Notion excels as an all-in-one workspace with databases, templates, and collaboration at a lower price ($0-$20/month), while Roam Research specializes in bidirectional linking and networked note-taking for knowledge workers willing to pay premium pricing ($15/month). Notion targets broad productivity; Roam targets researchers and knowledge synthesis.
Notion vs Roam Research — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
All-in-one workspace platform combining documents, databases, wikis, CRM, and project management.
Networked note-taking platform specializing in bidirectional linking, backlinking, and knowledge graph visualization.
Pricing Model. Primary Strength. Collaboration Features. Learning Curve (Hours to Productivity). Template Ecosystem. Graph Visualization Quality. iOS/Android Native App
Choose Notion if you need a versatile, affordable workspace for teams with databases, templates, and collaboration features across documents, wikis, and task management. Choose Roam Research if you're a solo researcher, academic, or knowledge worker focused on bidirectional linking, non-linear thinking, and building a networked personal knowledge base—willing to invest time mastering the graph interface.
Notion: Notion's cloud servers | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Free / $8-15 per user | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Customizable approach | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Moderate support | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Real-time co-editing, permissions, comments, activity tracking | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Limited (~30%) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Full (relational databases, rollups, formulas) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 5/10 (steep) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Cloud-hosted (Notion controls servers) | Roam Research: Cloud-hosted; Roam Inc. retains server access
Notion: Yes (built-in AI assistant) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: High availability (no published SLA) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 9/10 (blocks, databases, relations) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 5/10 (basic automations only) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 2-50 users (flexible scale) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 7-14 days (custom setup required) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Not available | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $10 (Plus tier) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $20 (Business tier) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $24+ (Enterprise, custom) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 5/10 (limited) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 6/10 (basic) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 4/10 (minimal) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Limited task/project features | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 9/10 - Highly customizable | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 8/10 - Steep learning curve | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 9/10 - Native docs & databases | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Basic (manual linking only) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Comprehensive (wiki, docs, databases, linked records) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: No (requires manual setup with databases) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Very High (fully customizable databases and properties) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 10 (free plan with guests) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Not available (must track manually) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $8/month (Team tier) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Excellent for non-technical users - intuitive linked properties | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Limited native two-way sync capability | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Built-in AI assistant with limited agent connections | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Steep learning curve with flexible drag-and-drop | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 30% cheaper | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Exceptional - optimized for feature roadmaps and linked data | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $10 per user | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $18 per user | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Basic (via integrations only) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Limited tier system | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 10+ million | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Full editor (formatting, blocks, collaboration) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 100+ templates and integrations | Roam Research: 44 native tools plus MCP servers
Notion: Unlimited with role-based permissions | Roam Research: Unlimited collaborators
Notion: Flexible block-based editor with databases | Roam Research: Bidirectional linking and networked graphs
Notion: Teams, project managers, content creators | Roam Research: Researchers, knowledge workers, academics
Notion: Views API, Markdown support, automatic retries (2026) | Roam Research: API access with scheduled jobs coming soon
Notion: 600+ via Zapier | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Unlimited blocks and pages | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 35+ million | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Full relational database support | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Limited offline capabilities | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Table, Board, Timeline, Calendar, Gallery, List | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: REST API and official SDK | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Comments, mentions, real-time editing, threads | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Free (or $10/month for AI) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 5-8 seconds | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 2-3 seconds | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 5 basic options | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 10-20 hours | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 60+ native + Zapier | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Limited offline; web-first platform | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $0 (free tier exists) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $100-160/month | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Unlimited | Roam Research: Native multi-user editing
Notion: Basic linked mentions; manual linking required | Roam Research: Automatic backlinks with graph visualization
Notion: 400+ (official integrations) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 100+ million across all sectors | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Free (Plus $10/user) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Moderate (2-3 seconds with complex databases) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 1000+ through Zapier and native | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: All-in-one workspace & documentation | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 3-7 days depending on customization | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Native iOS/Android, good but slower | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: SSO, AI features, advanced permissions, audit logs | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 30-60 (database learning curve) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 8 (iOS/Android, full sync) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: PDF/CSV (some lock-in) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 10+ million active users | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Yes, basic timeline view only | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 3 requests per second (~180/min) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Limited (manual + integrations) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 50,000+ community templates | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Cloud-based SaaS | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Proprietary blocks | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: CSV / Markdown export | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Yes — real-time | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Cloud (built-in) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Yes (basic) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Yes — powerful | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Limited (limited API) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Notion AI (bundled in Business/Enterprise; trial on Free/Plus) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Free (10 guests) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Plus $10/user/mo | Roam Research: N/A
Free Tier Monthly Recording/Creation Limit
Notion: Unlimited pages | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 30-120 minutes | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: AI-powered search, Q&A, writing assistance (add-on) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Centralized knowledge/PM workspace | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $100 (10 users @ $10) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $10 (Unlimited plan) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Read-only offline (web); requires app for editing | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Full relational databases with 10+ view types | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 5-10 hours for proficiency | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Public API with Zapier/webhook support | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $10/month (Plus plan) | Roam Research: $15/month
Notion: 3 (full page, bookmark, simple) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Native relational databases with rollups, filters, sorts | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Basic (AI blocks limited to Pro/Team plans) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 0 (no native integration) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 500+ via Zapier, native integrations, and API | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 1000+ community and official templates | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Read-only offline via Web Clipper; limited without internet | Roam Research: No offline; web-only
Notion: 30 minutes (learning curve for full features) | Roam Research: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Personal Plan)
Notion: Unlimited workspace content; 5GB file attachments | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Yes - relations, filters, sorts, multiple views | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Full offline mode (desktop app) | Roam Research: ~5% read-only mode only
Notion: 60+ (steep learning curve) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 200+ native + 2000+ via Zapier | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Basic (simple triggers and actions) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Yes; unlimited blocks for individuals | Roam Research: No free tier
Notion: 8-12 seconds | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Yes (native relations, rollups, and rollup filters) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 6 (Table, Calendar, Timeline, Gallery, Board, List) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 10,000 (performance degrades noticeably after 5,000) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 1,500+ (Zapier, Slack, webhooks, and native integrations) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Comments, mentions, reminders only | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $120/year (Plus plan) | Roam Research: $165
Notion: 6 platforms (Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Advanced relational databases with filtering and sorting | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Full real-time collaboration with comments and permissions | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Partial offline (web requires internet, mobile has limited offline mode) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Proprietary Notion format (limited standard export) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 30-60 minutes to understand core features | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Robust public API with extensive integration ecosystem | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Unlimited (Plus plan) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Yes, certified | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Not FedRAMP authorized | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $0 (limited to 1M blocks/month) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Unlimited (team plan dependent) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 1-to-1, Many-to-1, Many-to-Many | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 12+ (Table, Board, Calendar, Timeline, Gallery, etc.) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 6+ (complex feature set requires training) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 8+ (PDF, HTML, Markdown, CSV, etc.) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $10 (Plus plan) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Yes - unlimited blocks and databases | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 75+ million registered users (as of 2024) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $120 per year (Plus plan, no AI) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $10 (Team plan) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Unlimited in Team plan | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Unlimited (per subscription) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 1000-2000ms | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Multi-level relations, rollups, and formulas | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: No (third-party integrations only) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: No (web-based only) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Notion AI included in Pro/Team plans | Roam Research: Multi-provider LLM support with AI agents
Notion: Linear page-based structure | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Unlimited (paid plans) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Full relational databases with filters, sorts, relations | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 10000+ community templates | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Full offline capability with sync | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Unlimited blocks + 10 GB files | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $10 (unlimited access) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 50+ integrated features | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Limited (requires extension) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $10/user/month | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $0 (Pro: $120/year) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 10-15 minutes | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 20+ workspace templates | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $10 (or Free) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Timeline view available; no dependency or critical path analysis | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Manual tracking only; no native capacity features | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 10,000 rows (performance degrades) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Limited cross-database visibility | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $12 (Notion Team plan) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 45 functions | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 3 requests/second | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 1-2 seconds (1000-2000ms) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 10+ (stable with minor lag) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: No native email; third-party only | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 100+ REST API endpoints | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Read-only offline mode | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 1000+ community templates + Zapier/Make | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: iOS + Android official apps | Roam Research: Web-only; no native apps
Notion: 800+ official templates | Roam Research: 50-100 community templates
Notion: 8-12 hours | Roam Research: 15-20 hours (graph mastery required)
Notion: Notion API + CSV/Markdown exports | Roam Research: API + JSON + Markdown + open data model
Notion: $14 (Pro plan, annual) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $32 (Team plan, annual) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 12 basic automation triggers | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 30 hours for proficiency | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Basic calendar view (limited critical path analysis) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Unlimited custom fields, relations, formulas, rollups, and linked databases | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 500+ via Zapier, 50+ native | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $10 (billed annually) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: ~10,000+ templates | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Unlimited with cursor presence | Roam Research: Not supported; 1 user per workspace
Notion: Optimized up to 10,000 items per view | Roam Research: Unlimited (cloud-based)
Notion: Database automations, API integrations, Zapier/Make support | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $10.00 (or free) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 5-7 seconds | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 15+ (Table, Kanban, Calendar, Gallery, Timeline, etc.) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $120/month (Pro plan, capped usage) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: $120/month (unlimited members, Pro) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 0 native (requires third-party integration) | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Full rich-text editor with embeds | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Advanced, with rollups and filters | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Unlimited blocks/pages, ~10 GB estimate | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Limited offline; requires internet for most features | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: 10-14 days for average user | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: Sync requires active internet connection | Roam Research: N/A
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: Yes, full API
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: No native support
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: Basic views
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: Advanced backlink queries
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: Web (primary), limited iOS/Android
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: Unlimited with real-time editing
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: None (paid only)
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: 40-50 hours
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: Not available
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: Native feature
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: Interactive visual graph of note connections
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: 60% of desktop features
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: Cloud-based (Roam servers)
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: Closed-source proprietary
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: Datalog with RoamScript
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: JSON, Markdown, EDN
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: 40-60 hours for advanced use
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: ~150 plugins
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: Proprietary JSON (Edn format)
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: 1.5M+ registered (2024)
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: Built-in interactive graph with density indicators
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: Roam cloud servers (third-party controlled)
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: iOS, Android, Web (all full-featured)
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: 30 days free trial
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: $180/year (only paid option)
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: 2 (Web, limited mobile beta)
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: Not available (no free tier)
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: Basic code block support
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: Unlimited (3 graphs max)
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: AI assistant for summaries
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: ~50 official extensions
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: ~0.2 million (2024 estimate)
Notion: N/A | Roam Research: 3 (Web, iOS, Android)
How to choose between Notion and Roam Research
Notion vs Roam Research — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Notion vs Roam Research. Contains 327 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Notion vs Roam Research — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Notion vs Roam Research.
Can I use Notion or Roam Research for free?
Notion offers a free tier with unlimited blocks for personal use, with paid plans starting at $12/month for additional features. Roam Research has no free tier; it requires a $15/month subscription with a 30-day trial available. If budget is critical, Notion is the clear winner.
Which tool is better for team collaboration?
Notion has real-time co-editing, guest access, and unlimited collaborators on paid plans, making it superior for teams. Roam Research is designed for solo knowledge management with no built-in collaboration features, though workspaces can be shared read-only. For teamwork, Notion wins decisively.
What's the key difference in how these tools handle linking?
Roam Research automatically creates bidirectional backlinks whenever you reference another note, with a visual graph showing relationships. Notion requires manual linking through database relations or linked database feature. Roam excels for non-linear knowledge synthesis; Notion is more structured and task-oriented.
Notion has official iOS and Android apps with offline support and full functionality. Roam Research offers web-only access on mobile with limited functionality and no offline support. For mobile-first workflows, Notion is significantly more capable.
How long does it take to get productive with each tool?
Most users become productive with Notion in 8-12 hours of setup and exploration. Roam Research typically requires 15-20 hours to understand the graph paradigm and build an effective knowledge workflow. Notion has a shallower learning curve for immediate productivity.
How to Choose Between Notion and Roam Research
Pricing Model: Notion has Free tier + $12-20/month paid, while Roam Research has $15/month (no free tier).
Primary Strength: Notion has All-in-one workspace (docs, databases, wikis, CRM), while Roam Research has Bidirectional linking and networked thinking.
Collaboration Features: Notion has Real-time co-editing, guest access, comments, while Roam Research has Limited; designed for individual knowledge management.
Consider: Learning Curve (Hours to Productivity)
Learning Curve (Hours to Productivity): Notion has 8-12 hours for power user setup, while Roam Research has 15-20 hours due to graph visualization learning.
Template Ecosystem: Notion has 800+ templates; robust template gallery, while Roam Research has 50-100 community templates; limited official ecosystem.
Graph Visualization Quality: Notion has Basic linked mentions display, while Roam Research has Advanced 2D/3D graph with relationship mapping.
iOS/Android Native App: Notion has Official apps with offline support, while Roam Research has Mobile web access; no native app.