Softwr

Research · head to head

Greenphire vs Roam Research

Greenphire logo

Greenphire

Research

Clinical trial participant payments, reimbursement and travel, now part of Suvoda

From
On request
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

  • Each has a real cost: Greenphire the standalone greenphire.com site now redirects to Suvoda and the brands have been integrated, so buyers are contracting with a randomisation and supply vendor and should expect cross selling rather than an independent payments specialist.; Roam Research cloud-dependent: no local-first option, all data stored on Roam servers
  • They diverge on capability: Greenphire covers ClinCard, Roam Research covers Bi-directional linking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Greenphire and Roam Research differ
AttributeGreenphireRoam Research
Starting priceOn request$15/month
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, macOS, Windows
FoundedUnknown2017

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Research).

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 Greenphire

  • ClinCard
  • Direct to bank payment
  • Expense reimbursement
  • Travel and logistics
  • Site payments
  • Budgeting and benchmarking
  • Tax handling

Only in Roam Research

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

What people use each for

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

Greenphire

  • A global Phase III trial paying stipends across many countries where participants cannot practically be reimbursed by sponsor accounts payablenot Roam Research
  • A decentralised or hybrid trial where participants travel long distances and the sponsor funds flights and accommodationnot Roam Research
  • A trial in a population where slow reimbursement drives dropout and same day payment materially helps retentionnot Roam Research
  • A sponsor that wants site payment milestones and participant payments handled by one vendor rather than twonot Roam Research

Roam Research

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

Where each one falls short

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

Greenphire

  • The standalone greenphire.com site now redirects to Suvoda and the brands have been integrated, so buyers are contracting with a randomisation and supply vendor and should expect cross selling rather than an independent payments specialist.
  • Nothing is published on price, and the typical shape of a platform fee plus per participant and per transaction charges means the cost of a trial is not knowable until enrolment is known.
  • Payment method availability varies sharply by country, so a global protocol may end up with card payments in some regions and slow manual processes in others, which undermines the retention argument that justified the purchase.
  • Sites bear the administrative work of enrolling participants and triggering payments but are not the buyer, so adoption depends on the sponsor mandating it and site resistance is a real implementation risk.
  • Participant payments create tax reporting obligations that differ per jurisdiction, and the tooling helps but does not remove sponsor liability, so legal and finance review is required in every country the trial runs in.

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

Greenphire

On request
  • Greenphire Patient Payments$undefined/year
    • Priced per study through a sales process
    • Typically a platform fee plus per participant and per transaction charges
    • Funding of the payment float is separate from the software fee

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 Greenphire if

  • You need clincard.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want direct to bank payment.
Greenphire 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 Greenphire or Roam Research better?
Neither clearly leads. Greenphire starts at On request and Roam Research at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Greenphire or Roam Research?
Greenphire starts at On request and Roam Research at $15/month.
Does Greenphire or Roam Research run on more platforms?
Greenphire runs on Web, iOS, Android. Roam Research runs on Web, iOS, macOS, Windows.
What is Greenphire best used for?
Greenphire is most often used for a global phase iii trial paying stipends across many countries where participants cannot practically be reimbursed by sponsor accounts payable, a decentralised or hybrid trial where participants travel long distances and the sponsor funds flights and accommodation, a trial in a population where slow reimbursement drives dropout and same day payment materially helps retention, a sponsor that wants site payment milestones and participant payments handled by one vendor rather than two. Of those, a global phase iii trial paying stipends across many countries where participants cannot practically be reimbursed by sponsor accounts payable and a decentralised or hybrid trial where participants travel long distances and the sponsor funds flights and accommodation are not what Roam Research is typically brought in for.
What can Greenphire do that Roam Research cannot?
Greenphire covers ClinCard, Direct to bank payment, Expense reimbursement, Travel and logistics. Roam Research covers Bi-directional linking, Block references, Daily notes, Graph visualization.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Greenphire: Is Greenphire still sold?

Yes, as Greenphire Patient Payments on the Suvoda platform. The independent website and social presence have been consolidated into Suvoda.

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
Greenphire: What is ClinCard?

The reloadable debit card Greenphire issues to participants. Greenphire Patient Payments was formerly known as ClinCard.

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
Greenphire: Does it publish pricing?

No. Pricing is per study and quoted through sales, and funding the payments themselves is separate from the software fee.

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
Greenphire: Can it pay participants outside the United States?

Yes, in more than thirty currencies, but the available payment method depends on the country.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Greenphire

More on Roam Research

Keep looking

Other head to heads