Evernote is a traditional note-taking app with broad compatibility and offline access, while Roam Research is a graph-based knowledge management system designed for interconnected thinking and bidirectional linking. Evernote costs $14.99/month; Roam Research costs $15/month or $165/year.
Evernote vs Roam Research — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud-based note-taking application with folder organization and cross-platform synchronization.
Networked note-taking tool designed for bidirectional linking, knowledge graphs, and non-linear thinking with emphasis on daily notes.
Core Architecture. Monthly Subscription Price. Learning Curve for New Users. Offline Access. Export Flexibility. Bidirectional Linking (Backlinks). Cross-Platform Synchronization
Choose Evernote if you prioritize simplicity, offline access, and cross-device synchronization for general note-taking and personal knowledge capture. Choose Roam Research if you're building a networked knowledge system, conducting research, or need bidirectional linking for academic or professional knowledge management.
Evernote: $11.99 | Roam Research: $15/month
Evernote: 1 note/month | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: 40 GB/month upload | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: 10+ (article, simplified, bookmark, screenshot, full page) | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: 50+ basic templates | Roam Research: 500+ via Roam Marketplace
Evernote: Up to 5 users per note | Roam Research: Not supported; 1 user per workspace
Evernote: Not supported | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: Full offline access across all devices | Roam Research: ~5% read-only mode only
Evernote: 43 languages | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: 2 devices | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: Full article capture with formatting preservation | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: No - premium only | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: Basic - manual export only | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: 250+ million | Roam Research: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Personal Plan)
Evernote: $11.99/month | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: No - notebooks and tags only | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: 0 - No Zapier support | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: 5 (intuitive interface) | Roam Research: N/A
Annual Subscription Cost (Personal Plan)
Evernote: $119.99/year | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: 2 notebooks max | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: Yes (included in paid plans) | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: Yes (shared notebooks) | Roam Research: Native multi-user editing
Evernote: Limited (WYSIWYG primary) | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: $180/year | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: 5 (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web) | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: 100MB per note | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: 150+ integrations | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: No (limited, requires tools) | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: All platforms (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android) | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: 225+ million registered users (as of 2024) | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: Unlimited | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: Full offline mode with complete sync | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: Standard encryption (Evernote manages keys) | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: Basic sharing, no real-time co-editing | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: Full-featured with selective sync and formatting preservation | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: No; proprietary codebase | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: 2-3 seconds | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: 3 (List, Tag, Saved Search) | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: 0.5 weeks (intuitive) | Roam Research: 2-3 hours
Evernote: Reliable background sync with full offline queue | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: 5 platforms (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web) | Roam Research: Web (primary), limited iOS/Android
Evernote: Basic formatting only | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: Yes (full-featured) | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: 4 levels (Stack > Notebook > Folder > Note) | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: Yes (included) | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: Limited; feature-heavy interface | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: Full support iOS & Android | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: Basic tags and notebooks only | Roam Research: N/A
Evernote: $14.99/month | Roam Research: $15/month
Evernote: $169.99/year | Roam Research: $165/year
Evernote: 60 MB | Roam Research: None (limited daily notes only)
Evernote: Unlimited | Roam Research: Unlimited
Evernote: 2 (official apps for both platforms) | Roam Research: 0 (web-only; third-party clients available)
Evernote: Manual only (no automatic backlinks) | Roam Research: Native & automatic backlinks
Evernote: Yes (desktop and mobile) | Roam Research: Limited (web-based only)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: $15/month
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 44 native tools plus MCP servers
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Multi-provider LLM support with AI agents
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Unlimited collaborators
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Bidirectional linking and networked graphs
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Researchers, knowledge workers, academics
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: API access with scheduled jobs coming soon
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Unlimited
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Yes, full API
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: No native support
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Basic views
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Advanced backlink queries
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Unlimited with real-time editing
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: $165/year
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: None (paid only)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 40-50 hours
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Not available
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Native with graph visualization
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 60% of desktop features
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Cloud-based (Roam servers)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Closed-source proprietary
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Datalog with RoamScript
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Unlimited (cloud-based)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: JSON, Markdown, EDN
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 40-60 hours for advanced use
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: $180/year
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: ~150 plugins
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Proprietary JSON (Edn format)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 1.5M+ registered (2024)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Built-in interactive graph with density indicators
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Roam cloud servers (third-party controlled)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 30 days free trial
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: $180/year (only paid option)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 2 (Web, limited mobile beta)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Not available (no free tier)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Basic code block support
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: AI assistant for summaries
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: ~50 official extensions
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: ~0.2 million (2024 estimate)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 3 (Web, iOS, Android)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Cloud-hosted; Roam Inc. retains server access
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: No free tier
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Automatic backlinks with graph visualization
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Web-only; no native apps
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 50-100 community templates
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 15-20 hours (graph mastery required)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: API + JSON + Markdown + open data model
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Web (all browsers), Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Limited (web-dependent)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 45 minutes
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 4+ formats (Markdown, JSON, EDN, PDF)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: ~150,000+
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 2-4 hours to proficiency
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: iOS and Android apps available
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Markdown export available but limited
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: $15.00/month
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 6-12 weeks
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Yes, automatic
Maximum Document Size (Stable Performance)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 50,000 words
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Web + limited mobile features
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Yes, interactive graph view
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Yes (DataScript/Clojure)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 8-12 weeks
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 2-4 seconds
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: No native assistant (requires integration)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Limited offline functionality
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Advanced DataLog queries with filtering/sorting
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Limited (sync only)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: $15/month (paid) or free (limited)
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: 20-30 integrations
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Core feature with graph visualization
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Collections/blocks only; no structured databases
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Handles 5,000+ notes smoothly
Evernote: N/A | Roam Research: Interactive graph showing all connections
How to choose between Evernote and Roam Research
Evernote vs Roam Research — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Evernote vs Roam Research. Contains 158 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Evernote vs Roam Research — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Evernote vs Roam Research.
Can I use Evernote or Roam Research offline?
Evernote offers full offline access on desktop and mobile—you can create, edit, and search notes without an internet connection, and changes sync automatically when reconnected. Roam Research is primarily cloud-dependent; while some offline functionality exists through browser caching, it's unreliable and not officially supported. For offline-first workflows, Evernote is the clear winner.
Which is better for academic research and knowledge synthesis?
Roam Research excels for academic research due to bidirectional linking, automatic backlinks, and the ability to create interconnected knowledge graphs—revealing relationships between sources and ideas. Evernote is better for organizing research materials hierarchically but lacks the networked thinking features Roam provides. If you're building a research database with linked citations, Roam is superior.
How long does it take to become productive in each tool?
Evernote: Most users are productive within 5-10 minutes. The interface is intuitive, and basic note-taking works immediately. Roam Research: Expect 2-4 weeks of learning before developing effective workflows. The tool's power comes from understanding bidirectional linking, daily notes, and queries—concepts that require intentional practice.
What happens to my data if I leave the service?
Evernote exports notes as ENEX (proprietary format), which is difficult to migrate to other platforms without data loss or formatting issues. Roam Research exports as JSON and Markdown—open, portable formats that work with any note-taking system. Roam Research offers significantly better data portability and reduces vendor lock-in risk.
Evernote offers shared notebooks and workspaces with granular permissions for teams up to 100+ users. Roam Research has limited team features (shared graphs in beta) and is primarily designed for individual knowledge management. For team collaboration, Evernote is more mature and established.
How to Choose Between Evernote and Roam Research
Core Architecture: Evernote has Hierarchical folder-based note organization, while Roam Research has Graph database with bidirectional linking.
Monthly Subscription Price: Evernote has $14.99 USD, while Roam Research has $15 USD.
Learning Curve for New Users: Evernote has Intuitive, 5-10 minutes to get started, while Roam Research has Steep, 2-4 weeks to master Roam workflows.
Offline Access: Evernote has Full offline functionality on desktop and mobile, while Roam Research has Limited offline support; primarily cloud-dependent.
Export Flexibility: Evernote has Exports to PDF, HTML, ENEX format with limitations, while Roam Research has Exports to JSON, Markdown, supports data portability.
Consider: Bidirectional Linking (Backlinks)
Bidirectional Linking (Backlinks): Evernote has Not native; limited cross-note connections, while Roam Research has Core feature with automatic backlink generation.
Consider: Cross-Platform Synchronization
Cross-Platform Synchronization: Evernote has Syncs across 5+ devices in real-time, while Roam Research has Web-based with limited native mobile apps.