Logseq vs nb Notes
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Logseq
Privacy-first outliner for networked thought
VS
nb Notes
Command-line note-taking, bookmarking, and archiving tool
| Feature | Logseq | nb Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Clojure | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 45,040 | ★ 8,410 |
| First released | 2020 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Notion, Roam Research | Evernote, Notion |
What are Logseq and nb Notes?
Logseq
Logseq is a privacy-first, local-first outliner for knowledge management and networked note-taking using plain Markdown files. It targets users who want a graph-based personal knowledge tool. It runs as a desktop app with optional file syncing.
- Outliner with bidirectional links
- Plain Markdown file storage
- Graph view of notes
- Plugin marketplace
nb Notes
nb is a command-line and local web tool for plain-text note-taking, bookmarking, and archiving with Git-backed versioning and syncing. It works entirely in the terminal and supports encryption.
- Plain-text notes and bookmarks
- Git-backed sync
- Optional encryption
- Tagging and search
Logseq vs nb Notes: key differences
Logseq is written in Clojure, while nb Notes is built with Shell. Nb Notes is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Logseq. Logseq has the considerably larger community, at 45,040 GitHub stars versus 8,410.
Why pick each one
Choose Logseq if…
- Local-first and private
- Great for linked thinking
- Files stay portable
Watch out for
- Not a hosted server
- Performance dips on huge graphs
Choose nb Notes if…
- Powerful for terminal users
- Versioned with Git
Watch out for
- Command-line only
- No graphical client
Frequently asked questions
Is Logseq or nb Notes better?
Neither is universally better. Logseq has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Logseq and nb Notes free and open-source?
Yes. Logseq is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and nb Notes under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Logseq and nb Notes with Docker?
Logseq: check the project docs for container support. nb Notes: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Logseq or nb Notes?
nb Notes has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Logseq. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.