Roam Researchvs
Obsidian
Obsidian: Local-first markdown notes with bidirectional linking, 1000+ plugins, and free tier for personal use, but no cloud collaboration.
Roam Research
A note-taking tool for networked thought
As of 30 August 2026, Roam Research starts at $15/month. Roam Research is a note-taking application that implements a new approach to organizing and connecting information. Softwr lists it under Research. Roam Research is made by Roam Research Inc, launched in 2019, available on Web, iOS, macOS, Windows.
Overview
What Roam Research does
Roam Research is a note-taking application that implements a new approach to organizing and connecting information. It uses bi-directional linking to create a web of knowledge, making it ideal for researchers, writers, and knowledge workers who need to connect complex ideas.
What people use it for
- Research notes
- Writing projects
- Personal knowledge management
- Academic work
- Creative thinking
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about 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
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of Roam Research
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- Roam ResearchvsLogseq
Logseq: Free and open-source outliner with bidirectional block linking and local storage, resembling Roam's interface but without the cloud sync.
- Roam ResearchvsNotion
Notion: Cloud-based alternative with real-time collaboration, relational databases, and polish but no local-first option or end-to-end encryption.
Pricing
What Roam Research costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Pro
$15 /mo
- Unlimited graphs
- Unlimited blocks
- Daily notes
- Bidirectional links
- Block references
- Queries
Believer
$500 /5 years
- All Pro features
- Cost effective long-term subscription
Capabilities
Features
Bi-directional linking
Block references
Daily notes
Graph visualization
Sidebar navigation
Version history
Markdown support
TODO management
Readwise
Integration with Readwise
Kindle
Integration with Kindle
Browser extensions
Integration with Browser extensions
Encryption
Encryption security feature
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
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).
SourceCan 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.
SourceWhat 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.
SourceCan 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.
SourceDoes 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.
SourceBehind it
Who makes Roam Research
- Company
- Roam Research Inc
- Based in
- San Francisco, CA
- Founders
- Conor White-Sullivan
Keep looking
Where to go from Roam Research
- Roam Research alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- Roam Research pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- Roam Research badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Research softwareThe full category
- Best Research softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best Research software for
Compare Roam Research with
- Obsidian
- Mendeley
- Elicit
- NVivo
- Paperpile
- Zotero
- REDCap
- Benchling
- Dovetail
- LabWare
- STARLIMS
- Thermo SampleManager LIMS
- Chemaxon
- Condens
- DNAnexus
- Dotmatics
- Florence eBinders
- Form Bio
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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Roam Research, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on Roam Research
Roam Research alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
Roam Research pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare Roam Research
Put it head to head with anything we hold
Roam Research badge
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
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