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.
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.
Based on the documented differences below. Your priorities can change the choice.Its documented vault model remains based on local Markdown.
All collaborators need Sync. Shared vaults do not provide live co-editing cursors or fine-grained permissions.
SourceIts node and property model supports that style of organization, with edition-specific constraints.
The current main repository labels the database version beta and recommends a noncritical test graph.
SourcePublished prices keep their original currency and billing terms. Taxes, promotions and checkout prices can differ.
No account or paid license required
AvailabilityGlobal
Free for personal and commercial use.
SourceBilled monthly per user
AvailabilityUSD list price
1 vault, 1 GB storage and 5 MB maximum file.
SourceBilled annually per user
AvailabilityUSD list price
Annual total calculated from the advertised $4 per month billed annually.
SourceBilled monthly per user
AvailabilityUSD list price
10 vaults, 10 GB storage and 200 MB maximum file.
SourceBilled annually per site
AvailabilityUSD list price
Annual total calculated from $8 per month billed annually; separate from Sync.
SourceOpen-source application
AvailabilityGlobal
File-based OG and DB edition are distinct. DB is currently described as beta.
Source 1Source 2Current enrollment and edition need verification
AvailabilityNot established
Current DB documentation lists Sync access for OpenCollective Backers ($5/month) and Sponsors ($15/month). The main README still directs RTC users to an alpha signup. Enrollment and checkout were not verified, so these contribution levels are not presented as a confirmed subscription price.
Source 1Source 2Source 3Enter the offers you see at checkout. These are your estimates, separate from our sourced prices above. Use the same currency and region for every offer. This worksheet supports monthly bills, annual bills and purchases that cover the full year. Day-based passes and introductory rates need their actual renewal schedule checked separately.
The scenario starts with a payment today and assumes 12 months of use at the same entered price, including any renewal. Monthly extras repeat 12 times; one-time extras are counted once. It excludes discounts, price changes, refunds, cancellation fees and anything you have not entered. Amounts are rounded to the currency’s usual precision. Confirm the actual charge and contract with the vendor.
Entries stay in this page while it is open. They are not saved or included in shared links.
13 features
Row headings group related topics. Each answer keeps its specific scope. An unverified answer means we do not have enough evidence.
Offline access
The local vault remains available without a connection; Sync merges changes when connectivity returns.
Storage format
Notes are Markdown text in a local folder and can be edited with other text editors.
Shared vaults
All collaborators need Sync. Shared vaults do not provide live co-editing cursors or fine-grained permissions.
Portability
Markdown files are directly accessible. Vault settings and extensions live separately in the .obsidian folder.
DB export
DB offers SQLite with assets, EDN and standard Markdown exports. Markdown does not preserve every graph property.
Not yet verified for this product.
Notion migration
API import converts databases and formulas to Bases with limitations. ZIP import does not preserve databases.
File to DB migration
The importer has documented limits where multiple queries or embeds share one old block.
Core app cost
Core use is free without a mandatory account. Sync and Publish are optional services.
Use at work
Commercial use is free; the paid commercial license is optional support.
Not yet verified for this product.
Team limit
A shared vault supports at most 20 collaborators according to the current help page.
Not yet verified for this product.
Not yet verified for this product.
Linked structure
DB nodes combine page and block behavior with properties, tags and linked references.
Not yet verified for this product.
Release status
The current main repository labels the database version beta and recommends a noncritical test graph.
Not yet verified for this product.
| Feature | Obsidian | Logseq |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Devices Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android apps are documented. Vendor documentedSource | Devices Desktop, mobile and browser options exist; DB mobile readiness differs from the OG app. |
| Offline use | Offline access The local vault remains available without a connection; Sync merges changes when connectivity returns. Vendor documentedSource | Local data OG uses local file graphs. DB graph directories hold db.sqlite and a separate assets folder. |
| Edition distinction | Storage format Notes are Markdown text in a local folder and can be edited with other text editors. Vendor documentedSource | Edition distinction OG supports Markdown and Org-mode. DB graphs use SQLite rather than the same file graph layout. |
| Collaboration | Shared vaults All collaborators need Sync. Shared vaults do not provide live co-editing cursors or fine-grained permissions. Vendor documentedSource | Collaboration maturity The current repository describes DB real-time collaboration as alpha. The older file-sync guide explicitly excludes multi-person collaboration. |
| Export | Portability Markdown files are directly accessible. Vault settings and extensions live separately in the .obsidian folder. Vendor documentedSource | DB export DB offers SQLite with assets, EDN and standard Markdown exports. Markdown does not preserve every graph property. Vendor documentedSource |
| Privacy and storage | Sync privacy Official Sync documents end-to-end encryption; local-only use does not send notes to Obsidian. | Not yet verified for this product. |
| Project portability | Notion migration API import converts databases and formulas to Bases with limitations. ZIP import does not preserve databases. Vendor documentedSource | File to DB migration The importer has documented limits where multiple queries or embeds share one old block. Vendor documentedSource |
| Free plan limits | Core app cost Core use is free without a mandatory account. Sync and Publish are optional services. Vendor documentedSource | Local app Open-source local applications are available; hosted sync enrollment is separate. |
| Use at work | Use at work Commercial use is free; the paid commercial license is optional support. Vendor documentedSource | Not yet verified for this product. |
| Team limit | 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. | Linked structure DB nodes combine page and block behavior with properties, tags and linked references. Vendor documentedSource |
| Release status | Not yet verified for this product. | Release status 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. | DB backup format A graph directory contains db.sqlite plus assets. A database-only backup does not include the separate assets folder. |
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 2Obsidian 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 2Obsidian'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 3Official 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. Current DB documentation lists Sync access for OpenCollective Backers ($5/month) and Sponsors ($15/month). The main README also directs people to an RTC alpha signup. These different access descriptions do not establish the complete enrollment process or a verified checkout price for a particular account. Confirm eligibility and edition before contributing.
Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4Moving 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 2Choose 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 3Obsidian 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.
The OG edition is file-based. The newer DB edition uses SQLite and has different export behavior. Specify the edition.
Its core app is proprietary, even though the notes are ordinary files and many community extensions expose their source.
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.
help.obsidian.md
help.obsidian.md
obsidian.md
help.obsidian.md
obsidian.md
github.com · The document header retains its 28 April 2026 scope. Its current Sync section lists OpenCollective contributor access, while the main README still links an RTC alpha signup. Enrollment remains unresolved.
github.com · Current README describes DB beta and mobile/RTC alpha.
blog.logseq.com · Published 31 August 2024. Its price and collaboration details are explicitly scoped to the older file-sync beta.
Note-taking · Choose Joplin when notebook organization and an Evernote import route fit your archive. Choose Obsidian when direct access to ordinary Markdown files is a firm requirement. Both offer free local use. Cloud sync is a separate decision, with different storage limits and currencies. This is a documentation comparison, not a matched speed or reliability test.
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.
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.
