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Research · head to head

Roam Research vs Seven Bridges

Roam Research logo

Roam Research

Research

A note-taking tool for networked thought

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Seven Bridges logo

Seven Bridges

Research

Cloud bioinformatics platform and trusted research environment, sold by Velsera

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Roam Research cloud-dependent: no local-first option, all data stored on Roam servers; Seven Bridges the parent merged into Velsera in 2023 alongside Pierian and UgenTec, so the platform now competes for roadmap attention with clinical interpretation and diagnostics products inside a private equity owned group.
  • They diverge on capability: Roam Research covers Bi-directional linking, Seven Bridges covers Trusted research environment.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Roam Research and Seven Bridges actually diverge.

Attributes where Roam Research and Seven Bridges differ
AttributeRoam ResearchSeven Bridges
Starting price$15/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, macOS, WindowsWeb, API, Cloud
Founded2017Unknown

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 Roam Research

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

Only in Seven Bridges

  • Trusted research environment
  • Cloud-agnostic
  • CWL pipelines
  • Compliance certifications
  • Cost prediction
  • Public data commons
  • Collaboration
  • Tool library

What people use each for

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

Roam Research

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

Seven Bridges

  • A cancer genomics group analysing controlled-access dbGaP data that cannot be moved to local infrastructurenot Roam Research
  • A federal or federally funded programme that needs FedRAMP Moderate authorisation for its analysis environmentnot Roam Research
  • A multi-institution consortium sharing pipelines and results under defined access controls rather than by emailing filesnot Roam Research
  • A diagnostics developer building reproducible CWL pipelines that must stand up to later regulatory reviewnot 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

Seven Bridges

  • The parent merged into Velsera in 2023 alongside Pierian and UgenTec, so the platform now competes for roadmap attention with clinical interpretation and diagnostics products inside a private equity owned group.
  • Pricing is not published and splits into a platform subscription plus consumption-based cloud compute, so a heavy analysis quarter produces a bill that headcount-based budgeting does not anticipate.
  • The analysis capability itself has credible open source equivalents in Nextflow and Cromwell on raw cloud, so you are principally paying for compliance and governance rather than for the science.
  • Pipelines are built around Common Workflow Language, which is a real learning curve and a portability commitment for teams whose existing work is in other workflow languages.
  • Cloud storage of large genomic datasets accrues continuously whether or not you are analysing, and egress charges apply when moving results out, both of which are outside the subscription line.

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

Seven Bridges

On request
  • Seven Bridges Platform$undefined/year
    • Platform subscription quoted through Velsera sales
    • Cloud compute and storage charged on consumption on top of the subscription
    • Cost predictor tools provided to estimate analysis spend in advance

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.
Roam Research review

Choose Seven Bridges if

  • You need trusted research environment.
  • You work on Web, API, Cloud.
  • You also want cloud-agnostic.
Seven Bridges review

Questions people ask

Is Roam Research or Seven Bridges better?
Neither clearly leads. Roam Research starts at $15/month and Seven Bridges at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Roam Research or Seven Bridges?
Roam Research starts at $15/month and Seven Bridges at On request.
Does Roam Research or Seven Bridges run on more platforms?
Roam Research runs on Web, iOS, macOS, Windows. Seven Bridges runs on Web, API, Cloud.
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 Seven Bridges is typically brought in for.
What can Roam Research do that Seven Bridges cannot?
Roam Research covers Bi-directional linking, Block references, Daily notes, Graph visualization. Seven Bridges covers Trusted research environment, Cloud-agnostic, CWL pipelines, Compliance certifications.

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
Seven Bridges: Is Seven Bridges still sold?

Yes. It is sold by Velsera, formed in 2023 when Summa Equity merged Seven Bridges with Pierian and UgenTec. The Seven Bridges name was retained for the platform.

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
Seven Bridges: What compliance does it hold?

FedRAMP Moderate, SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, dbGaP and ISO 27001, 27017, 27018 and 27701, which is the usual reason institutions choose it over building on raw cloud.

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
Seven Bridges: How is it priced?

Not published. Expect a platform subscription plus consumption charges for cloud compute and storage.

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
Seven Bridges: Do I have to use a specific cloud?

No. The platform is cloud-agnostic and designed to bring analysis to where the data already resides.

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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