SeqLog

What is SeqLog

SeqLog is an Apple-native outliner for Markdown files that live directly on your disk. It is built around the idea that your notes should remain plain files, not entries trapped in a database or a cloud service. For people looking for a local-first outliner, SeqLog combines journaling, backlinks, fast search, and Git in one native Mac app.

The app positions itself as an alternative to larger note systems, but it is also clear about how it differs: SeqLog is written from scratch for Apple platforms, not wrapped in a browser shell and not ported from another codebase. That matters if you care about startup speed, native scrolling, and how closely an outliner follows macOS behavior. SeqLog is free forever on macOS, and the site says it supports personal and commercial use.

Key features

SeqLog focuses on the features people expect from a modern outliner, but it keeps the storage model simple: Markdown on disk, Git for versioning, and no server in the middle.

• Local-first files: notes are plain .md files with CommonMark and wikilinks.
• Git built in: the app uses libgit2 internally, so it can auto-commit changes, push and pull, switch branches, resolve conflicts, show commit history, and revert edits down to a single file.
• Search without an index: the search system uses Rust and ripgrep through C FFI, so SeqLog greps your files on each query instead of relying on a background index.
• Backlinks and references: it supports backlinks, unlinked references, and page names, which makes the outliner useful for connected notes.
• Keyboard-first outlining: you can indent, collapse, multi-select, and drag items to reorder them across pages.
• Native editing details: bracket pairs, checkboxes, tags, image paste, image lightbox, code fences, favorites, recents, and external-edit watching are all part of the app.
• Performance-focused rendering: rows are drawn with CoreText on a recycled list with absolute-frame layout, which is how SeqLog keeps large journals responsive.

The app also includes a daily journal, tabs that can be reordered by drag and drop, a command palette, and a find bar that searches across every journal day, even unloaded ones. The site says backlinks can resolve in under 50 ms on a 5,000-page vault, and that a large journal can scroll at full frame rate.

How to use it

SeqLog is meant to be used like a folder-based Markdown workspace rather than a hosted notebook.

1. Download the Mac app and open it on a machine running macOS 15 or later.
2. Point SeqLog at a folder of Markdown files, or start a new vault-like folder for notes.
3. Write in the daily journal or create pages using wikilinks and headings.
4. Use the keyboard-first outliner tools to indent, collapse, multi-select, and reorder blocks.
5. Use ⌘K for the command palette and ⌘F for search across the vault.
6. Let the app handle Git if you want syncing: it can auto-commit on save, then push or pull to your remote.
7. Edit the same files in another editor if needed; SeqLog watches for external changes and updates from the file system.

Because SeqLog works on the files already on disk, you can also open the same Markdown files in another editor and compare them with Git diffs. That makes the outliner practical for users who want a native note-taking app without losing file ownership.

Who it is for

SeqLog is a strong fit for people who want an outliner and a file-based notes app on Mac, especially if they already use Markdown or Git.

• Mac users who want a local-first outliner instead of a cloud note service.
• Writers and researchers who rely on backlinks, daily journaling, and linked pages.
• Developers and power users who want notes stored as readable files with version history.
• People who prefer an Apple-native app over an Electron app or browser-based editor.
• Users who want Git sync with auto-commit, push/pull, branch switching, and conflict resolution built into the workflow.

SeqLog is also appealing if you switch between editors often. Since the app is built around plain files, it fits a setup where Markdown stays editable in Vim, another desktop editor, or a Git review flow.

What to know before you use it

SeqLog is not a cloud service, and it does not try to be one. That means there is no hosted account layer, no web app, and no proprietary database to recover from. The tradeoff is that you are responsible for your own files and your own Git remote if you want sync between machines.

A few limits are worth noting:

• The app requires macOS 15+ and is built for Apple Silicon or Intel Macs.
• iOS is listed as coming soon, so the current app is Mac-only.
• SeqLog is not open source, even though it is free forever.
• Search is intentionally file-based and index-free, so it depends on the state of your files rather than a separate search database.
• The product is optimized for Markdown outliners, not for rich document layouts or cloud collaboration.

If you need a hosted sync service, cross-platform mobile access today, or an officially published source code repository, SeqLog is not trying to be that tool. For people who want a native Markdown outliner with Git and no cloud, though, SeqLog keeps the workflow tight and the files under your control.

In short, SeqLog is a Markdown outliner for users who value native performance, local-first storage, and Git-backed control. If that is the workflow you want, SeqLog is worth a look.