Comparison · Last updated 2026-08-08
Logseq moved to a database.
SeqLog stays on your files.
On 13 July 2026, Logseq 2.0 shipped in beta with a local SQLite database as the canonical store. The file-based build was renamed Logseq OG and now gets security and Electron updates only, no new features. If plain Markdown is why you chose Logseq in the first place, this page is about what your options are.
The short version. SeqLog is an Apple-native outliner where Markdown files are the only data store. No database, no index, no import step. It opens a Logseq graph directly. It is macOS-only, has no plugins, and is not open source. Logseq has far more features, runs everywhere, and has a real community behind it.
Pick SeqLog if what you are missing is file ownership and native speed. Stay with Logseq if you need plugins, queries, Linux or Windows.
What actually changed in Logseq 2.0
Logseq split into two products. Both are still Logseq, and neither choice is wrong. It only matters if you picked the app for its file format.
- Logseq (DB version) keeps the name and the roadmap. Notes live in SQLite. It brings typed properties, tags-as-classes, dashboard queries, real-time collaboration sync and a new iOS app. Desktop is still Electron, mobile is Capacitor.
- Logseq OG is the file-based build you have been using. It still gets security fixes and Electron upgrades, but new features go to the DB version.
For most people the DB version is an upgrade. It is faster on large graphs and it makes features possible that files made awkward. It just does not help you if the files were the reason you were there.
Side by side
| SeqLog | Logseq 2.0 (DB) | Logseq OG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where notes live | Plain .md files | SQLite database | Plain .md files |
| Runtime | Native SwiftUI + AppKit | Electron | Electron |
| Platforms | macOS 15+ only | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, web | macOS, Windows, Linux, mobile |
| Search | ripgrep over the files, no index | Database queries | Built-in index |
| Version control | Git built in: auto-commit, push/pull, diffs, revert | RTC sync service | External Git, by hand |
| Plugins & themes | None | Ecosystem | Ecosystem |
| Query language | No | Yes, stronger than OG | Yes |
| Editable by scripts & agents | Yes, they are just files | Not directly | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes | Yes |
| Price | Free forever | Free; paid sync | Free |
Why files, concretely
Here is what real files on disk get you. Every one of these stops working the moment your notes move into a database.
- Your agent can work in your vault. Claude Code, Codex, a shell script, a cron job. Anything that reads and writes files can read and write your notes. SeqLog watches the folder and picks up external edits. This came up more than anything else when Logseq users discussed the change.
- Any sync you already trust. Git, Syncthing, rsync, a NAS, iCloud Drive. Files sync safely. A live database does not.
- Diffs you can read. A commit shows the sentence you changed, not a binary blob. SeqLog shows those diffs inline and reverts down to a single file.
- Leaving costs nothing. There is no export, because there is nothing to export from. Delete the app and the folder is still a folder of Markdown.
Moving over
There is no import step. SeqLog uses the same layout Logseq does, a pages/ folder
and a journals/ folder, and it reads Logseq's YYYY_MM_DD journal
filenames alongside its own YYYY-MM-DD. Point SeqLog at your graph folder and your
notes, wikilinks, tags and daily journals are already there.
Nothing is converted, so this is reversible. Your Logseq install keeps working on the same folder. Run both on the same vault for a week and keep whichever you reach for.
Two caveats worth knowing up front. SeqLog reads CommonMark plus wikilinks, so
Logseq-specific syntax it does not implement stays in the file as literal text:
{{query}},
{{embed}}, logbook blocks and advanced properties.
And if your graph is already on the DB version, there are no Markdown files to point at. Export
from Logseq first.
Where Logseq is the better answer
Stay with Logseq if any of these describe you.
- You use Windows or Linux, or you want the same app on your phone today. SeqLog is macOS-only. An iOS version is in progress.
- You rely on plugins, themes or the query language. SeqLog has none of them, and there is no plugin API planned.
- You want open source. Logseq is. SeqLog is free, but the source is not published.
- You want a large community writing guides and answering questions. SeqLog is a one-person project with a young user base.
Questions
Can SeqLog open my existing Logseq graph?
Yes. SeqLog uses the same folder layout, pages/ and journals/, and reads Logseq's YYYY_MM_DD journal filenames as well as its own YYYY-MM-DD. Point it at the folder and your notes are there. Nothing is converted, imported, or copied.
Does SeqLog use a database?
No. Plain Markdown files are the only data store. There is no SQLite file, no cache, and no search index. Search greps the files each time through a Rust ripgrep engine.
Is SeqLog open source?
No. SeqLog is free forever on macOS, but the source is not published. Logseq is open source. If that is a requirement, Logseq or Obsidian will suit you better.
Can Claude Code or Codex edit a SeqLog vault?
Yes. The vault is a folder of Markdown files, so any agent, script, or editor that can read and write files can work on it. SeqLog watches for external edits and picks them up.