Acres is our first recommendation if you want to think visually in note files and bring an agent into that work. A board holds cards, connections, sections and mind maps. Each note card remains Markdown on disk. The app costs $59 once at the current early-adopter price and includes its assistant and bundled MCP server.
Logseq makes a stronger case when your thinking starts in an outline. A reusable block, a query that gathers related tasks and a journal full of linked bullets can be exactly the right system. It is free and open source. Its agent integrations have also grown; this is not a comparison between an AI app and one that agents can’t use.
Acres Plus is also available for $9/month, including app access, Sync, and Publish with no upfront purchase. The $59 lifetime option covers local use.
First, distinguish Logseq DB from Logseq OG
The official DB changes document says file graphs have been split into Logseq OG. OG keeps the familiar file-based approach. The DB version stores graph data in SQLite and changes several features, including properties, references and exports.
That split matters more than a version number. Choose OG and Markdown or Org-mode files are part of your daily storage model. Choose DB and the database is the working source; Markdown is an export. Neither is automatically the wrong choice, but they give other editors and scripts different access.
The main repository still labels DB as beta and its new mobile and real-time collaboration features as alpha. It recommends backups and testing with non-critical work. Platform availability and release status should be checked for the version you’re actually installing.
Acres is simpler in this respect: Markdown cards and readable JSON boards live in a folder you pick. It is also a young product. Its narrower platform support and lack of plugins are part of the trade, not details to hide.
Outlines and canvases solve different problems
If you turn a meeting into nested bullets, reference individual points elsewhere and query them later, Logseq’s block model is a substantial advantage. Acres links whole cards. Its tags, properties and Database view do not replace Logseq’s full block-query system.
Acres suits a different moment: you have interview notes, a PDF and a few competing ideas, and need to see them together. Put the notes on a board, group related material in sections, draw labeled connections and reuse a source card on another board. You can keep working visually without deciding later which fragments deserve their own files.
Whiteboards exist in Logseq OG. The DB changes page says they have been removed from built-in DB features and may return through a plugin. If boards are your daily workspace, that is a concrete reason to try a dedicated canvas app. Compare other approaches in our infinite canvas guide.
Both have official agent tools
Logseq’s DB documentation now describes an optional MCP server. It supports search, batch creation and some edits, with a pretend mode and undo/redo for current-graph changes. Its official CLI provides command-line access to DB graphs. Those are real tools, not just community workarounds.
Acres combines MCP with a visual workspace and a built-in assistant. Agents can search cards, create notes, connect them and organize a board. Supported changes appear in activity history. Inside the app, card rewrites and larger layout changes are proposals you review; some additive actions apply immediately.
You can use a provider key or local Ollama and LM Studio. Paid provider usage is separate from the app license. The local MCP notes guide explains how to build a board with an agent and check the result.
We prefer Acres for agents working on spatial notes. If your existing Logseq graph is built around blocks and queries, its own MCP and CLI may be the better fit. Moving just to obtain an agent connection would be unnecessary.
Price and the features Acres doesn’t replace
Logseq’s free core wins on price. Acres is $59 once after a 14-day trial. The reason to pay is the integrated board workflow, not a promise of lower cost than Logseq.
Open-source requirements, Org-mode work and specialized plugins can each settle the choice in Logseq’s favor. Acres currently runs on Mac and Windows only, with no mobile, web app, Linux build or plugin system. It’s newer and less mature as a general knowledge tool. A person who rarely needs a board may prefer Logseq’s outliner even after trying both.
Bringing a Logseq archive into Acres
There is no dedicated Logseq importer. Back up your graph first. For OG, copy the Markdown notes into a new Acres vault’s cards folder. For DB, use the available Markdown export and inspect what it retains before importing it.
Text and lists can move, but Logseq block references, queries and app-specific property syntax don’t become equivalent Acres features. Org-mode needs conversion. A Whiteboard layout doesn’t arrive through a Markdown copy, so plan to rebuild the boards you still use.
Use the Acres trial with one project instead of migrating an entire archive on day one. If the board helps you see relationships the outline was hiding, the change has a purpose. If you keep reaching for block queries, keep Logseq. Our Obsidian Canvas comparison covers another option for people who want files and occasional boards.