Logseq vs Zettel Notes
We give Logseq a 3.6 GPA and Zettel Notes a 3.2, out of 4.0. Logseq grades higher on platforms. Zettel Notes grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on 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
Zettel Notes
Android Markdown note app built around the Zettelkasten method
How we grade them
| 3.6GPALogseqExcellent | 3.2GPAZettel NotesVery 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. | AThe app itself is $0. The extras are separate plugin apps you buy once on Google Play: $0.99 for the cheapest and $2.99 to $5.99 for most. Paid note apps typically start at about $5.99 every month. |
| 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. | AThe free app has no ads and includes Markdown notes, backlinks, encryption, templates and all four ways to sync. The Location and Todo.txt plugins are free too. Most people could stay here for good. |
| 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. | ANotes as .md, .txt or .org files, wiki links with backlinks, tags, templates, encryption per folder, and task, drawing, audio and bookmark notes. Share a web page to it and it saves as Markdown. OCR, scanning and speech to text are paid plugins. |
| 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 App Store rating on record for an Android app, so B is as high as we go. Point it at a folder and start writing. Sync is the fiddly part: you connect your own Dropbox, Git remote, WebDAV server or SFTP. |
| 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. | DAndroid only. The documentation lists no iPhone, desktop or web version. It does hook into Dropbox, Git, Nextcloud, Tasker and Anki, so the files themselves can travel even if the app can't. |
| Best for | linked outlines kept as plain files you own | linked Markdown notes on an Android phone |
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 Zettel Notes. How we grade
Where they differ
- Logseq starts at $5 per month for Open Collective backers, which unlocks Logseq Sync. Zettel Notes starts at $0.99 one-time for the cheapest paid plugin; most are $2.99 to $5.99.
- Only Logseq lists a web app.
- Only Logseq lists macOS, Windows, Linux and iOS apps.
- Logseq is open source, according to its own site.
- Logseq also covers whiteboard and daily notes.
- Zettel Notes also covers web clipper and templates.
At a glance
| Logseq | Zettel Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5 per month for Open Collective backers, which unlocks Logseq Sync | $0.99 one-time for the cheapest paid plugin; most are $2.99 to $5.99 |
| 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. | The main app is free with no ads and includes Markdown notes, repositories, backlinks, encryption, templates and all four sync methods. The Location and Todo.txt plugins are free too. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Logseq, Inc. | dax7 (Rohit Sharma) |
| Price read from | opencollective.com | play.google.com |
| 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
Zettel Notes
- Android users who keep notes as Markdown files in their own folders
- People following the Zettelkasten method with linked notes
- Syncing notes through a Git repository, WebDAV server or SFTP
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.
Zettel Notes
- The documentation covers an Android app only; it lists no iOS, desktop or web version.
- OCR, document scanning, speech to text, translation and AI features are separate plugin apps, priced from $0.99 to $5.99 each on Google Play.
- Sync runs through Dropbox, Git, WebDAV or SFTP that the user sets up; the developer does not run a sync service.
- With password-based encryption, notes cannot be decrypted if the password is forgotten or the app is uninstalled, which clears the salt.
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.
Zettel Notes
- Plain-text repositories
- Notes are saved as separate .md, .txt or .org files in one or more folders, called repositories, so an existing folder of notes can be opened by pointing the app at it.
- Wiki links and backlinks
- Typing [[ inserts a link to another note, and each note's information dialog lists the notes that link to it. Tags, authors and note IDs taken from file names or YAML are supported.
- Sync over Dropbox, Git, WebDAV and SFTP
- Each repository can sync with Dropbox, a Git remote, a WebDAV server such as Nextcloud, or SFTP, either manually or in the background at intervals from 15 minutes to 24 hours.
- Per-repository encryption
- A repository can be encrypted with a password, an in-app PGP key, or a key held in an external OpenPGP app. The feature list also includes an app lock.
- Note types and web capture
- Task, drawing, audio, bookmark and log notes are plain-text files with their own view. Sharing a web page from a browser converts it to Markdown and saves it as a note.
- Plugin apps
- Separate plugin apps add OCR, document scanning, speech to text, translation, Anki cards, alarms, AI chat and on-device AI actions. Most are paid; two are free.
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.
Zettel Notes
Zettel Notes$0
The full note app, which the developer says will stay free of charge and ad-free. The Location and Todo.txt plugins also cost nothing.
Latex Plugin$0.99
one-time purchase (US Google Play)
A searchable list of LaTeX symbols that inserts the code for the chosen symbol into a note.
Publish plugin$2.49
one-time purchase (US Google Play)
Publishes a Markdown note as a public page on Telegraph and returns a link to share.
$2.99 plugins$2.99
one-time purchase per plugin (US Google Play)
Alarm, Anki, Speech2Text, SpeedRead, TextUtils and Translate plugins. Each is a separate app bought on its own.
Local AI Actions$3.19
one-time purchase (US Google Play)
On-device AI actions such as summarize, rewrite and expand on selected text, with no API key or internet connection.
$5.99 plugins$5.99
one-time purchase per plugin (US Google Play)
AI Chat, Scanner, OCR and Donation plugins, each bought separately. AI Chat also needs an OpenAI API key or a compatible server.
