Comparison
Baalda vs Logseq: which second brain fits your team?
Open-source, local-first outliner for plaintext purists.
Pick Logseq if you want a free, open-source, local outliner for solo plaintext note-taking. Pick Baalda if you want the same open, local-first values but for a team: real-time multi-user editing on shared markdown, per-file permissions, and an AI assistant over MCP.
At a glance
| Feature | Baalda | Logseq |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time multi-user editing | Yes — CRDT, keystroke-level | No true multi-user real-time |
| Notes are plain markdown files on your disk | Yes | Yes — markdown/org |
| Local-first (works offline, you own the files) | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes — Apache-2.0 | Yes — AGPL |
| AI reads & writes your files (MCP) | Yes | No |
| Per-file permissions | Yes | No |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes (sync via your own storage) |
| Price | Free + Team plan | Free |
Where Logseq is the better choice
- Fully open source and free, with an outliner-first model.
- Great for solo plaintext workflows and block references.
- Local files with a devoted community.
Where Baalda wins
- Real-time multi-user collaboration Logseq doesn't offer.
- Per-file permissions for shared team vaults.
- AI over MCP writing to the same files, and a document-first markdown model rather than outliner-only.
Can you switch?
Logseq stores markdown, so bringing pages into Baalda is a file copy. You keep the plaintext and gain a live, shared team layer.
Frequently asked questions
Logseq is already open source and local — why Baalda?
Because Logseq is solo-first. Baalda shares the open, local-first values but is built for a team: many people edit the same markdown in real time, with permissions and AI on the files.
Do both keep my notes as plain files?
Yes. Both Logseq and Baalda store notes as plain markdown on disk that you own, with no proprietary database in the middle.