Research · head to head
Roam Research vs Obsidian
Obsidian
Research
A powerful knowledge base on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Obsidian has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Roam Research cloud-dependent: no local-first option, all data stored on Roam servers; Obsidian sync is a paid add-on at $4 per month billed annually rather than part of the app
- They diverge on capability: Roam Research covers Bi-directional linking, Obsidian covers Bidirectional linking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Roam Research and Obsidian actually diverge.
| Attribute | Roam Research | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $15/month | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, macOS, Windows | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Founded | 2017 | 2020 |
Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Roam Research
- Bi-directional linking
- Block references
- Daily notes
- Graph visualization
- Sidebar navigation
- Version history
- TODO management
- Browser extensions
Only in Obsidian
- Bidirectional linking
- Graph view visualization
- Local file storage
- Plugin ecosystem
- Custom CSS themes
- Templates
- Search and tags
- Zotero
Both cover
- Markdown support
- Readwise
- Kindle
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Roam Research
- Research notesnot Obsidian
- Writing projectsnot Obsidian
- Personal knowledge managementnot Obsidian
- Academic worknot Obsidian
- Creative thinkingnot Obsidian
Obsidian
- Local-first markdown note taking with no account requirednot Roam Research
- Linking notes into a personal knowledge graphnot Roam Research
- Syncing a vault across devices with end-to-end encryption on the paid add-onnot Roam Research
- Publishing a public site from a vaultnot Roam Research
- Extending the editor with community pluginsnot Roam Research
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Obsidian
- Sync is a paid add-on at $4 per month billed annually rather than part of the app
- Publishing to the web is a further $8 per month per site
- Commercial use asks for a $50 per user per year licence, though the vendor states it is not required
- Collaboration is limited compared with a hosted notes tool, since the vault is local files first
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Obsidian
Free- Obsidian Sync$4/month
- Sync notes across devices
- Obsidian Publish$8/month
- Turn notes into a website
Which should you pick?
Choose Roam Research if
- You need bi-directional linking.
- You work on Web, iOS, macOS, Windows.
- You also want block references.
Choose Obsidian if
- You need bidirectional linking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- You also want graph view visualization.
Questions people ask
- Is Roam Research or Obsidian better?
- Neither clearly leads. Roam Research starts at $15/month and Obsidian at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Roam Research or Obsidian?
- Obsidian has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/month for Roam Research and Free for Obsidian.
- Does Roam Research or Obsidian run on more platforms?
- Roam Research runs on Web, iOS, macOS, Windows. Obsidian runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Obsidian for free?
- Yes. Obsidian has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Roam Research starts at $15/month.
- What is Roam Research best used for?
- Roam Research is most often used for research notes, writing projects, personal knowledge management, academic work. Of those, research notes and writing projects are not what Obsidian is typically brought in for.
- What can Roam Research do that Obsidian cannot?
- Roam Research covers Bi-directional linking, Block references, Daily notes, Graph visualization. Obsidian covers Bidirectional linking, Graph view visualization, Local file storage, Plugin ecosystem. Both handle Markdown support, Readwise, Kindle.
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).
SourceObsidian: Is Obsidian free?
Yes. The core Obsidian application is 100% free for personal and commercial use with no limitations. You can use unlimited vaults and every core feature without payment.
SourceRoam 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.
SourceObsidian: What file format does Obsidian use?
Obsidian stores every note as a plain Markdown file. Because it uses standard Markdown instead of a proprietary format, your notes remain portable and can be edited with many other Markdown editors.
SourceRoam 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.
SourceObsidian: Can I collaborate with others in Obsidian?
The core application does not include built-in team collaboration features. However, Obsidian offers optional add-ons and can be used with version control systems or cloud storage for collaboration.
SourceRoam 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.
SourceRoam 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