head to head · open source
Logseq vs mindforger
Logseq has 44,975 GitHub stars, 2,815 forks, 942 open issues and last shipped today. mindforger has 2,719 stars, 173 forks, 625 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. Logseq leads on adoption by 1,554% (44,975 vs 2,719 stars). Logseq is written in Clojure under AGPL-3.0; mindforger is written in C++ under GPL-2.0. Logseq has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, mindforger 6%. Logseq was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (markdown), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Logseq | mindforger | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 45K | ★ 2.7K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Written in | Clojure | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-09-19 | 2026-09-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.8K | ⑂ 173 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Logseq if
- You weight community size — 45K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Clojure
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick mindforger if
- You want the mindforger feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and mindforger fits your workflow better
About Logseq
Logseq is an open source, privacy first knowledge management platform built for local first workflows. It runs as a desktop application and web interface, storing data locally in Markdown or Org mode files, with optional SQLite backed DB graphs for advanced features. The project lives in the Clojure/ClojureScript ecosystem and is licensed under AGPL 3.0.
read the full Logseq overview →
About mindforger
MindForger is a free, open source thinking notebook and Markdown editor for people who keep private remarks — ideas, personal plans, gift tips, how tos, dreams, business vision, finance strategy, auto coaching notes — on their own machine and want to find and connect them again instead of scattering them across the file system, cloud, web, and Post it notes.
read the full mindforger overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Logseq or mindforger more popular?
Logseq has 44,975 GitHub stars and mindforger has 2,719. Logseq has the larger community by that measure.
Are Logseq and mindforger free?
Both are open source. Logseq is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and mindforger under GPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Logseq and mindforger?
Logseq is written in Clojure and mindforger in C++. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Logseq or mindforger?
Choose Logseq if you want the larger community (44,975 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose mindforger if its feature set, stack or GPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.