Org2 vs Org Mode

Org2 grows directly from the Org tradition: outlines, TODO states, planning lines, properties, links, tables, source blocks, agendas, and publishing all belong in readable files. Org Mode remains the reference implementation and the deepest environment for that style of work.

Org2 carries those ideas into a standalone compiler/runtime and builds native workspace, data, and agent-review surfaces around the shared semantics.

At a glance

Concern	Org Mode	Org2
---	---	---
Natural home	GNU Emacs	Mac Workspace, VS Code, CLI, and other runtime clients
Runtime	Emacs Lisp, buffers, and Emacs batch mode	TypeScript parser/compiler, standalone CLI, JSON artifacts, and optional LSP
Files	Native `.org`	Reads `.org` and recommends `.org2` for new work
Planning	Exceptionally deep agenda, TODO, clock, habit, repeater, and customization support	Shared core planning model with agenda UI/TUI, queries, edits, runs, and approvals
Literate work	Mature Babel language ecosystem and reproducible research workflows	Source blocks plus explicit data notebooks, DuckDB materialization, and chart rendering
Publishing	Broad, extensible export backend ecosystem	Built-in HTML export and multi-file project publishing
Automation	Emacs Lisp APIs and Emacs batch commands	CLI/JSON/compiler outputs, MCP, workflow packages, and client APIs
Agent coordination	Available through Emacs packages and custom workflows	Cited context, durable runs, validation, approvals, and artifact provenance in the core project
Maturity	Decades of use and a broad ecosystem	Early alpha with a deliberately smaller semantic standard

Both projects treat plain text as a durable interface rather than an export format. A heading can be prose, a task, an addressable node, or part of a larger workflow. Dates, properties, links, tables, and source blocks remain visible to the person editing the file.

Org2 also inherits several important habits from Org:

capture quickly and organize later,
derive agendas from tasks distributed across normal notes,
keep publishing close to source,
allow simple files to grow structure only when useful,
preserve a raw-text escape hatch for every higher-level interface.

Where Org Mode remains deeper

Emacs editing and customization

Org Mode's folding, structural editing, agenda commands, capture/refile system, tables, export dispatcher, and keyboard workflow have been refined for years. Emacs Lisp makes nearly every part of that environment programmable.

Org2 does not reproduce that depth. Its native Mac editor is a focused workspace surface with source editing as the full-fidelity fallback; VS Code is the most complete general editor integration.

Planning breadth

Org2 supports practical TODO states, dates, repeaters, habits, effort, clocking, filters, and planning mutations. Org Mode still offers far more configuration, reporting depth, log behavior, column views, custom agenda composition, and accumulated edge-case handling.

Babel and exports

Org Babel supports a large language ecosystem for literate programming and reproducible research. Org's export system covers many built-in and third-party targets. Org2 currently concentrates on executable blocks used by its workflows, data notebooks, deterministic charts, HTML export, and project publishing.

Ecosystem and stability

Org Mode has a mature package ecosystem, extensive documentation, and well-understood long-term behavior. Org2's APIs and standard are still evolving.

The path Org2 is exploring

A standalone runtime below every client

The Org2 parser and compiler run without Emacs or a GUI application. They expose source ranges, agenda results, graph data, diagnostics, cited context, publishing output, and durable workflow records through the CLI and structured data.

Native and editor clients are expected to use that layer rather than develop private interpretations of the language. This gives a Mac app, VS Code, CI job, script, and agent the same semantic boundary.

Org Mode can also run in batch mode and offers rich APIs. Org2 makes standalone, language-neutral consumption the default packaging model.

Native workspace surfaces

The Mac app combines agenda planning, files and knowledge navigation, rendered reading, source editing, meetings, OpenClaw chat, data notebooks, interactive charts, and Agent Work. These surfaces still write ordinary files and call the shared runtime.

The HTML-capable app is especially useful for rich data presentation. Chart interaction and rendered reports can be more elaborate than would be ergonomic in a traditional text buffer, while their declarations and materialized evidence remain plain text.

Agent work with explicit control points

Org2 treats cited context, durable runs, outputs, validation, clarification, approval, and reusable workflows as part of the project. The current OpenClaw plugin records substantial agent work in the Runs tab, and the Mac app exposes the review loop.

This does not make agent use mandatory. Deterministic parsing, planning, graph, lint, data, and publishing capabilities work independently of any AI provider.

A smaller standard

Org2 aims for a clear portable interpretation of the most useful Org-shaped semantics. It does not promise bug-for-bug compatibility with every Emacs configuration or historical edge case.

That narrower scope makes independent clients easier to build, at the cost of incomplete compatibility with the full Org ecosystem.

Compatibility in practice

Existing .org files are supported as normal compiler input.
.org2 is recommended for new files when the workspace depends on Org2-specific behavior.
Common headings, TODOs, planning lines, properties, tags, links, blocks, lists, tables, and timestamps should feel familiar.
Complex Babel setups, custom Emacs Lisp, specialized export backends, and highly customized agenda behavior should remain in Org Mode unless their Org2 behavior has been verified.
Raw source remains authoritative, so the same corpus can be inspected or edited with Emacs even when an Org2 client supplies the workflow surface.

A practical choice

Org Mode is the natural choice for people who want the deepest Org experience and are comfortable making Emacs the runtime for editing, planning, literate programming, and automation.

Org2 is useful when Org-shaped files need a standalone open-source runtime, native non-Emacs clients, rich data presentation, or a built-in run-and-approval workflow for agents.

Using both is reasonable: Org Mode can remain a full-fidelity editor while Org2 compiles the same ordinary files into shared views and automation, within the documented compatibility boundary.