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Beaver Notes vs Logseq

Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.

Beaver Notes

Open-source, local-first Markdown notes app for desktop

Free

Logseq

Open-source outliner for linked notes stored as local files

Free plan · from $5/mo

Where they differ

  • Beaver Notes is free. Logseq starts at $5 per month for Open Collective backers, which unlocks Logseq Sync.
  • Only Logseq lists a web app.
  • Only Logseq lists iOS and Android apps.
  • Logseq also covers whiteboard and daily notes.
In commonFree planmacOSWindowsLinuxOpen sourceLocal-firstNotesMarkdownLinked notes

At a glance

Beaver NotesLogseq
PricingFreeFree plan
Starts atFree$5 per month for Open Collective backers, which unlocks Logseq Sync
Free planThe whole app is free and open source under the MIT license, with no account and no monthly fee. The project says it will stay free and takes donations.The desktop, web and mobile apps are free and open source, and no commercial license is needed for personal or company use. Syncing between devices is the paid part.
Free trialNone listedNone listed
Web
macOS
Windows
Linux
iOS
Android
Made byBeaver NotesLogseq, Inc.
Price read fromraw.githubusercontent.comopencollective.com
CheckedOct 9, 2026Oct 4, 2026

Who each one suits

Beaver Notes

  • People who want notes kept on their own device with no account
  • Windows, Mac and Linux users looking for an MIT-licensed notes app
  • Markdown note-takers who want math, diagrams and file attachments

Logseq

  • People who think in outlines and want their notes as plain-text files
  • Students and researchers who annotate PDFs and manage sources in Zotero
  • Users who prefer open-source software licensed under AGPL-3.0

Worth knowing

Beaver Notes

  • The stable release, 4.4.0, covers Windows, macOS and Linux only; the site says a mobile app is in the works and takes beta sign-ups.
  • There is no hosted sync yet: you pick a folder in your own cloud or sync service. A hosted option, BeaverSync, is announced for later this year.
  • Version 5 is a rewrite still in beta; real-time collaboration, version history, backlinks and plugins are planned for it.
  • The docs say auto sync does not work on Linux folders mounted through GVFS.

Logseq

  • Sync is not part of the free app: Logseq Sync is in beta and limited to active Open Collective contributors paying $5 or $15 per month.
  • Logseq 2.0, the database version, is still in beta, and its release notes advise backing up data before testing it.
  • The mobile app for the database version is in alpha on iOS only, with Android listed as coming soon.

Key features

Beaver Notes

Local Markdown notes
Notes are stored on your device and written in Markdown, with LaTeX equations, code blocks and Mermaid diagrams. No account or server is involved.
Note linking and labels
Notes can link to one another, and labels typed with a # sort and filter them. Home and Archive views show notes as cards that can be bookmarked.
Command Prompt
A command palette, available on every page, searches notes by title, content or label and runs commands such as opening settings.
Locked notes
A note can be locked with a password, which encrypts its content until the password is entered again.
Files, audio and drawings
PDFs, presentations, images and audio can be placed inside notes, and sketches or handwritten sections can be inserted as drawings.
Sync through your own storage
Sync works by choosing a folder inside a service such as Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud or Syncthing, with an auto-sync option or manual sync buttons.

Logseq

Outliner on local files
Notes are nested bullet blocks saved as plain-text Markdown or Org-mode files on your device.
References, backlinks and knowledge graph
Pages and blocks can be referenced or embedded anywhere else, with backlinks and a graph showing how pages connect.
Journals, tasks and queries
A journals page collects dated entries, tasks and to-dos sit inside the outline, and queries pull matching blocks into one place.
Whiteboards
A spatial canvas where blocks from your notes sit next to shapes, drawings, website embeds and connectors.
PDF highlights and flashcards
Highlight PDFs inside the app, bring in references through the Zotero integration and review notes as spaced-repetition cards.
Logseq Sync and the DB version
Logseq Sync (beta) encrypts and syncs up to 10 graphs for backers. Logseq 2.0, a database-based version with real-time collaboration sync, is in beta.

Plans

Beaver Notes

  • Beaver Notes$0

    The full desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux, as installers or through Scoop, Homebrew, Flatpak and the AUR.

Logseq

  • Free$0

    The full app with local graphs. No commercial license is required for personal or company use.

  • Backers$5

    per month, as an Open Collective contribution

    Monthly donation that gives access to Logseq Sync (beta) for up to 10 graphs, plus early access to insider builds.

  • Sponsors$15

    per month, as an Open Collective contribution

    A larger monthly donation with the same Logseq Sync access and early access to insider builds.

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