Nodum vs Logseq
A Logseq alternative for people who write documents, not outlines
Nodum and Logseq are both open-source, link-first knowledge bases, and the real difference is the writing unit. Logseq is an outliner: everything is a bullet, and blocks are the thing you reference. Nodum is a document editor: a note is a page of prose you can link to and embed. Logseq runs locally; Nodum runs in a browser against a server you can host yourself.
What Logseq is
Logseq is an open-source, local-first knowledge base built as an outliner: every line is a block, blocks can be referenced and embedded individually, and the daily journal is the default entry point. It reads and writes markdown or org-mode files on your own disk, is AGPL-3.0 licensed, and has a strong following among people who think in bullets and spaced repetition.
Side by side
| Property | Logseq | Nodum |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | AGPL-3.0 — genuinely open source | MIT — the whole stack, frontend and backend |
| Hosting | Local-first desktop and mobile app; optional paid sync | Hosted at nodum.md, or self-hosted with one Docker Compose command |
| Your notes are | Markdown or org-mode files on your disk, structured as outlines | Plain markdown files, exported as a folder-true zip whenever you ask |
| Linking | [[page links]], ((block references)), tags, and the daily journal | [[wikilinks]], [[path/Note]], [[Note|alias]], ![[embeds]] — Obsidian syntax |
| Graph | Global and local graph view | Global and local force-directed graph, GPU-rendered on WebGL2 |
| Pricing model | Free; an optional paid sync service | Free and open source; self-host at your own infrastructure cost |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | Any modern browser, desktop and mobile; installable as a PWA |
| Getting out | Files are already on disk, though block-heavy markdown reads oddly elsewhere | Vault zip of .md files, plus a REST API and an MCP server |
Where each one actually wins
The left-hand column is the honest part. If none of it applies to you, the switch is probably worth making; if several do, it probably is not.
What Logseq does better
- Block references. Reusing and transcluding a single bullet across pages is Logseq's core idea and Nodum has no direct equivalent.
- Local-first and fully offline, with files on your own disk.
- Built-in spaced-repetition flashcards.
- A journal-first workflow that suits people who capture into a daily page and organise later.
- Query blocks build live views over your own outline.
What Nodum does better
- Notes are documents. If you write paragraphs rather than bullets, Logseq's markdown fights you and Nodum's does not.
- It is a web application, so there is nothing to install and every device sees the same vault.
- Files come out as ordinary markdown that reads correctly in any other editor — Logseq's outline markdown carries structural bullets everywhere it goes.
- Real-time collaboration with presence on a note.
- Publishing a vault as a public site is built in.
- An MCP server and an AI assistant on your own key.
So — switch, or stay?
Switch to Nodum if…
- You bounced off outlining and want to write prose.
- You want the same vault on a work machine you cannot install software on.
- You want your markdown to be plain markdown when it leaves.
Stay on Logseq if…
- Block references and transclusion are how you work.
- You want flashcards and spaced repetition in the same tool.
- Local-first with no server is a requirement, not a preference.
Moving your notes across
- 1. Find your graph folder. Logseq keeps a folder with pages/ and journals/ subdirectories. That folder is your data.
- 2. Flatten the outline where it matters. Logseq markdown is bullets all the way down. Pages you want to read as prose elsewhere are worth un-bulleting before or after the import.
- 3. Zip and import. Zip the graph folder and import it in Settings → Vault → Import. [[Page links]] carry over as wikilinks and resolve across the batch.
- 4. Expect to lose block references. ((block-id)) references have no target in a document model. Search for them after importing and convert the ones that mattered into links or embeds.
Logseq and Nodum: common questions
Is Logseq open source?
Yes. Logseq is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and its source is public. Nodum is also open source, under the more permissive MIT licence, which additionally allows closed-source derivatives.
What is the difference between Logseq and Nodum?
Logseq is a local-first outliner where every line is a referenceable block and the app runs on your own machine against files on disk. Nodum is a browser-based document editor where a note is a page of prose, backed by a server you can self-host. Both use wikilinks, backlinks and a graph.
Is there a web version of Logseq?
Logseq is distributed as a desktop and mobile application rather than a hosted web app. Nodum is web-native: it runs in any modern browser with nothing installed, against the hosted instance or a server you run yourself.
Before you move anything
Whatever you decide, run this once. It takes ten minutes and it is the difference between a migration and an incident.
- Export from Logseq first, and keep that export somewhere safe.
- Import a copy into a throwaway Nodum vault, not your main one.
- Open the graph and look for ghost nodes — those are links that did not resolve.
- Export the Nodum vault and diff it against what you put in.
- Only then delete anything.
Other comparisons
Every comparison is on the alternatives index, and the glossary defines the vocabulary these pages use.
Bring your Logseq notes with you.
Import a zip, look at the graph, export it again. Nothing about it is one-way.