software
Evernote vs Roam Research 2026: Which Note-Taking App Wins?
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.
E
Evernote
Cloud-based note-taking application with folder organization and cross-platform synchronization.
Professionals, students, and general users who need a reliable, easy-to-use note repository with cross-device access and don't require networked knowledge management.
Score63%
VS
RR
Roam Research
Graph-based note-taking platform with bidirectional linking and advanced querying for knowledge management.
Researchers, academics, knowledge workers, and creative professionals who build interconnected knowledge systems and need to visualize relationships between ideas.
Score63%
Quick Answer
AI SummaryEvernote 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.
Our Verdict
AI-assistedChoose 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.
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E
Evernote
8.8/10
Roam Research
6.3/10
R
E
Choose Evernote if
Best pickProfessionals, students, and general users who need a reliable, easy-to-use note repository with cross-device access and don't require networked knowledge management.
R
Choose Roam Research if
Researchers, academics, knowledge workers, and creative professionals who build interconnected knowledge systems and need to visualize relationships between ideas.
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Key Differences at a Glance
- Core Architecture:✓ Roam Research wins(Graph database with bidirectional linking vs Hierarchical folder-based note organization)
- Monthly Subscription Price:$14.99 USD vs $15 USD
- Learning Curve for New Users:✓ Evernote wins(Intuitive, 5-10 minutes to get started vs Steep, 2-4 weeks to master Roam workflows)
Key Facts & Figures
82 numeric metrics compared
| Metric | Evernote | Roam Research | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Subscription Cost(USD) | $11.99 | $15/month | |
| Free Plan Monthly Note Limit(notes) | 1 note/month | — | — |
| Maximum Storage (Premium)(GB) | 40 GB/month upload | — | — |
| Web Clipper Capture Options(count) | 10+ (article, simplified, bookmark, screenshot, full page) | — | — |
| Available Templates(count) | 50+ basic templates | 500+ via Roam Marketplace | |
| Monthly Upload Limit (Free)(MB) | 10 MB | — | — |
| Languages Supported by OCR(count) | 43 languages | — | — |
| Maximum Devices (Free Plan)(devices) | 2 devices | — | — |
| User Base Size(millions) | 250+ million | — | — |
| Monthly Subscription Cost (Personal Plan)(USD) | $11.99/month | — | — |
| Free Plan Storage Limit(GB) | 50 MB | — | — |
| Paid Plan Storage Limit(GB per month) | 100 GB | — | — |
| Web Clipper Quality Rating(out of 10) | 9 | — | — |
| Third-Party Integrations (Zapier)(available integrations) | 0 - No Zapier support | — | — |
| Setup Time for New Users(hours) | 5 (intuitive interface) | — | — |
| Annual Subscription Cost (Personal Plan)(USD) | $119.99/year | — | — |
| Free Plan Notebook Limit(notebooks) | 2 notebooks max | — | — |
| Annual Subscription Cost (Premium Tier)(USD) | $180/year | — | — |
| Number of Supported Platforms(platforms) | 5 (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web) | — | — |
| Maximum Note Size(MB) | 100MB per note | — | — |
| Third-Party Integrations Available(count) | 150+ integrations | — | — |
| Monthly Active Users (Estimated)(millions) | 225+ million registered users (as of 2024) | — | — |
| Monthly Upload Limit (Premium Tier)(GB) | 10 GB | — | — |
| Monthly Premium Cost(USD) | $11.99 | — | — |
| OCR Text Recognition Accuracy(percent) | 95% | — | — |
| Web Clipper Save Time(seconds) | 2-3 seconds | — | — |
| Database View Types(count) | 3 (List, Tag, Saved Search) | — | — |
| Learning Time to Proficiency(hours) | 0.5 weeks (intuitive) | — | — |
| Premium Monthly Cost(USD) | $11.99 | — | — |
| Free Monthly Upload Limit(MB/GB) | 60MB | — | — |
| Organizational Hierarchy Levels(levels) | 4 levels (Stack > Notebook > Folder > Note) | — | — |
| Free Plan Monthly Storage Limit(GB) | 2 GB | — | — |
| Premium Plan Monthly Storage(GB) | 10 GB | — | — |
| OCR Accuracy on Handwritten Text(percentage) | 98% | — | — |
| Global User Base(millions of users) | 250+ million | — | — |
| Monthly Subscription Cost (Premium)(USD) | $14.99/month | $15/month | |
| Annual Subscription Cost (if available)(USD) | $169.99/year | $165/year | |
| Free Tier Monthly Upload Limit(MB) | 60 MB | None (limited daily notes only) | — |
| Third-Party Integrations(integrations) | 100+ | 30+ | |
| Starting Price(USD/month) | $15/month | $15/month | |
| User Rating(stars out of 5) | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
| Native Tools/Integrations(count) | 44 native tools plus MCP servers | 44 native tools plus MCP servers | |
| Annual Cost (Base Plan)(USD) | $165 | $165 | |
| Discord Community Size(members) | ~35,000 | ~35,000 | |
| Native Collaboration Features(simultaneous users) | Unlimited with real-time editing | Unlimited with real-time editing | |
| Annual Cost (Committed Plan)(USD) | $165/year | $165/year | |
| Free Storage Tier(GB) | None (paid only) | None (paid only) | |
| Typical Learning Curve(hours) | 40-50 hours | 40-50 hours | |
| AI Search Queries Per Month (Free Tier)(queries) | Not available | Not available | |
| Mobile App Feature Parity | 60% of desktop features | 60% of desktop features | |
| Storage Capacity (Free Plan)(GB) | Unlimited | Unlimited | |
| Export Formats(formats supported) | JSON, Markdown, EDN | JSON, Markdown, EDN | |
| Learning Curve (hours to proficiency)(hours) | 40-60 hours for advanced use | 40-60 hours for advanced use | |
| Base Subscription Cost(USD/month) | $15/month | $15/month | |
| Annual Cost (Individual)(USD) | $180/year | $180/year | |
| Community Plugins Available(plugins) | ~150 plugins | ~150 plugins | |
| Users (Estimated)(millions) | 1.5M+ registered (2024) | 1.5M+ registered (2024) | |
| Base Monthly Cost(USD) | $15 | $15 | |
| Annual Cost (Single User)(USD) | $180/year | $180/year | |
| Free Trial Period(days) | 30 days free trial | 30 days free trial | |
| Annual Cost (Paid Plan)(USD) | $180/year (only paid option) | $180/year (only paid option) | |
| Maximum Notes (Free Tier)(notes) | Not available (no free tier) | Not available (no free tier) | |
| Supported Code Languages(languages) | Basic code block support | Basic code block support | |
| Time to Productive (New User)(days) | 3-7 days | 3-7 days | |
| Annual Cost (Standard Use)(USD) | $180/year | $180/year | |
| Available Plugins/Extensions(count) | ~50 official extensions | ~50 official extensions | |
| Estimated Monthly Active Users(millions) | ~0.2 million (2024 estimate) | ~0.2 million (2024 estimate) | |
| Platforms Supported(count) | 3 (Web, iOS, Android) | 3 (Web, iOS, Android) | |
| Public Template Gallery Size(templates) | 50-100 community templates | 50-100 community templates | |
| Estimated Learning Time to Proficiency(hours) | 15-20 hours (graph mastery required) | 15-20 hours (graph mastery required) | |
| API & Export Options(format count) | API + JSON + Markdown + open data model | API + JSON + Markdown + open data model | |
| Annual Subscription Cost(USD) | $165/year | $165/year | |
| Average Initial Setup Time(minutes) | 45 minutes | 45 minutes | |
| Export Format Options(formats) | 4+ formats (Markdown, JSON, EDN, PDF) | 4+ formats (Markdown, JSON, EDN, PDF) | |
| Free Trial Duration(days) | 30 days | 30 days | |
| Active User Base(users) | ~150,000+ | ~150,000+ | |
| UI/UX Learning Curve(hours) | 2-4 hours to proficiency | 2-4 hours to proficiency | |
| Subscription Cost (Monthly Equivalent)(USD/month) | $15.00/month | $15.00/month | |
| Time to Productivity(weeks) | 6-12 weeks | 6-12 weeks | |
| Maximum Document Size (Stable Performance)(words) | 50,000 words | 50,000 words | |
| Time to Proficiency (Median)(weeks) | 8-12 weeks | 8-12 weeks | |
| Web Clipper Speed(seconds) | 2-4 seconds | 2-4 seconds |
Sourced from publicly available data ·
Key Differences
7 attributes compared head-to-head
E
3EvernoteEvenly matched1 tie
RR
3Roam ResearchEvernote
Attribute
Roam Research
- Hierarchical folder-based note organizationCore ArchitectureGraph database with bidirectional linking(winner)
- $14.99 USDMonthly Subscription Price$15 USD
- Intuitive, 5-10 minutes to get started(winner)Learning Curve for New UsersSteep, 2-4 weeks to master Roam workflows
- Full offline functionality on desktop and mobile(winner)Offline AccessLimited offline support; primarily cloud-dependent
- Exports to PDF, HTML, ENEX format with limitationsExport FlexibilityExports to JSON, Markdown, supports data portability(winner)
- Not native; limited cross-note connectionsBidirectional Linking (Backlinks)Core feature with automatic backlink generation(winner)
- Syncs across 5+ devices in real-time(winner)Cross-Platform SynchronizationWeb-based with limited native mobile apps
- Core Architecture
Evernote
Hierarchical folder-based note organization
Roam Research
Graph database with bidirectional linking(winner)
- Monthly Subscription Price
Evernote
$14.99 USD
Roam Research
$15 USD
- Learning Curve for New Users
Evernote
Intuitive, 5-10 minutes to get started(winner)
Roam Research
Steep, 2-4 weeks to master Roam workflows
- Offline Access
Evernote
Full offline functionality on desktop and mobile(winner)
Roam Research
Limited offline support; primarily cloud-dependent
- Export Flexibility
Evernote
Exports to PDF, HTML, ENEX format with limitations
Roam Research
Exports to JSON, Markdown, supports data portability(winner)
- Bidirectional Linking (Backlinks)
Evernote
Not native; limited cross-note connections
Roam Research
Core feature with automatic backlink generation(winner)
- Cross-Platform Synchronization
Evernote
Syncs across 5+ devices in real-time(winner)
Roam Research
Web-based with limited native mobile apps
Full Comparison
| Attribute | Evernote | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Subscription Cost(USD) | $11.99(winner) | $15/month |
| Free Plan Monthly Note Limit(notes) | 1 note/month | — |
| Monthly Subscription Cost (Personal Plan)(USD) | $11.99/month | — |
| Annual Subscription Cost (Personal Plan)(USD) | $119.99/year | — |
| Annual Subscription Cost (Premium Tier)(USD) | $180/year | — |
Show 18 more attributesMonthly Premium Cost(USD) $11.99 — Premium Monthly Cost(USD) $11.99 — Monthly Subscription Cost (Premium)(USD) $14.99/month $15/month Annual Subscription Cost (if available)(USD) $169.99/year $165/year Starting Price(USD/month) $15/month — Free Plan(boolean) No — Annual Cost (Base Plan)(USD) $165 — Annual Cost (Committed Plan)(USD) $165/year — Free Storage Tier(GB) None (paid only) — Base Subscription Cost(USD/month) $15/month — Annual Cost (Individual)(USD) $180/year — Base Monthly Cost(USD) $15 — Annual Cost (Single User)(USD) $180/year — Annual Cost (Paid Plan)(USD) $180/year (only paid option) — Annual Cost (Standard Use)(USD) $180/year — Free Tier Availability(text) No free tier — Annual Subscription Cost(USD) $165/year — Subscription Cost (Monthly Equivalent)(USD/month) $15.00/month — | ||
| Maximum Storage (Premium)(GB) | 40 GB/month upload | — |
| Monthly Upload Limit (Free)(MB) | 10 MB | — |
| Free Plan Storage Limit(GB) | 50 MB | — |
| Paid Plan Storage Limit(GB per month) | 100 GB | — |
| Free Plan Monthly Storage Limit(GB) | 2 GB | — |
Show 4 more attributesPremium Plan Monthly Storage(GB) 10 GB — Maximum Notes Storage (Premium Tier)(GB) Unlimited Unlimited Storage Capacity (Free Plan)(GB) Unlimited — Maximum Storage (Free Plan)(GB) Limited (sync only) — | ||
| Web Clipper Capture Options(count) | 10+ (article, simplified, bookmark, screenshot, full page) | — |
| Database Relations & Rollups | Not supported | — |
| Offline Functionality | Full offline access across all devices | ~5% read-only mode only |
| Languages Supported by OCR(count) | 43 languages | — |
| Web Clipper Capability | Full article capture with formatting preservation | — |
Show 23 more attributesNative Database Support No - notebooks and tags only — Web Clipper Quality Rating(out of 10) 9 — Free Plan Notebook Limit(notebooks) 2 notebooks max — Native Markdown Editor Support No (limited, requires tools) — Offline Access Availability(platforms) All platforms (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android) — Web Clipper Quality Full-featured with selective sync and formatting preservation — OCR Text Recognition Accuracy(percent) 95% — Database View Types(count) 3 (List, Tag, Saved Search) — Markdown Support Level Basic formatting only — Web Clipper Available Yes (full-featured) — OCR (Text Recognition in Images) Yes (included) — OCR Accuracy on Handwritten Text(percentage) 98% — Mobile Offline Access Full support iOS & Android — Relational Database Capabilities Basic tags and notebooks only — Free Tier Monthly Upload Limit(MB) 60 MB None (limited daily notes only) Native Tools/Integrations(count) 44 native tools plus MCP servers — Built-in AI Features Multi-provider LLM support with AI agents — Search Query Flexibility Advanced backlink queries — Knowledge Graph Visualization Interactive visual graph of note connections — Advanced Query Language Datalog with RoamScript — Supported Code Languages(languages) Basic code block support — Native Mobile Apps Web-only; no native apps — Export Format Options(formats) 4+ formats (Markdown, JSON, EDN, PDF) — | ||
| Available Templates(count) | 50+ basic templates | 500+ via Roam Marketplace(winner) |
| Real-Time Collaboration Users(simultaneous) | Up to 5 users per note(winner) | Not supported; 1 user per workspace |
| Real-Time Collaboration(feature capability) | Yes (shared notebooks) | Native multi-user editing |
| Team Collaboration Features(count) | Basic sharing, no real-time co-editing | — |
| Concurrent Collaborators(users) | Unlimited | — |
| Maximum Devices (Free Plan)(devices) | 2 devices | — |
| Offline Access (Free Plan) | No - premium only | — |
| Full Offline Access | Yes (desktop and mobile) | Limited (web-based only) |
| Mobile App Feature Parity | 60% of desktop features | — |
| Offline Access | Limited offline functionality | — |
| Microsoft Office Integration | Basic - manual export only | — |
| Maximum Devices (Simultaneous Sync)(devices) | Unlimited | — |
| Supported Platforms(platforms) | 5 platforms (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web)(winner) | Web (primary), limited iOS/Android |
| Platform Availability(platforms) | 2 (Web, limited mobile beta) | — |
| Platforms Supported(count) | 3 (Web, iOS, Android) | — |
| User Base Size(millions) | 250+ million | — |
| Monthly Active Users (Estimated)(millions) | 225+ million registered users (as of 2024) | — |
| Users (Estimated)(millions) | 1.5M+ registered (2024) | — |
| Estimated Monthly Active Users(millions) | ~0.2 million (2024 estimate) | — |
| Third-Party Integrations (Zapier)(available integrations) | 0 - No Zapier support | — |
| Third-Party Integrations(integrations) | 100+(winner) | 30+ |
| Setup Time for New Users(hours) | 5 (intuitive interface) | — |
| Learning Time to Proficiency(hours) | 0.5 weeks (intuitive) | — |
| Typical Learning Curve(hours) | 40-50 hours | — |
| Learning Curve (hours to proficiency)(hours) | 40-60 hours for advanced use | — |
| Time to Productive (New User)(days) | 3-7 days | — |
Show 2 more attributesFree Trial Duration(days) 30 days — UI/UX Learning Curve(hours) 2-4 hours to proficiency — | ||
| OCR (Optical Character Recognition) | Yes (included in paid plans) | — |
| Native Markdown Support | Limited (WYSIWYG primary) | — |
| Number of Supported Platforms(platforms) | 5 (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web) | — |
| Maximum Note Size(MB) | 100MB per note | — |
| Maximum Database Size(TB) | Unlimited (cloud-based) | — |
| Third-Party Integrations Available(count) | 150+ integrations | — |
| Public Template Gallery Size(templates) | 50-100 community templates | — |
| Monthly Upload Limit (Premium Tier)(GB) | 10 GB | — |
| Web Clipper Save Time(seconds) | 2-3 seconds | — |
| Maximum Document Size (Stable Performance)(words) | 50,000 words | — |
| Web Clipper Speed(seconds) | 2-4 seconds | — |
| Offline Note Access | Full offline mode with complete sync | — |
| Core Strength | Bidirectional linking and networked graphs | — |
| Graph View Visualization(feature) | Built-in interactive graph with density indicators | — |
| Offline Access Capability | Limited (web-dependent) | — |
| End-to-End Encryption | Standard encryption (Evernote manages keys) | — |
| Open-Source | No; proprietary codebase | — |
| Mobile App Offline Sync | Reliable background sync with full offline queue | — |
| Free Monthly Upload Limit(MB/GB) | 60MB | — |
| Organizational Hierarchy Levels(levels) | 4 levels (Stack > Notebook > Folder > Note) | — |
| Database/Table Customization | Basic views | — |
| Distraction-Free Writing Mode | Limited; feature-heavy interface | — |
| Estimated Learning Time to Proficiency(hours) | 15-20 hours (graph mastery required) | — |
| Time to Proficiency (Median)(weeks) | 8-12 weeks | — |
| Global User Base(millions of users) | 250+ million | — |
| Native Mobile Apps (iOS & Android)(count) | 2 (official apps for both platforms)(winner) | 0 (web-only; third-party clients available) |
| Bidirectional Linking Support | Manual only (no automatic backlinks) | Native & automatic backlinks |
| Bidirectional Linking | Native with graph visualization | — |
| User Rating(stars out of 5) | 8/10 | — |
| Collaboration Capacity(collaborators) | Unlimited collaborators | — |
| Target User Type | Researchers, knowledge workers, academics | — |
| API Access | API access with scheduled jobs coming soon | — |
| API & Export Options(format count) | API + JSON + Markdown + open data model | — |
| Native API Access | Yes, full API | — |
| Spaced Repetition Features | No native support | — |
| Discord Community Size(members) | ~35,000 | — |
| Native Collaboration Features(simultaneous users) | Unlimited with real-time editing | — |
| AI Search Queries Per Month (Free Tier)(queries) | Not available | — |
| AI Writing Assistant | No native assistant (requires integration) | — |
| Data Storage Model | Cloud-based (Roam servers) | — |
| Source Code License | Closed-source proprietary | — |
| Export Formats(formats supported) | JSON, Markdown, EDN | — |
| Storage Format(format type) | Proprietary JSON (Edn format) | — |
| Community Plugins Available(plugins) | ~150 plugins | — |
| Available Plugins/Extensions(count) | ~50 official extensions | — |
| Data Storage Location(null) | Roam cloud servers (third-party controlled) | — |
| Free Trial Period(days) | 30 days free trial | — |
| Average Initial Setup Time(minutes) | 45 minutes | — |
| Maximum Notes (Free Tier)(notes) | Not available (no free tier) | — |
| AI-Powered Features(count) | AI assistant for summaries | — |
| Maximum Notes Capacity(notes) | Unlimited | — |
| Data Ownership(text) | Cloud-hosted; Roam Inc. retains server access | — |
| Data Portability/Export | Markdown export available but limited | — |
| Bidirectional Linking Quality(link intelligence level) | Automatic backlinks with graph visualization | — |
| Supported Operating Systems | Web (all browsers), Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | — |
| Mobile App Support | iOS and Android apps available | — |
| Active User Base(users) | ~150,000+ | — |
| Source Code Availability | Closed-source proprietary | — |
| Time to Productivity(weeks) | 6-12 weeks | — |
| Bidirectional Backlinks(native support) | Yes, automatic | — |
| Graph Visualization(native support) | Yes, interactive graph view | — |
| Mobile App Quality(platform coverage) | Web + limited mobile features | — |
| Custom Automation (Scripting/Queries)(native support) | Yes (DataScript/Clojure) | — |
| Query Language Complexity | Advanced DataLog queries with filtering/sorting | — |
EEvernote
RRoam Research
Monthly Subscription Cost(USD)
$11.99
$15/month
Free Plan Monthly Note Limit(notes)
1 note/month
—
Monthly Subscription Cost (Personal Plan)(USD)
$11.99/month
—
Annual Subscription Cost (Personal Plan)(USD)
$119.99/year
—
Annual Subscription Cost (Premium Tier)(USD)
$180/year
—
Show 18 more attributes
Monthly Premium Cost(USD)
$11.99
—
Premium Monthly Cost(USD)
$11.99
—
Monthly Subscription Cost (Premium)(USD)
$14.99/month
$15/month
Annual Subscription Cost (if available)(USD)
$169.99/year
$165/year
Starting Price(USD/month)
$15/month
—
Free Plan(boolean)
No
—
Annual Cost (Base Plan)(USD)
$165
—
Annual Cost (Committed Plan)(USD)
$165/year
—
Free Storage Tier(GB)
None (paid only)
—
Base Subscription Cost(USD/month)
$15/month
—
Annual Cost (Individual)(USD)
$180/year
—
Base Monthly Cost(USD)
$15
—
Annual Cost (Single User)(USD)
$180/year
—
Annual Cost (Paid Plan)(USD)
$180/year (only paid option)
—
Annual Cost (Standard Use)(USD)
$180/year
—
Free Tier Availability(text)
No free tier
—
Annual Subscription Cost(USD)
$165/year
—
Subscription Cost (Monthly Equivalent)(USD/month)
$15.00/month
—
Maximum Storage (Premium)(GB)
40 GB/month upload
—
Monthly Upload Limit (Free)(MB)
10 MB
—
Free Plan Storage Limit(GB)
50 MB
—
Paid Plan Storage Limit(GB per month)
100 GB
—
Free Plan Monthly Storage Limit(GB)
2 GB
—
Show 4 more attributes
Premium Plan Monthly Storage(GB)
10 GB
—
Maximum Notes Storage (Premium Tier)(GB)
Unlimited
Unlimited
Storage Capacity (Free Plan)(GB)
Unlimited
—
Maximum Storage (Free Plan)(GB)
Limited (sync only)
—
Web Clipper Capture Options(count)
10+ (article, simplified, bookmark, screenshot, full page)
—
Database Relations & Rollups
Not supported
—
Offline Functionality
Full offline access across all devices
~5% read-only mode only
Languages Supported by OCR(count)
43 languages
—
Web Clipper Capability
Full article capture with formatting preservation
—
Show 23 more attributes
Native Database Support
No - notebooks and tags only
—
Web Clipper Quality Rating(out of 10)
9
—
Free Plan Notebook Limit(notebooks)
2 notebooks max
—
Native Markdown Editor Support
No (limited, requires tools)
—
Offline Access Availability(platforms)
All platforms (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
—
Web Clipper Quality
Full-featured with selective sync and formatting preservation
—
OCR Text Recognition Accuracy(percent)
95%
—
Database View Types(count)
3 (List, Tag, Saved Search)
—
Markdown Support Level
Basic formatting only
—
Web Clipper Available
Yes (full-featured)
—
OCR (Text Recognition in Images)
Yes (included)
—
OCR Accuracy on Handwritten Text(percentage)
98%
—
Mobile Offline Access
Full support iOS & Android
—
Relational Database Capabilities
Basic tags and notebooks only
—
Free Tier Monthly Upload Limit(MB)
60 MB
None (limited daily notes only)
Native Tools/Integrations(count)
44 native tools plus MCP servers
—
Built-in AI Features
Multi-provider LLM support with AI agents
—
Search Query Flexibility
Advanced backlink queries
—
Knowledge Graph Visualization
Interactive visual graph of note connections
—
Advanced Query Language
Datalog with RoamScript
—
Supported Code Languages(languages)
Basic code block support
—
Native Mobile Apps
Web-only; no native apps
—
Export Format Options(formats)
4+ formats (Markdown, JSON, EDN, PDF)
—
Available Templates(count)
50+ basic templates
500+ via Roam Marketplace
Real-Time Collaboration Users(simultaneous)
Up to 5 users per note
Not supported; 1 user per workspace
Real-Time Collaboration(feature capability)
Yes (shared notebooks)
Native multi-user editing
Team Collaboration Features(count)
Basic sharing, no real-time co-editing
—
Concurrent Collaborators(users)
Unlimited
—
Maximum Devices (Free Plan)(devices)
2 devices
—
Offline Access (Free Plan)
No - premium only
—
Full Offline Access
Yes (desktop and mobile)
Limited (web-based only)
Mobile App Feature Parity
60% of desktop features
—
Offline Access
Limited offline functionality
—
Microsoft Office Integration
Basic - manual export only
—
Maximum Devices (Simultaneous Sync)(devices)
Unlimited
—
Supported Platforms(platforms)
5 platforms (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web)
Web (primary), limited iOS/Android
Platform Availability(platforms)
2 (Web, limited mobile beta)
—
Platforms Supported(count)
3 (Web, iOS, Android)
—
User Base Size(millions)
250+ million
—
Monthly Active Users (Estimated)(millions)
225+ million registered users (as of 2024)
—
Users (Estimated)(millions)
1.5M+ registered (2024)
—
Estimated Monthly Active Users(millions)
~0.2 million (2024 estimate)
—
Third-Party Integrations (Zapier)(available integrations)
0 - No Zapier support
—
Third-Party Integrations(integrations)
100+
30+
Setup Time for New Users(hours)
5 (intuitive interface)
—
Learning Time to Proficiency(hours)
0.5 weeks (intuitive)
—
Typical Learning Curve(hours)
40-50 hours
—
Learning Curve (hours to proficiency)(hours)
40-60 hours for advanced use
—
Time to Productive (New User)(days)
3-7 days
—
Show 2 more attributes
Free Trial Duration(days)
30 days
—
UI/UX Learning Curve(hours)
2-4 hours to proficiency
—
OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
Yes (included in paid plans)
—
Native Markdown Support
Limited (WYSIWYG primary)
—
Number of Supported Platforms(platforms)
5 (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web)
—
Maximum Note Size(MB)
100MB per note
—
Maximum Database Size(TB)
Unlimited (cloud-based)
—
Third-Party Integrations Available(count)
150+ integrations
—
Public Template Gallery Size(templates)
50-100 community templates
—
Monthly Upload Limit (Premium Tier)(GB)
10 GB
—
Web Clipper Save Time(seconds)
2-3 seconds
—
Maximum Document Size (Stable Performance)(words)
50,000 words
—
Web Clipper Speed(seconds)
2-4 seconds
—
Offline Note Access
Full offline mode with complete sync
—
Core Strength
Bidirectional linking and networked graphs
—
Graph View Visualization(feature)
Built-in interactive graph with density indicators
—
Offline Access Capability
Limited (web-dependent)
—
End-to-End Encryption
Standard encryption (Evernote manages keys)
—
Open-Source
No; proprietary codebase
—
Mobile App Offline Sync
Reliable background sync with full offline queue
—
Free Monthly Upload Limit(MB/GB)
60MB
—
Organizational Hierarchy Levels(levels)
4 levels (Stack > Notebook > Folder > Note)
—
Database/Table Customization
Basic views
—
Distraction-Free Writing Mode
Limited; feature-heavy interface
—
Estimated Learning Time to Proficiency(hours)
15-20 hours (graph mastery required)
—
Time to Proficiency (Median)(weeks)
8-12 weeks
—
Global User Base(millions of users)
250+ million
—
Native Mobile Apps (iOS & Android)(count)
2 (official apps for both platforms)
0 (web-only; third-party clients available)
Bidirectional Linking Support
Manual only (no automatic backlinks)
Native & automatic backlinks
Bidirectional Linking
Native with graph visualization
—
User Rating(stars out of 5)
8/10
—
Collaboration Capacity(collaborators)
Unlimited collaborators
—
Target User Type
Researchers, knowledge workers, academics
—
API Access
API access with scheduled jobs coming soon
—
API & Export Options(format count)
API + JSON + Markdown + open data model
—
Native API Access
Yes, full API
—
Spaced Repetition Features
No native support
—
Discord Community Size(members)
~35,000
—
Native Collaboration Features(simultaneous users)
Unlimited with real-time editing
—
AI Search Queries Per Month (Free Tier)(queries)
Not available
—
AI Writing Assistant
No native assistant (requires integration)
—
Data Storage Model
Cloud-based (Roam servers)
—
Source Code License
Closed-source proprietary
—
Export Formats(formats supported)
JSON, Markdown, EDN
—
Storage Format(format type)
Proprietary JSON (Edn format)
—
Community Plugins Available(plugins)
~150 plugins
—
Available Plugins/Extensions(count)
~50 official extensions
—
Data Storage Location(null)
Roam cloud servers (third-party controlled)
—
Free Trial Period(days)
30 days free trial
—
Average Initial Setup Time(minutes)
45 minutes
—
Maximum Notes (Free Tier)(notes)
Not available (no free tier)
—
AI-Powered Features(count)
AI assistant for summaries
—
Maximum Notes Capacity(notes)
Unlimited
—
Data Ownership(text)
Cloud-hosted; Roam Inc. retains server access
—
Data Portability/Export
Markdown export available but limited
—
Bidirectional Linking Quality(link intelligence level)
Automatic backlinks with graph visualization
—
Supported Operating Systems
Web (all browsers), Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
—
Mobile App Support
iOS and Android apps available
—
Active User Base(users)
~150,000+
—
Source Code Availability
Closed-source proprietary
—
Time to Productivity(weeks)
6-12 weeks
—
Bidirectional Backlinks(native support)
Yes, automatic
—
Graph Visualization(native support)
Yes, interactive graph view
—
Mobile App Quality(platform coverage)
Web + limited mobile features
—
Custom Automation (Scripting/Queries)(native support)
Yes (DataScript/Clojure)
—
Query Language Complexity
Advanced DataLog queries with filtering/sorting
—
Pros & Cons
10 pros·6 cons across both
E
RR
E
Evernote
+5-3
Pros
- Intuitive interface with minimal learning curve for new users
- Full offline access on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices
- Real-time synchronization across unlimited devices
- Web clipper captures entire webpages with formatting intact
- Integrates with 100+ third-party apps including Slack, Google Calendar, and Microsoft Teams
Cons
- Limited bidirectional linking—creating connected notes is manual and cumbersome
- Limited free tier (2 devices max, 60MB monthly uploads) restricts casual users
- Export format (ENEX) creates vendor lock-in; data migration to other platforms is difficult
RR
Roam Research
+5-3
Pros
- Bidirectional linking creates automatic backlinks, surfacing related notes without manual work
- Block-level transclusion and embedding allows reusing content across multiple pages
- Powerful query system (DataLog) enables dynamic filtering and relationship visualization
- Open data format (JSON/Markdown) ensures data portability and reduces lock-in risk
- Daily notes with linked references encourage serendipitous discovery of connections
Cons
- Steep learning curve; most users require 2-4 weeks to develop effective Roam workflows
- Primarily web-based with limited offline functionality; unreliable without stable internet connection
- No native mobile app; mobile experience relies on third-party clients (not always synchronized)
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questions
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.
Resources & Learn More
Curated sources to dive deeper
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