What Logseq Does
- Outliner — everything is a bullet/block
- Bidirectional links —
[[page]]creates two-way connections - Block references — embed any block in any page
- Graph view — visual map of connections
- Queries — Datalog-based queries across your knowledge base
- Templates — reusable block templates
- Flashcards — spaced repetition from blocks
- Whiteboards — visual canvas (beta)
- Plugins — 200+ community plugins
- Local files — Markdown or Org-mode on disk
Architecture
Electron app + ClojureScript. Data stored as Markdown files on local filesystem. Datascript (Datalog) in-memory database indexes blocks for queries and graph. Optional Logseq Sync (E2EE) for cross-device.
Comparison
| App | Data Model | Storage | Open Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logseq | Outliner + graph | Local files | Yes |
| Obsidian | Vault + plugins | Local files | No |
| Roam Research | Outliner + graph | Cloud | No |
| Notion | Database + blocks | Cloud | No |
| Joplin | Notebooks | SQLite + sync | Yes |
FAQ
Q: Logseq vs Obsidian? A: Logseq is outliner-first (journal-driven, strong block references); Obsidian is document-first (better for long-form, larger plugin ecosystem). Both use local Markdown files. Depends on your note-taking habits.
Q: Data export? A: The data is simply Markdown files on your disk, directly usable. Zero migration cost.
Sources
- Docs: https://docs.logseq.com
- GitHub: https://github.com/logseq/logseq
- License: AGPL 3.0