Softwr

Writing & Documentation · head to head

Confluence vs Roam Research

Confluence logo

Confluence

Writing & Documentation

Your remote-friendly team workspace

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Roam Research logo

Roam Research

Research

A note-taking tool for networked thought

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Confluence has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Confluence listed on UK G-Cloud at £5 to £11 per licence per month for Atlassian Confluence, via reseller Rapid X; Roam Research cloud-dependent: no local-first option, all data stored on Roam servers
  • They diverge on capability: Confluence covers Page creation, Roam Research covers Bi-directional linking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Confluence and Roam Research actually diverge.

Attributes where Confluence and Roam Research differ
AttributeConfluenceRoam Research
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Macos, Ios, AndroidWeb, iOS, macOS, Windows
CategoryWriting & DocumentationResearch
Founded20022017

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Confluence

  • Page creation
  • Rich text editing
  • Macros
  • Templates
  • Comments
  • Content organization
  • Jira
  • Slack

Only in Roam Research

  • Bi-directional linking
  • Block references
  • Daily notes
  • Graph visualization
  • Sidebar navigation
  • Markdown support
  • TODO management
  • Readwise

Both cover

  • Version history
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Confluence

  • Knowledge basenot Roam Research
  • Meeting notesnot Roam Research
  • Process documentationnot Roam Research
  • Project planningnot Roam Research

Roam Research

  • Research notesnot Confluence
  • Writing projectsnot Confluence
  • Personal knowledge managementnot Confluence
  • Academic worknot Confluence
  • Creative thinkingnot Confluence

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Confluence

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud at £5 to £11 per licence per month for Atlassian Confluence, via reseller Rapid X

Roam Research

  • Cloud-dependent: no local-first option, all data stored on Roam servers
  • Offline sync issues: offline databases experience slow startup and synchronization problems
  • No native Android app
  • Requires internet connection for most functionality

Pricing, plan by plan

Confluence

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited pages
    • Basic sharing
    • Search
  • Standard$5.5/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Advanced permissions
    • Macros

Roam Research

$15/month
  • Pro$15/month
    • Unlimited graphs
    • Unlimited blocks
    • Daily notes
  • Believer$500/5 years
    • All Pro features
    • Cost effective long-term subscription

Which should you pick?

Choose Confluence if

  • You need page creation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
  • You also want rich text editing.
Confluence review

Choose Roam Research if

  • You need bi-directional linking.
  • You work on Web, iOS, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want block references.
Roam Research review

Questions people ask

Is Confluence or Roam Research better?
Neither clearly leads. Confluence starts at Free and Roam Research at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Confluence or Roam Research?
Confluence has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Confluence and $15/month for Roam Research.
Does Confluence or Roam Research run on more platforms?
Confluence runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android. Roam Research runs on Web, iOS, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Confluence for free?
Yes. Confluence has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Roam Research starts at $15/month.
What is Confluence best used for?
Confluence is most often used for knowledge base, meeting notes, process documentation, project planning. Of those, knowledge base and meeting notes are not what Roam Research is typically brought in for.
What can Confluence do that Roam Research cannot?
Confluence covers Page creation, Rich text editing, Macros, Templates. Roam Research covers Bi-directional linking, Block references, Daily notes, Graph visualization. Both handle Version history, Cloud deployment, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Roam Research: Does Roam Research have a free plan?

No, Roam Research does not offer a free plan. However, it includes a 31-day free trial before requiring a subscription to either the Pro plan ($15/month) or Believer plan ($500 for five years).

Source
Roam Research: Can I use Roam Research offline?

Roam Research has limited offline support. Offline databases have significant performance issues, including slow startup times and sync problems. The platform is cloud-dependent and requires internet connectivity for most functionality.

Source
Roam Research: What platforms does Roam Research support?

Roam Research is available as a web app and native mobile apps for iOS and macOS. Windows users access it through the web app or Electron desktop wrapper. Android support is limited.

Source
Roam Research: Can I export my data from Roam Research?

Yes, you can export your entire database or individual pages as JSON or Markdown format by clicking the three-dot menu. However, block references do not translate perfectly, and migration to other tools may require manual cleanup.

Source
Roam Research: Does Roam Research integrate with Slack?

Roam Research integrates with Slack through Zapier, allowing you to send Slack messages to Roam or add Slack messages to your Roam daily notes. No native Slack integration is available.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Confluence

More on Roam Research

Keep looking

Other head to heads