Obsidian vs Logseq
Note-Taking & PKM pricing comparison · 2026
Obsidian pricing ranges from $0–$50/month, while Logseq ranges from $0–$5/month. These products use different pricing models ( vs ), so a direct price comparison isn't meaningful — costs depend on usage volume and mix.
Obsidian and Logseq are the two most popular PKM (Personal Knowledge Management) tools for users who want local-first, markdown-based note-taking with bidirectional links. Both are free for personal use. Obsidian's core app is free; Obsidian Sync costs $5/month and Publish costs $10/month. Logseq's core is free; Sync costs $5/month (and the full app is open-source). The key philosophical difference: Logseq is outliner-first (block-based), while Obsidian is document-first (page-based).
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | Obsidian | Logseq |
|---|---|---|
| Personal (Free) | Free /free | Free / |
| Sync | $5 /per month | $5 / |
| Publish | $10 /per site/month | — |
| Catalyst | Custom | — |
| Commercial | Custom | — |
Cost at Scale
Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.
Obsidian
3 scenariosLogseq
3 scenariosMarket Intelligence
Obsidian
- Median annual cost
- $330
- Based on
- 213 deals
Logseq
- Median annual cost
- $240
- Based on
- 4 deals
Our Verdict
Choose Obsidian if you prefer document-style notes over outlines, want the largest plugin ecosystem (1,000+ community plugins), need PDF annotation and Canvas (infinite whiteboard) features, or want the most mature PKM ecosystem with extensive themes and customization.
Choose Logseq if you prefer outliner/block-based thinking, want a fully open-source tool, need built-in spaced repetition (Logseq Anki integration), or prefer a graph database approach where every block can be queried and linked.
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Obsidian or Logseq free?
Both are free for personal use. Obsidian's core app is free; sync and publish are paid add-ons ($5–$10/month). Logseq is fully open-source and free, including its sync service in beta. For pure free usage, Logseq is more generous since self-hosted sync is built into the open-source core.
02 Which has more plugins: Obsidian or Logseq?
Obsidian has a significantly larger plugin ecosystem with 1,000+ community plugins covering everything from spaced repetition to citation management. Logseq has a growing plugin ecosystem (~100+ plugins) but can't match Obsidian's breadth. For advanced customization, Obsidian wins.
03 Can I use both Obsidian and Logseq?
Yes, and some power users do. Logseq stores data in markdown files that Obsidian can also read. However, Logseq's block references use unique IDs that Obsidian doesn't understand natively. Running both on the same vault can cause conflicts—most users choose one as their primary tool.