Logseq

Productivity

A privacy-first, open-source knowledge base and outliner that stores notes locally and links them with [[backlinks]].

Open-source alternative to:

Visit Logseq GitHub Docs

AGPL-3.0Self-hostedSome features paywalled

Screenshot of the Logseq website — Homepage of logseq.com

What the free edition leaves out

The free edition is genuinely usable, but some team or enterprise features need a paid plan. “Not confirmed” means the official pages we read did not say, so we do not guess.

Open-core feature checklist for Logseq
Feature	Free edition	Details	Source
SSO / SAML	Not confirmed	Not mentioned on the pages read.	Source ↗
Role-based access control	Not confirmed	Not mentioned on the pages read.	Source ↗
Audit logs	Not confirmed	Not mentioned on the pages read.	Source ↗
Multi-user / teams	Paid	The DB-version docs call Sync (also called RTC, real-time collaboration between users) a paid feature that is currently invite only. It can also be self-hosted.	Source ↗
Backups and restore	Free	DB graphs have hourly automated backups (last 12 kept) on desktop and browser, plus SQLite, EDN and Markdown export and import. The docs warn EDN export alone is not recommended as the only backup.	Source ↗
API access	Free	The README points to a Plugin API, and the DB-version docs describe plugins, a CLI and an MCP server. API access control was not checked.	Source ↗
Support SLA	Not confirmed	No paid support or SLA found; the README points to Discord and GitHub for help.	Source ↗

Best for

Individuals who want an outliner-style, linked notes app that keeps their data on their own device.

Why choose it over Notion

The code is AGPL-3.0 and notes are stored on your own device, so the app works without an account. Exports to SQLite, EDN and Markdown are built in, and there are plugins, themes and desktop, mobile and browser apps.

Where it falls short

The README says the new database version is in beta and the mobile app and real-time sync are alpha, and that data loss is possible, so it recommends backups. Sync and Publish are paid and Sync is invite only; the older docs say Sync did not support sharing with other users. There are no teams, roles or SSO described on the pages read. Compared with Notion, it has no hosted shared workspace that is open to anyone. It is not a drop-in replacement for Notion databases or Roam.

Open-source alternative to

Notion — Logseq is a note-taking and knowledge-management app, so it covers part of what Notion is used for, with local storage instead of a hosted workspace.
Roam Research — Logseq is an outliner with page links and backlinks, the same style of networked note-taking that Roam Research offers.

Topics

Tech stack

Languages as reported by GitHub for the repository.