Obsidian is a locally-stored, one-time purchase ($0-$40) knowledge management app that prioritizes privacy and offline access, while Roam Research is a cloud-based subscription service ($15/month) optimized for real-time collaboration and networked thinking with built-in backlinks. Obsidian dominates for personal note-taking, while Roam excels for teams and research workflows.
Obsidian vs Roam Research — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Local-first markdown editor with bidirectional linking, plugins, and complete data ownership.
Networked note-taking platform specializing in bidirectional linking, backlinking, and knowledge graph visualization.
Storage & Privacy Model. Pricing Model. Real-Time Collaboration. Offline Functionality. Daily Active Users (DAU). Customization & Plugins. Learning Curve
Choose Obsidian if you're a solo researcher, student, or knowledge worker prioritizing privacy, offline access, and cost savings—it's superior for personal knowledge bases and has a vastly larger plugin ecosystem. Choose Roam Research if you're working in a team, conducting collaborative research, or need real-time multi-user editing and advanced bidirectional graph visualization out-of-the-box—you'll pay more but gain seamless collaboration features.
Obsidian: Local device | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Free (sync $8-10/mo optional) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: $0 (free) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Minimal (plugin-dependent) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Complete (100%) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Basic (via plugins only) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: 8/10 (gentle) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: No (plugin-based only) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: 1000+ (community plugins) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: ~2.5M (estimated) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Via plugins only | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Limited (HTTP API beta) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Bootstrapped (private) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: $0 (not designed for teams) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Full (100% offline functionality) | Roam Research: No offline; web-only
Obsidian: No native support | Roam Research: Native multi-user editing
Obsidian: 9 (advanced graph visualization) | Roam Research: Automatic backlinks with graph visualization
Obsidian: 5-15 (markdown basics) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: 7 (Obsidian Mobile, good) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Markdown + Attachments (fully portable) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: 3+ million active users | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Local Markdown files | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Plain Markdown | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Native Markdown (always portable) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: No (free but proprietary) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: No (single-player by default) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Obsidian Sync ($4/mo) or iCloud/Dropbox | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Via Outliner plugin | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Yes (via links) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Yes — link graph | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Via Dataview plugin | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Yes (community + core) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Via plugins | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Via Spaced Repetition plugin | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: 1,500+ community plugins | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Via plugins (Copilot, Smart Connections) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Obsidian Sync $4/mo | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: N/A (no team plan) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Free (with optional $50 Sync) | Roam Research: $165
Obsidian: 5 (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android) | Roam Research: Web (primary), limited iOS/Android
Obsidian: 50+ official + 100+ community | Roam Research: ~50 official extensions
Obsidian: 10-15 minutes | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Standard markdown (high portability) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: 70% feature parity (plugins limited on mobile) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Unlimited (device storage dependent) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Free (Sync $8/month optional) | Roam Research: $15/month
Obsidian: $0-96/year (depending on add-ons) | Roam Research: $180/year
Obsidian: 1,000+ plugins | Roam Research: ~150 plugins
Obsidian: Standard Markdown (.md files) | Roam Research: Proprietary JSON (Edn format)
Obsidian: 5M+ downloads on mobile alone | Roam Research: 1.5M+ registered (2024)
Obsidian: Built-in graph with plugin enhancements | Roam Research: Built-in interactive graph with density indicators
Obsidian: $0/month (free tier) | Roam Research: $15
Obsidian: $0/year (or $120 with Obsidian Sync) | Roam Research: $180/year
Obsidian: Limited to manual sharing; no native multi-user editing | Roam Research: Not supported; 1 user per workspace
Obsidian: Local device or user-chosen cloud storage | Roam Research: Roam cloud servers (third-party controlled)
Obsidian: iOS and Android available (limited features on free tier) | Roam Research: iOS, Android, Web (all full-featured)
Obsidian: Unlimited (fully free tier) | Roam Research: 30 days free trial
Obsidian: $0–$10/month (optional sync subscription) | Roam Research: $15/month
Obsidian: $0 (free core) or $120/year (with Sync) | Roam Research: $180/year
Obsidian: 100% fully functional offline | Roam Research: ~5% read-only mode only
Obsidian: ~1.5 million (2024 estimate) | Roam Research: ~0.2 million (2024 estimate)
Obsidian: 6 (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web) | Roam Research: 3 (Web, iOS, Android)
Obsidian: Complete local ownership; markdown files on your device | Roam Research: Cloud-hosted; Roam Inc. retains server access
Obsidian: $0 (free) or $49 one-time | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: $49 one-time lifetime | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: 1-2 (shared vault via third-party) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: Partial (Dataview plugin, limited querying) | Roam Research: N/A
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: $15/month
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: 44 native tools plus MCP servers
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Multi-provider LLM support with AI agents
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Unlimited collaborators
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Bidirectional linking and networked graphs
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Researchers, knowledge workers, academics
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: API access with scheduled jobs coming soon
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Unlimited
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Yes, full API
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: No native support
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Basic views
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Advanced backlink queries
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Unlimited with real-time editing
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: $165/year
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: None (paid only)
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: 40-50 hours
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Not available
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Native feature
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Interactive visual graph of note connections
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: 60% of desktop features
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Cloud-based (Roam servers)
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Closed-source proprietary
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Datalog with RoamScript
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Unlimited (cloud-based)
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: JSON, Markdown, EDN
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: 40-60 hours for advanced use
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: $180/year (only paid option)
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: 2 (Web, limited mobile beta)
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Not available (no free tier)
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Basic code block support
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Unlimited (3 graphs max)
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: AI assistant for summaries
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: No free tier
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: Web-only; no native apps
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: 50-100 community templates
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: 15-20 hours (graph mastery required)
Obsidian: N/A | Roam Research: API + JSON + Markdown + open data model
How to choose between Obsidian and Roam Research
Obsidian vs Roam Research — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Obsidian vs Roam Research. Contains 122 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Obsidian vs Roam Research — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Obsidian vs Roam Research.
Yes, completely. Obsidian stores all notes locally on your device and requires no internet connection to function. All features—including search, linking, and plugins—work 100% offline. This is one of Obsidian's core advantages over Roam Research.
Can I collaborate with others in real-time on Obsidian?
Not natively. Obsidian's free core and Pro versions don't support simultaneous multi-user editing. You can share vaults manually or use third-party tools like Git for version control, but this requires technical setup. Roam Research offers native real-time collaboration built-in.
How much does Obsidian cost compared to Roam Research?
Obsidian is free (core version) or $120–$240/year if you add optional Sync and Publish features. Roam Research requires a $15/month ($180/year) subscription with no free tier. For individuals, Obsidian is dramatically cheaper; for teams, Roam's collaboration features justify the cost.
Both support bidirectional linking, but Roam Research has more polished graph visualization and query tools specifically designed for networked thinking (e.g., datoms, queries). Obsidian's linking is equally functional but requires plugins for advanced querying. Roam is better for knowledge graph-heavy workflows out of the box.
Can I export my notes if I switch from one to the other?
Yes. Obsidian stores notes as standard markdown files, making export trivial. Roam allows bulk export via JSON, HTML, or markdown, though formatting may require cleanup. Both avoid hard vendor lock-in, but Obsidian's native markdown format makes migration simpler.
How to Choose Between Obsidian and Roam Research
Storage & Privacy Model: Obsidian has Local files stored on device; end-to-end encrypted if using Obsidian Sync, while Roam Research has Cloud-based storage; data held on Roam servers.
Pricing Model: Obsidian has $0 free (core) + $40 one-time Pro or $10/month for Sync, while Roam Research has $15/month or $165/year subscription required.
Real-Time Collaboration: Obsidian has Limited to manual exports/shares; no native live co-editing, while Roam Research has Native multi-user editing with real-time presence indicators.
Offline Functionality: Obsidian has 100% offline-capable; all features work without internet, while Roam Research has Requires internet connection; limited read-only offline mode.
Daily Active Users (DAU): Obsidian has ~1.5 million estimated (2024), while Roam Research has ~200,000 estimated (2024).
Customization & Plugins: Obsidian has 1,200+ community plugins via plugin marketplace, while Roam Research has Limited plugin ecosystem (~50 official extensions).
Learning Curve: Obsidian has Intuitive for beginners; advanced customization takes time, while Roam Research has Steeper initial curve; bidirectional links require conceptual shift.