Logseq vs Octarine
We give Logseq a 3.6 GPA and Octarine a 3.4, out of 4.0. Logseq grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
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
Free plan · from $5/mo
Octarine
Local Markdown notes app with daily notes, views and optional AI
Free plan · from $79 one-time
How we grade them
| 3.6GPALogseqExcellent | 3.4GPAOctarineVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe only paid part is Logseq Sync, which comes with a $5 a month Open Collective contribution. That's about the usual price for a notes app here, and it buys sync for up to 10 graphs plus insider builds. Sync is still in beta, so you're backing a project as much as buying a service. | BPro is $79 once, on 3 devices at a time, with every later Pro feature included. That's about 13 months of a typical $5.99 a month plan here, so just past our line for an A. The docs say the price goes up as Pro features are added, and the AI still needs your own API key. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe desktop, web and mobile apps are free and open source, with no commercial licence needed for personal or company use. You get the full app with local graphs. Most people could stay here, as long as they sort out moving files between devices themselves. | APersonal is free: the WYSIWYG editor, unlimited workspaces, daily and weekly notes, graph view, full-text search, templates and Mermaid diagrams. The vendor says the core features will always be free. Most people could stay here. You also get 7 days of Pro with the download. |
| Features | ANested blocks you can reference or embed anywhere, backlinks, a knowledge graph, a journals page, tasks, queries, whiteboards, PDF highlighting and spaced-repetition flashcards. That's the whole job of a notes app and then some. | AWikilinks to a note or a single heading, backlinks, a graph, and a Daily Desk that moves yesterday's unfinished tasks into today. A Spotlight-style capture window drops thoughts into an Inbox. Pro adds properties, table and kanban views, note sharing and a chat over your notes. |
| Ease of use | BIt's an outliner, so you start by typing bullets on today's journal page. Queries and block references take longer to get your head round. No App Store rating is on record to go by, so a B is as high as we go. | BNo store rating to go on, so a B is our ceiling. It's a normal install, you edit the formatted page directly, and the main features are there without adding plugins. Sync is yours to arrange, through a file-sync service or the built-in Git sync. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, with a Zotero integration for references. Because notes are plain Markdown or Org-mode files, other editors can open them too. | BMac, Windows and Linux, a browser clipper, and Git sync to GitHub or GitLab. On phones there's only an iOS beta on TestFlight for eligible Pro users, and no Android app is listed. So it's a desktop app for now. |
| Best for | linked outlines kept as plain files you own | Markdown notes on a desktop with the extras built in |
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: Logseq and Octarine. How we grade
Where they differ
- Logseq starts at $5 per month for Open Collective backers, which unlocks Logseq Sync. Octarine starts at $79 one-time purchase.
- Only Logseq lists a web app.
- Only Logseq lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Octarine lists a browser extension.
- Logseq is open source, according to its own site.
- Octarine can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Logseq also covers whiteboard.
In commonFree planmacOSWindowsLinuxLocal-firstNotesMarkdownLinked notesDaily notes
At a glance
| Logseq | Octarine | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5 per month for Open Collective backers, which unlocks Logseq Sync | $79 one-time purchase |
| Free plan | 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. | Personal: the WYSIWYG editor, unlimited workspaces, daily and weekly notes, graph view, full-text search, templates, 4 themes and txt export. The vendor says the core features will always be free. |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day trial of Pro features included with the download |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Logseq, Inc. | Rajat Kulkarni |
| Price read from | opencollective.com | octarine.app |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Octarine
- Writers who want Markdown notes kept as local files
- People who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
- Those who want linking, daily notes and views built in, not added as plugins
Worth knowing
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.
Octarine
- Properties, filtered views, note types, focus mode, note sharing and every AI feature need the $79 Pro license.
- There is no public phone app: an iOS beta runs on TestFlight for eligible Pro users, and no Android app is listed.
- AI features need your own API key or a local model, and syncing relies on a file-sync service or the built-in Git sync.
- Pricing is early-access: the docs say the price goes up as Pro features are added, while earlier buyers keep all future Pro features.
Key features
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.
Octarine
- Markdown files you keep
- Notes are plain Markdown files in a workspace folder you pick, and core note-taking works offline. Files sync through any file-sync service or the built-in Git sync to GitHub or GitLab.
- Daily Desk
- Daily and weekly notes are part of the free plan, and unfinished tasks from yesterday's note can be moved into today's without copying.
- Links, backlinks and graph
- Wikilinks can point at a note or a single heading and carry an alias. Backlinks and mentions are listed in their own sheet, and a graph view maps the workspace.
- Properties and Views
- On Pro, Note Types start new notes with a set of properties, and Views filter, sort and group notes by any property in a table or kanban layout.
- Quick Capture and Inbox
- A Spotlight-style window opens over any app to take down a thought, which lands in an Inbox to be sorted into notes later.
- Ask Octarine and Writing Assistant
- On Pro, a chat over your notes can create, update and move notes, and an assistant rewrites text inline. Both need your own API key or a local LLM.
Plans
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.
Octarine
Personal$0
WYSIWYG editor, unlimited workspaces, daily and weekly notes, graph view, full-text search, templates, Mermaid diagrams, 4 themes and txt export.
Pro$79
one-time purchase
Adds properties, filtered views, note types, focus mode, note sharing, AI tools, 30+ themes and PDF, HTML and DOCX export. One key works on 3 devices at a time.
