Obsidian vs Roam Research
Side-by-side comparison of Obsidian and Roam Research: pricing, features, API access, and community ratings.
AI comparison summary
TL;DR: Obsidian offers local-first storage with complete data ownership through plain-text Markdown files and a freemium model, while Roam Research is paid-only with cloud-based storage. Both provide similar bi-directional linking and graph visualization, but Obsidian emphasizes extensive customization through community plugins, whereas Roam focuses on its block-level referencing system and outliner structure. Choose Obsidian for privacy, cost-effectiveness, and data portability, or Roam for its distinctive block-based workflow if that approach resonates with your thinking style.
| Category | Productivity | Productivity |
| Pricing | Freemium | Paid |
| Starting price | USD 15/mo | |
| Free tier | ||
| Audience | All audiences | All audiences |
| API available | ||
| Open source | ||
| Self-hostable | ||
| Model provider | ||
| Founded | 2020 | 2020 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, USA | |
| Key strengths |
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