian for a personal archive you want to control as files. Neither wins every workflow and neither should be chosen solely because an old comparison says the other cannot work offline.
Obsidian vs Bear: file control or focused Apple writing?
Note-taking · Shortlist Obsidian for direct file access and a mixed Windows, Linux or Apple setup. Shortlist Bear when your daily writing happens on Apple devices and you prefer its focused notes model. Browser access does not erase Bear's native-platform limits.
Evernote vs Joplin: managed capture or an open-source archive?
Note-taking · Shortlist Joplin when you want an open-source notebook and a choice of storage service. Keep Evernote in the shortlist when capture and archive retrieval are already valuable enough to justify the plan. Do a representative migration test before canceling or deleting anything.