Joplin vs Logseq

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
FeatureJoplinLogseq
CategoryNotes & Knowledge BaseNotes & Knowledge Base
LicenseAGPL-3.0AGPL-3.0
LanguageTypeScriptClojure
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM256 MB256 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metalbinary, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 55,856★ 44,329
First released20172020
ReplacesEvernote, OneNoteNotion, Roam Research

Why pick each one

Choose Joplin if…

  • Strong privacy with E2EE
  • Flexible sync options
  • Active development
Joplin details

Choose Logseq if…

  • Local-first and private
  • Great for linked thinking
  • Files stay portable
Logseq details

Frequently asked questions

Is Joplin or Logseq better?

Neither is universally better. Joplin has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Joplin and Logseq free and open-source?

Yes. Joplin is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Logseq under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Joplin and Logseq with Docker?

Joplin: yes. Logseq: check the project docs for container support.

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