NotionvsRoam Research
Score Comparison
Signals Comparison
Notion
- Database performance degrades at 5,000+ records(8/10)
Roam Research
- Load times can take hours, graph view slows down(7/10)
Notion
- Why is Notion AI only on the Business plan?(9/10)
- Frequent pricing changes erode user trust(7/10)
- Notion Plus plan only gets a limited AI trial(8/10)
- Account lockouts when trying to downgrade(9/10)
- Notion Custom Agents cost extra credits on top of seat price(7/10)
Roam Research
- No free plan - $15/month minimum with no affordable tier(9/10)
- Annual billing trap after trial ends(8/10)
Notion
- Notion customer support slow with billing disputes and refunds(9/10)
Roam Research
- Rude support responses and community moderation issues(6/10)
Notion
- Notion offline mode limited: 50 database rows, no browser support(7/10)
- Is Notion down? Repeated outages and slow loading in 2026(7/10)
- Notion 'Cannot save changes' and sync errors(7/10)
Roam Research
- Data loss and sync issues documented(9/10)
Notion
- Steep learning curve leads to productivity loss(6/10)
- Jack of all trades, master of none(5/10)
Roam Research
- Development has stalled while competitors advanced(8/10)
- Graph visualization is unusable despite being a selling point(5/10)
Notion
- Mobile app slow and unreliable for quick notes(7/10)
Roam Research
- No first-class mobile support(7/10)
Notion
- No end-to-end encryption - Notion can read your notes(6/10)
Roam Research
- Proprietary format makes data export problematic(7/10)
Notion
No signals
Roam Research
- Steep learning curve with limited onboarding(6/10)
Pricing Comparison
Notion
Users: Individuals; up to 10 guests
Storage: 5 MB per file upload
Limits: 5 MB uploads, 7-day history, no AI beyond trial, cannot buy Notion credits
Users: Per member
Storage: Unlimited uploads (about 5 GB max per file)
Limits: No full Notion AI, no SAML SSO, no private teamspaces, PDF export with subpages requires Business
Users: Per member
Storage: Unlimited uploads (about 5 GB max per file)
Limits: No SCIM, audit log or advanced security controls
Users: Custom
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Must contact sales
Roam Research
Users: 1 user
Storage: Not specified
Limits: No collaboration, Limited mobile experience
Users: 1 user
Storage: Not specified
Limits: No collaboration, Limited mobile experience
Users: 1 user
Storage: Not specified
Limits: Locked in for 5 years with no refund if product declines
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Notion | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Collaboration | ||
| Real-time collaboration Multiple users can edit simultaneously | ||
| Organization | ||
| Bidirectional linking Pioneered this feature | ||
| Block references Reference individual blocks anywhere | ||
| Reliability | ||
| Offline mode Desktop and mobile apps only; first 50 rows of a database's first view; subpages not included | ||
| Offline-first Cloud-based with offline cache | ||
| AI | ||
| AI assistant Full AI on Business ($20/seat) and Enterprise only; Free and Plus get a limited trial | ||
| Custom Agents Business/Enterprise; billed in Notion credits ($10 per 1,000) since May 4, 2026 | ||
| AI features Not available natively | ||
| Productivity | ||
| Daily notes Core workflow feature | ||
| Templates library Extensive official and community templates | ||
| Templates Available | ||
| Accessibility | ||
| Mobile app Available but slow, frequent reloads needed | ||
| Visualization | ||
| Graph view Available but slow at scale | ||
| Security | ||
| End-to-end encryption Notion can access your content | ||
| Page password protection Cannot password-protect individual pages | ||
| Local storage Cloud-only storage | ||
| Usability | ||
| Outliner-based Everything is nested blocks | ||
| Desktop apps Web-based with offline mode | ||
| Search Fast and accurate | ||
| Data | ||
| Relational databases Available but performance degrades at 5000+ records | ||
| Charts and graphs Basic only, requires external tools for advanced visualization | ||
| Integrations | ||
| API access Available on all plans | ||
| Mobile | ||
| Mobile apps Available but buggy | ||
| Enterprise | ||
| SAML SSO Business plan and above only | ||
| Audit logs Enterprise plan only | ||
| Custom domains Paid add-on for Notion Sites | ||
| Pricing | ||
| Free tier No free plan available | ||
| Portability | ||
| Markdown files Proprietary format | ||
| Project Management | ||
| Native Gantt charts Timeline view exists but not full Gantt functionality | ||