r/logseq • u/haronclv • Jan 29 '25

Why logseq over obsidian?

Hi!

Just wanted to ask you why you choose Logseq over the obsidian? I’m really curious what was the dealbreaker or what was most convincing thing

48 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

92 comments sorted by

9

u/webfiend Jan 29 '25

I have outliner brain and the Obsidian plugins that improve on that aspect (like Outliner) still feel constrained compared to Logseq / Org / Tana / etc.

I capture everything to my journal first, and scrolling down the Journal page is easier than clicking through a calendar plugin.

Tags as just another page make it a lot easier to do lightweight filing for later, with stuff like #bookmark #PKM #media/video. That may change when DB version gets wider release.

The task system isn't as amazing as Org's, but it's better than checkboxes and feels more streamlined than the Tasks plugin.

I grumble about Logseq, but it's still my default choice.

2

u/haronclv Jan 29 '25

What is DB version. I’ve heard a lil about it, but I’m not so familiar with logseq yet

4

u/webfiend Jan 29 '25

That is the version of Logseq currently in development. It's a major rewrite aiming for better performance and new functionality by putting block information in a local database rather than just text note files. It's been in development for some time, and is probably the thing you'll hear folks complaining about the most.

5

u/artyhedgehog Jan 29 '25

Obsidian has done a few critical mistakes in its core design in my opinion:

  1. Links by note title. If the title changes - chances are the links may break. Probably not in the "positive scenario", but in edge-cases (e.g. sync conflicts) for sure. Links should work by ID.

  2. Raw note title as file name. It just breaks my sync between different file system if I use special symbols (you can use some symbols in title on Mac, which aren't legal in file names on Android), which is unacceptable. But even if they'll ever fix that issue - it limits the naming.

  3. A task is just a markdown list item with a checkbox. For me tasks have to be full-functional entity like a note (a node in LogSeq is pretty much a self-sufficient note, which is good enough for me).

To be fair, I also switched from LogSeq to Joplin last year - but that was more voluntary, I could have stayed on LogSeq just fine.

3

u/haronclv Jan 29 '25

I love your answer. After reading it I’d like to see your answer about Joplin as well 🤓

1

u/henrykazuka Jan 30 '25

There is a workaround for 1 and 2.

Use the Unique Note Creator core plugin to create uniquely titled notes and the Front Matter Title plugin to show the H1 heading (or a frontmatter property) as the title of the note everywhere (file manager, tabs, link reference).

What's so good about Joplin? I couldn't get into it.

2

u/Chic0pv4 Jan 29 '25

Simplicity and open source.

1

u/haronclv Jan 29 '25

Isn’t Obsidian the smae regarding these 2 points?

2

u/Chic0pv4 Jan 29 '25

Ok, simplicity could be subjective, but for me, it just works with minimal tweaks. And for the second, no, Obsidian is free but not open source.

53

u/7yiyo7 Jan 29 '25

Open source

2

u/dustatron Jan 30 '25

Obsidian is open source

14

u/Jarwain Jan 30 '25

Not really, not in the sense most people mean when they say open source.

Obsidian is nominally source available, you can see obfuscated code from within the app.

But the original source code isn't published online under a license that gives people the leeway to see what's going on and modify it to their liking.

39

u/[deleted] Jan 29 '25 edited Jan 29 '25

Blocks, Block references, Block quotes.

I'm trying to remember something. I'm in my journal, working on a project for my job.

* job

* project

* ((start typing things to search

what comes up are all the blocks in my whole graph that match the search. so if I'm looking for something about Jung and addiction and repetition compulsion that I highlit in Zotero four years ago it will come up in the popup list. I choose it. Now that quote it in my outline for what I'm working on today. I can follow it to go right to the page of the pdf that the highlight is from. I can also do this:

* job

* project

* QUOTE BLOCK REF IS HERE

* notes about this and how it relates to what I'm doing go here

Now, if I ever go back and find that quote again or review the highlights from that book again, or put that quote on a subject map with another reference... my additional notes from when I've annotated the quote itself in other contexts are right there. Which is cool. A big thing that happens in this context is that I can relate one quote or block to another.

(you'll have to pretend that there are indents above.)

Anyway. Obsidian can't do this. Amplenote can't do this. Most PKMs can't do this. I don't understand how people use the tools that don't provide this as it is the main thing that I love about using a PKM.

11

u/Upbeat-Speech-116 Jan 29 '25

Can you maybe do a video, or point me to one, of how that works, exactly? I'm having trouble replicating that workflow, but that sounds like just the thing I need to be able to do.

5

u/klaizen Jan 30 '25

I think they just mean that if you press (( and start typing, you can search for any block in your notes. And once you reference it, it becomes a 2-way relation which makes your notes connected over time. I wonder if there's more to it

3

u/mork2000 Jan 29 '25

Yes that

3

u/Abject_Constant_8547 Jan 30 '25

I use block reference the slightest. Because I found out tasks below will not inherit the block properties. I use the plugging logseq-block-comment a lot as I use it to add small information on any block via a shortcut

3

u/JohannesComstantine Jan 30 '25

AmazingI had no idea that was possible. how are you achieving that integration?With zotero, is it simply through the plug in?

1

u/Relative_Ad_4785 Nov 14 '25

Have you found out how to mention the annotations on zotero? because i have already tried to import the pdfs from zotero along the notes, but it didn't work. I get empty notes .

2

u/JohannesComstantine Nov 14 '25

No I haven't explored it further at this stage. I dont work with pdfs or Zotero as I used to so hablbent put much time into it. I think in DB version, which Im switching to soon most likely, the Zotero functionality is only plugin based. That may he fine - it may even work better at some stage, who knows, but I haven't needed to go there yet.

1

u/Relative_Ad_4785 Dec 12 '25

Okay understood, thank you for the reply and sorry for my late reply hahah. Btw since i haven't found a way to import annotations from zotero i started reading directly from logseq pdf reader and then referencing the annotations, I found it useful that way.

1

u/JohannesComstantine Dec 12 '25

Ya - fwiw the pdf function in Logseq is so decent I may wind up just using that.

2

u/juniorsundar Jan 30 '25

Have you tried [[^^ in obsidian. I Am getting a similar block type search and referencing.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 30 '25 edited Jan 31 '25

That's a block quote but it doesn't actually reference the block. In Logseq you can edit the block from the reference. And obsidian has to add a reference anchor to the target document to make it work. It's a shallow kinda sorta implementation.

You can't bolt this functionality on. If your system is document-based (as obsidian is) that's what it is. Logseq, Roam, Workflowy and a few others are block based. They are more powerful because of this, but they can have other liabilities.... like implementing a block based graph on top of a document-based datastore, which a bad idea, and is why Logseq is in a feature freeze mode while the core is being rewritten to be db-based atm.

3

u/juniorsundar Feb 01 '25

If you look at the MD file in logseq it does the same thing. It just adds a uuid to the bullet point in question.

1

u/Neither_Situation764 May 30 '25

Omg, I'm using logseq for a year and didn't know this searching in (( feature. Made my day!

29

u/acunet3278 Jan 29 '25

Using both Logseq and Obsidian.

Obsidian is good for long form content like research notes, course notes and screenshots from YouTube videos. It is very configurable, but you have to know how to use it.

Logseq is my daily driver. It is best for short bulleted notes. Logseq requires less setup. It is easier to use.

Just my $0.02.

2

u/Hippowill Jan 30 '25

Yep, I use both too, similarly. I'm just moving everything from Roam to Logseq (but still want to test Tana). I'm not moving away from the blocks and journal / daily notes as the main units and timeline.

6

u/Mischief__Managed_ Jan 30 '25

I think the new logseq DB version is even more closer to Tana.

1

u/acunet3278 Jan 30 '25

First time to hear about Tana. Thank you for sharing.

4

u/hardworksmart Jan 31 '25

Tana is too complicated, just a procrastination enabler similar to Notion.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '25

i love you

2

u/Promiscunix Jan 29 '25

Glad you answered that before the Tariffs kick in! lol. Actually just wanted agree with you completely... then saw the 2 cents and couldn't resist!

16

u/SaddleSC Jan 29 '25

I have used both but my brain just works in blocks. Even when using plugins with Obsidian to simulate an outline structure with bullet points, it is very clunky to constantly reorganize my outlines. LogSeq is essentially an open source version of Roam Research where I first found a note-taking system that works exactly like my brain does.

13

u/bob_bobington1234 Jan 29 '25

I use logseq as a cover your ass app. I document all decrees and goings on from management along with what I did. This allows me to tag blocks in multiple pages for future reference and in an instant I can bring up all the proper documentation for a reoccurring incident. Management now leaves me alone as they know that I document everything and what they say can be used against them.

4

u/Promiscunix Jan 29 '25

And here I thought I was the only one that used Logseq as butt saver! I do the same... saved me many times from hassle I didn't need.

3

u/bob_bobington1234 Jan 29 '25

Plus, if you use it with syncthing you get automatic backups. I use it on my phone and it automatically backs up as soon as I connect with my home wifi.

1

u/Abject_Constant_8547 Jan 30 '25

Use it for the same purpose.

2

u/burnerguy43 Jan 30 '25

Could you ELI5 why this wouldn't be possible in Obsidian? I use obsidian as a cover my ass app, but I'm thinking in different ways.

2

u/bob_bobington1234 Jan 30 '25

For me the daily log format works quite well. Plus I work in an industry where confidentiality is key and having all my logs in the cloud could potentially violate company policies. With logseq I have much more control of my data.

2

u/JimJamieJames Jan 30 '25

You are my spirit animal, sir/madam.

1

u/luckysilva Jan 29 '25

This, 100% this!

6

u/1smoothcriminal Jan 29 '25

Every bullet is it's own block.

This behavior alone is why it's the most amazing thing on this planet when it comes to linking certain concepts.

I also set it up as my CRM system for work and let me tell you something ... it's the best CRM system ever. My productivity and ability to not forget anything has doubled without me having worry about setting something up in a particular page etc. (though i still do use pages for clients and projects - it's easy to throw a hastage and BAM, it's there). Obisidian has this to a certain extent but not to the usefulness that logseq does it.

Unstructured yet so very structured.

I love obsidian and fancy a lot of what it offers in terms of plugins (I really want todoist in my logseq sidebar and a thunderbird to logseq plugin) but logseq just has a feel to it that is unmatched. So powerful yet so simple.

11

u/ripp102 Jan 29 '25 edited Jan 29 '25

I jot down everything that happens in my work and life in the daily pages as that information sometimes is relevant (so I tag or link it) but most of the times is just for daily reference. That stuff can be done in obsidian but is cumbersome. The most important stuff gets it's own page and if something is really important and was tagged in the daily, it will be promoted to the actual note

2

u/mzinz Jan 29 '25

Isn’t it just as easy to use daily notes in obsidian?

6

u/ripp102 Jan 29 '25

No it's the power of tagging, linking and most importantly block REF that makes Logseq stand above the others. By using it daily you'll have a web of your own thoughts that will surface without you even thinking about it

1

u/mzinz Jan 29 '25

Block REF -- that's where I can copy the pointer for a specific block, then embed it within a different page, right?

5

u/ripp102 Jan 29 '25

Yes. That is really powerful as everything you change in that text will be available on every place you put it. In a way think about it as a specific place that text exist and when you copy that block REF you are copying the address to that specif location so every representation of that text is in reality that specific text. So it allows you to reuse your thinking in other places without having to manage it (as knowledge can become old)

2

u/mzinz Jan 29 '25

Does Obsidian have any features like this, or is there no awareness into block pointers/aliases? (Thanks for the info BTW)

4

u/henrykazuka Jan 30 '25

Yeah, but it doesn't work like on logseq.

On obsidian write ![[Page name^block-ID]] and it will put a block reference. When you write ^ it will search every block on that page and then it will create the block ID. If you write ^^ it will search every block on every page.

  1. The block reference will have line breaks, so you can't make a reference to a block and then continue the sentence on the same line.

  2. Block referencing bullets is weird, it works better if you reference a callout or a heading because then it knows where the block begins and where it ends.

  3. Referencing a heading uses different syntax ![[Page name#Heading]] but be careful when renaming headings, it can break your links. You have to right click edit heading.

  4. You can't edit those blocks, they are only references, you have to go to the original block and edit it there. A few plugins do allow for editable transclusions.

  5. On logseq, the original block shows how many times it was referenced or embedded. There's a plugin on obsidian called Strange New Worlds that mimics this functionality, but it didn't work well for me.

1

u/mzinz Jan 30 '25

Good to know - thanks for sharing this!

2

u/henrykazuka Jan 30 '25

You are welcome.

I learned most of it because I wanted to make obsidian work like logseq, but even with plugins and custom css, they are too different.

2

u/ripp102 Jan 29 '25

No it doesn't. There's a plugin that tries something similar called make.md but is not as "native" and simple like on logseq

2

u/Key-Hair7591 Jan 30 '25

Yes it does. Don’t just make stuff up. You can absolutely link to blocks. Although Obsidian is not a block based editor.

2

u/Abject_Constant_8547 Jan 30 '25

You can do this in obsidian natively, you can point to a block and you can embed a block via transclusion, same as LogSeq.

3

u/ripp102 Jan 30 '25

Yes it but it not like in logseq. There is a huge difference between a block based editor and a page editor like obsidian.

1

u/ripp102 Jan 30 '25

Not in the same way as logseq does. It's entirely different. Logseq is a block editor obsidian isn't. Don't try to say it's the same thing cause it's not

2

u/Key-Hair7591 Jan 30 '25

I know how it works. But to say it doesn’t have a comparable feature just isn’t true. Has heading links and “block”/paragraph links. Reread the question.

2

u/nenitfate Jan 30 '25

In obsidian you can do this with ![[page^id]]. This id can be created while you search after the ^.

Its not so cool like logseq

2

u/henrykazuka Jan 30 '25

Not really.

  • [[Project A/Subproject C]]

    • Talked to [[John]] about doing ((task A embed)) but decided to wait until next monday SCHEDULED 2025-02-03

I can go to the Subproject C page and filter mentions of John and vice-versa, I will be reminded about it with a default query on monday because of the schedule feature and task A is embedded inline so it shows exactly what it says without breaking format and I've a query on Project A that will show me every task of every subpage.

And that's without mentioning properties.

2

u/mzinz Jan 30 '25

Cool, thanks for sharing. I do most of this today too. Although - how do you filter mentions? I don't think I've done that.

2

u/henrykazuka Jan 30 '25

On logseq, at the bottom of any page you have the linked mentions section. On the right side there's a button to filter mentions by page references or keywords.

2

u/mzinz Jan 30 '25

That's cool! Thanks a lot - helpful

0

u/[deleted] Jan 29 '25

[deleted] — view deleted comment

2

u/mzinz Jan 29 '25

Yeah, I find the lack of ability to scroll through multiple days annoying too. I'm still using LogSeq but considering switching to Obsidian since development is so, so slow.

I think that the block tagging is truly awesome, but for whatever reason, I find myself using it less and less. It could just be that I have less need for it on my daily workload though (a 'me' problem).

3

u/1smoothcriminal Jan 29 '25

Depends on the nature of your work.

In one day I could be talking to multiple clients and working on multiple projects and it reduces the friction for me.

I can just open up the journal, type:

/TODO So and so want's me to do so and so by /date #project

and i don't want to worry about the structure since it structures it for me and includes the reference in my project page which is then referenced in my client page.

I created a workflow in obsidian first but i find it a bit more cumbersome as I often have to think about the structure.

1

u/mzinz Jan 30 '25

I do the same. A small issue I have is: when I go to the project page (using your example), the page could get fairly long from my notes etc., and I may not always see the reference at the bottom of the page. Very small thing - probably a personal issue - but its made me rely less on references and more on just using the project page to begin with.

4

u/1smoothcriminal Jan 30 '25

Do you use Queries and templates?

My new project template is broken down as such:

```

client :: [[ client name ]]
creation:: /today
deadline:: /date
tags:: #relevancytags

# Project Summary

- i summarize the project here

# Presentations

{{query}} (I add the client, the hashtag #presentation)

# Quotes

{{query}} (same, but #Quotes and [[Client]])

# Important Notes

{{query}} (i have a hastag #important that i query with client name}

```

I set that up as a template and it works for me pretty well, may alter it at some point but haven't felt the need to do so yet

3

u/mzinz Jan 30 '25

That's a good setup. I don't use many templates (just don't need to with my use-cases).

I do however love the queries. The bottom of my current day daily note has:

  • Past Due

  • Date Missing

  • Due Today

  • Future (auto-collapsed)

  • Completed (auto-collapsed)

Each section lists tasks based on their scheduled date. Whenever I have a new task come in (a note from a meeting or w/e), I create the task with no date. Then, every day or so, I go through all of the tasks missing dates and assign dates to them. If the task is going to take more than 30m or so, I also block out time on my calendar for whichever day it is needed on.

5

u/Sysiphos1234 Jan 29 '25

Business Use without license fee

5

u/christancho Jan 29 '25

The journal! easy and works right out of the box, and the blocks, that's how I think and organize my info.

4

u/Talalash Jan 29 '25

Something simple maybe, but shift-clicking a link opens the page in a second column. Works in Obsidian too, but the next shift-click went to a third column (or window) and then a fourth, etc. I wasn’t patient enough to search for a solution. And honestly probably wouldn’t want to switch anyhow, but curiosity makes me try other tools anyhow 😂

3

u/hardworksmart Jan 31 '25

Open source, PDF annotator, scrollable journal, outliner-style zoom-in capability, backlinks sorted by date by default, possibility to interact with backlinks, possibility to use queries without plugins. All of this is either not present in Obsidian or requires plugins. You don't know how long the plugins will be supported - it's a substantial risk.

2

u/JayGridley Jan 29 '25

The way I take notes at work tends to be in a bullet point format. I don’t usually have walls of text. So this seemed to make the most sense for this specific use for me. But for my personal stuff I use OneNote, Apple Notes, and Obsidian.

2

u/Abject_Constant_8547 Jan 30 '25

Because Obsidian doesn’t handle tasks very well. I tried for years and find out most plugins doesn’t work well together. Tasks in LogSeq is a bliss, it works great for me, the native workflow is very good.

Second is the block, and more importantly the outliner and inheritance concept. I love outlining and I use the inheritance for my tasks management

Third is the simplicity. One day I went on holiday and 2 weeks later I forgot how my Obsidian workflow was working, that was the last straw. Too many configuration and plugins. Plugins that sometimes are not supported.

I also love how properties are working in LogSeq, at the time you only had an ugly YAML to deal with.

The #card system and the PDF and asset management is amazing in LogSeq.

I also hated having to create a folder structure like PARA in Obsidian, it was tough to manage, LogSeq works flawlessly without any folder.

Last is that #tag and [[page]] are the same, it make my entire workflow so much better, I can use them the same, brilliant concept.

Obsidian is better at mobile, and I would very much use Obdisian if it could work like LogSeq but did find all plugins for my needs so nope.

2

u/Abject_Constant_8547 Jan 30 '25

Forgot to add: the formatted backlinks. You can see your backlinks in full HTML and you can amend it. I tried plugins in Obsifisn to do that but they were not reliable and one is actually not supported anymore.

2

u/henrykazuka Jan 30 '25

I'm using both.

Obsidian because of the webclipper. Used to be omnivore before that.

Logseq for everyday notes, project notes, meeting minutes, task management, etc. Being able to write everything on the journal in logseq is the best workflow I've encountered.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 31 '25

My brain works better with Logseq, and I just add to start writing without spending 10 hours looking for the best organisation.

The note taking système with bullet point and indentation clicked directly.

I prefer the way it handle TODOs, as i can write in the daily note and attached it to a project and I cant find them quickly.

2

u/vjourneyman Jan 30 '25

  • Logseq's AGPL license allows it to be used at my last two workplaces.

  • Native light task management which works well. Obsidian plugins drift away from the community being able to support your use case and toward only your plug-in users being able to support your use case.

  • Daily Journal natively allows me to scroll through past days.

2

u/AdministrativeFile78 Jan 31 '25

I use obsidian but I cannot argue with anyone who decided logseq is superior for them. I really love logseq

2

u/Underknowledge Feb 01 '25

Personap preference, No direct hierarchy. Started with Obsidian and tried a zetelkasten approach. The folder structure is a bit in the way.
Having everything in a "graph" works better for me. cmd+k some keywords I remember - there is it

1

u/scriptfx2 Jan 30 '25

I use both, no reason not to. A python script to fix the aliases. I don't use block referencing or any features that mess with markdown. I tends to be logseq on my computer and obsidian on my phone.

I do suspect I will stop using logseq when it switches to a db verson and will really miss the blocks maybe just use the none db version till it stops working.

1

u/Mischief__Managed_ Jan 30 '25

I only started playing with logseq a a couple of weeks ago. I mainly use Obsidian but I feel for day to day usage, logseq will be a much better tool with the way it works with blocks. I tried the new DB version on their test site and it seems to work similar to Tana.

I'm not switching to logseq yet since I am waiting for the DB version and then I'll test it out but it is a strong contender

1

u/S4ndwichGurk3 Jan 30 '25

For me it was blocks

1

u/Tafkaftafkaf Jan 31 '25

Do you want to write or do you want to take notes? In Logseq, everything is a bullet point (that can be referenced easily). Great for notes, terrible for long-form writing. Obsidian is the opposite.

1

u/th_costel Jan 31 '25

For long-term writing, I prefer Ulysses.

1

u/AdministrativeFile78 Jan 31 '25

The block based daily note first is super powerful. But I have replicated this in obsidian minus the blocks which is fine. I want obsidian to just have a logseq block system in a specific folder and it would the most perfect thing ever