# Baalda vs Logseq

> Baalda vs Logseq: both are open source and local-first. Logseq is a solo outliner; Baalda adds real-time team collaboration and AI over MCP on your markdown.

Source: https://baalda.com/compare/logseq
Site: Baalda, https://baalda.com

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.

## Side by side

| | 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 wins

- 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.

## Moving over

Logseq stores markdown, so bringing pages into Baalda is a file copy. You keep the plaintext and gain a live, shared team layer.

## FAQ

### Logseq is already open source and local, so 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.