Foam vs Logseq (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Logseq grades higher than Foam: 3.0 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 2, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Foam grades higher on the free plan. Logseq grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Logseq
Open-source outliner for linked notes stored as local files
Which one is for you
Pick Foam if
- Fits if you already live in VS Code and keep notes as Markdown files
- Works for people who want notes in Git with no vendor lock-in
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a phone app, as there isn't one
- Not for you if you don't use VS Code, since it runs only inside that editor
- Watch out: it is a code editor with notes added, which is heavy for a quick shopping list
- Watch out: it sends anonymous usage data and follows VS Code's telemetry setting
Pick Logseq if
- Fits if you think in outlines and want your notes as plain-text files on your own device
- Works for students who highlight PDFs and keep their sources in Zotero
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you expect free sync between phone and laptop, as Logseq Sync is for backers paying $5 or $15 a month
- Not for you if beta software makes you nervous, since Sync and the database version are both beta, and backups are advised
- Tight if you're on Android and want the new database version, whose mobile app is an iOS-only alpha
- Too light for connecting other apps, with Zotero and YouTube the only integrations and no API listed
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAFoamGood | 3.0GPALogseqVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source with no subscription. You also need VS Code, which the docs call free. | AThe apps are free and open source, with no commercial license needed even at work, in a category whose middle plan is $6 a month. The only paid part is Logseq Sync, which comes with a $5 a month Open Collective contribution. |
| Free plan and trial | AEverything is free, with no plan limits and no paid tier. | BThe desktop, web and mobile apps are free with local graphs, and one person on one machine could live on that. Sync isn't in it, though: Logseq Sync is for backers paying $5 or $15 a month, so moving files between devices is otherwise your job. |
| Features | CWikilinks, backlinks, a graph view, daily notes, templates and Git-based sync. It has no mobile app, and the docs offer capture from a phone only as a workaround through other apps. | BNested blocks you can reference or embed anywhere, backlinks, a knowledge graph, journals, tasks, queries, whiteboards, PDF highlighting and spaced-repetition flashcards. The whole job, then, but two big pieces are beta: Logseq Sync and the Logseq 2.0 database version. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. You install VS Code and the extension, and it works as plain files and commands, which suits developers more than most note-takers. | CIt's an outliner, so you start by typing bullets on today's journal page, and queries and block references take a good while to click. No App Store rating is on record to go by, so that curve is what we go on. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac, Windows and Linux desktops only, through VS Code. A command-line tool with an MCP server exists, but nothing for phones or the web. | BWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, and because notes are plain Markdown or Org-mode files other editors open them too. Zotero and YouTube are the only integrations listed, with no API, which is what keeps it off the top mark. |
| Best for | linked Markdown notes inside VS Code | linked outlines kept as plain files you own |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Foam and Logseq. How we grade
Price against what you get
Foam has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Logseq starts at $5 a month and scores 2.7.
Logseq scores higher, and starts $5 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other note-taking apps on the chart, none scores higher than Foam for less, and 11 score higher than Logseq for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Foam also covers templates.
- Logseq also covers notes and whiteboard.
At a glance
| Foam | Logseq | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $5 per month for Open Collective backers, which unlocks Logseq Sync |
| Free plan | Everything is free; the project says it has no subscriptions. | 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 trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Foam | Logseq, Inc. |
| Price read from | docs.foam.md | opencollective.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 2, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Foam
- It runs inside VS Code, so you install the editor as well as the extension.
- The docs describe mobile capture as a workaround through other apps; there is no Foam mobile app.
- It collects anonymous usage data and follows VS Code's telemetry setting.
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
Foam
- Wikilinks and backlinks
- Link notes with double brackets; a Connections panel shows what links to the current note.
- Graph view
- Visualize how your notes connect to one another.
- Daily notes and templates
- Create timestamped daily notes and standard note templates.
- Plain Markdown files
- Notes are ordinary Markdown files you own, with embeds, block anchors, tags and footnotes.
- Git and publishing
- Sync through source control and publish to GitHub Pages, Netlify, Vercel and other hosts.
- Command line and MCP server
- A CLI includes an MCP server for AI clients; it is read-only unless writes are allowed.
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
Foam
Foam$0
Free, open-source VS Code extension. You also need VS Code, which the docs call free.
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Foam or Logseq?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Foam is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $5 a month for Logseq. Foam is free, and Logseq starts at $5 per month for Open Collective backers, which unlocks Logseq Sync.
Which has a free plan, Foam or Logseq?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Foam and Logseq have a free plan.
Which platforms do Foam and Logseq run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Logseq lists a web app and iOS and Android apps. Both list macOS, Windows and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.