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Technology · head to head

Monday.com vs Roam Research

Monday.com logo

Monday.com

Technology

A platform built for a new way of working

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 Monday.com has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Monday.com expensive at scale with 3-seat minimum and costs increasing quickly with team size; Roam Research cloud-dependent: no local-first option, all data stored on Roam servers
  • They diverge on capability: Monday.com covers Customizable workflows, Roam Research covers Bi-directional linking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Monday.com and Roam Research actually diverge.

Attributes where Monday.com and Roam Research differ
AttributeMonday.comRoam Research
Starting priceFree$15/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, macOS, Windows
CategoryTechnologyResearch
Founded20122017

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Monday.com

  • Customizable workflows
  • Multiple views (Kanban, Gantt, Calendar)
  • Automation engine
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Mobile apps
  • Forms
  • Dashboards
  • Workload management

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.

Monday.com

  • Project managementnot Roam Research
  • Sales CRMnot Roam Research
  • Marketing campaignsnot Roam Research
  • HR processesnot Roam Research
  • IT ticketingnot Roam Research

Roam Research

  • Research notesnot Monday.com
  • Writing projectsnot Monday.com
  • Personal knowledge managementnot Monday.com
  • Academic worknot Monday.com
  • Creative thinkingnot Monday.com

Where each one falls short

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

Monday.com

  • Expensive at scale with 3-seat minimum and costs increasing quickly with team size
  • Limited free plan with only 2 users and 3 boards
  • Mobile app provides reduced functionality compared to web version
  • Email CC/BCC limitations for looping in stakeholders without full board access
  • WorkForms can only create new items, not update existing ones

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

Monday.com

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Monday.com review.

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 Monday.com if

  • You need customizable workflows.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want multiple views (kanban, gantt, calendar).
Monday.com 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 Monday.com or Roam Research better?
Neither clearly leads. Monday.com 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, Monday.com or Roam Research?
Monday.com has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Monday.com and $15/month for Roam Research.
Does Monday.com or Roam Research run on more platforms?
Monday.com runs on Web, iOS, Android. Roam Research runs on Web, iOS, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Monday.com for free?
Yes. Monday.com has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Roam Research starts at $15/month.
What is Monday.com best used for?
Monday.com is most often used for project management, sales crm, marketing campaigns, hr processes. Of those, project management and sales crm are not what Roam Research is typically brought in for.
What can Monday.com do that Roam Research cannot?
Monday.com covers Customizable workflows, Multiple views (Kanban, Gantt, Calendar), Automation engine, Real-time collaboration. Roam Research covers Bi-directional linking, Block references, Daily notes, Graph visualization.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Monday.com: Does Monday.com have a free plan?

Yes, Monday.com offers a free plan limited to 2 users and 3 boards. Paid plans start at around $9 per seat per month and require a minimum of 3 seats.

Source
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
Monday.com: Can I use Monday.com on mobile?

Monday.com is available on iOS and Android, but the mobile app lacks the full depth of the desktop version, making complex board management more difficult on the go.

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
Monday.com: Does Monday.com support offline work?

Monday.com is primarily a cloud-based platform and does not have robust offline capabilities. You need an internet connection to access and edit boards.

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
Monday.com: What is Monday.com's pricing based on?

Pricing is based on the number of seats and which product module you choose (Work Management, Sales CRM, Dev, or Service). Each module has different features and pricing.

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
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Related pages

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