head to head · open source
Logseq vs Paperling
Logseq has 45,558 GitHub stars, 2,867 forks, 942 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Paperling has 598 stars, 40 forks, 16 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. Logseq leads on adoption by 7,518% (45,558 vs 598 stars). Logseq is written in Clojure under AGPL-3.0; Paperling is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. Logseq has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Paperling 7%. Logseq was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (markdown, note-taking), 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 | Paperling | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 46K | ★ 598 |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Clojure | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-11 | 2026-11-09 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.9K | ⑂ 40 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Logseq if
- You weight community size — 46K 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 Paperling if
- You want the Paperling feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Paperling fits your workflow better
About Logseq
Logseq A privacy first, open source platform for knowledge management and collaboration Home Page Blog Documentation Roadmap Table of Contents 🚀 Database Version 🤔 Why Logseq? 👀 How can I use it? 📚 Learn more 🫶 Support Logseq Development 💡 Feature requests 🔌 Plugin API 🌟 Contributing to Logseq 🛠️ Setting Up a Development Environment ✨ Inspiration 🙏 Thank You 🚀 Database Version The Database version (DB version) of Logseq introduces DB graphs. See this page to get an overview of the main features for DB graphs. If you are an existing user, see changes with the DB version. The DB version has its own new…
read the full Logseq overview →
About Paperling
Paperling A no setup Markdown reader and editor. Open any .md file and read it beautifully, edit with live preview (math, chemistry, and diagrams as you type), and use an optional free AI that proposes edits you accept or reject inline. No vaults, no plugins, no heavy app. Built with Tauri, React, and TypeScript. ⬇ Download · Website · Features · Contribute 📱 Now on Android — get the APK from the releases page . Why Paperling? As a developer, I frequently work with markdown files for documentation, notes, and project READMEs. The frustration of opening .md files in Notepad or basic text editors, only to see…
read the full Paperling overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Logseq or Paperling more popular?
Logseq has 45,558 GitHub stars and Paperling has 598. Logseq has the larger community by that measure.
Are Logseq and Paperling free?
Both are open source. Logseq is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Paperling under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Logseq and Paperling?
Logseq is written in Clojure and Paperling in TypeScript. 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 Paperling?
Choose Logseq if you want the larger community (45,558 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Paperling if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.