Logseq vs org-roam
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
org-roam
Plain-text personal knowledge management for Emacs
| Feature | Logseq | org-roam |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 68 · Good |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Clojure | Emacs Lisp |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 45,040 | ★ 6,030 |
| First released | 2020 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Notion, Roam Research | Roam Research, Obsidian |
What are Logseq and org-roam?
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
org-roam
Org-roam is a plain-text personal knowledge management system for Emacs that brings Zettelkasten-style note-taking on top of Org-mode files. It maintains a database of links between notes for backlinks and graph views.
- Zettelkasten workflow
- Backlinks panel
- Org-mode based
- Link graph
Logseq vs org-roam: key differences
Logseq is written in Clojure, while org-roam is built with Emacs Lisp. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Logseq versus GPL-3.0 for org-roam. Org-roam is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Logseq. Logseq has the considerably larger community, at 45,040 GitHub stars versus 6,030.
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 org-roam if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Mature project with 6k GitHub stars
- Written in Emacs Lisp
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Logseq or org-roam better?
Logseq is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider org-roam if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Logseq and org-roam free and open-source?
Yes. Logseq is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and org-roam under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Logseq and org-roam with Docker?
Logseq: check the project docs for container support. org-roam: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Logseq or org-roam?
org-roam has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Logseq. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.