Roam Research
Obsidian
Roam Research
Obsidian
Roam Research
Obsidian
Roam Research
Obsidian
No signals
Roam Research
Obsidian
Roam Research
Obsidian
Roam Research
Obsidian
No signals
Roam Research
Obsidian
No signals
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
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Unlimited (local)
Limits: No built-in sync, No web access to publish, Must self-manage backups
Users: 1 user
Storage: 10GB total, 200MB per file
Limits: Per-vault pricing, Cannot share with others
Users: 1 site
Storage: 4GB
Limits: One-way sharing only, Not collaborative editing
Users: 1 user
Storage: N/A
Limits: Not required for any features, Purely supporter benefit
| Feature | Roam Research | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Organization | ||
| Bidirectional linking Pioneered this feature | ||
| Block references Reference individual blocks anywhere | ||
| Native database views Requires Dataview plugin | ||
| Security | ||
| Local-first storage Plain Markdown files you own | ||
| End-to-end encrypted sync Obsidian Sync only ($4/mo) | ||
| Local storage Cloud-only storage | ||
| Productivity | ||
| Daily notes Core workflow feature | ||
| Templates Available | ||
| Built-in task management Requires plugins | ||
| Visualization | ||
| Graph view Available but slow at scale | ||
| Canvas/whiteboard Built-in canvas feature | ||
| Customization | ||
| Community plugins 1000+ available, quality varies | ||
| Custom themes Extensive theme marketplace | ||
| Usability | ||
| Outliner-based Everything is nested blocks | ||
| Desktop apps Web-based with offline mode | ||
| Search Fast and accurate | ||
| Markdown support Core format | ||
| Web version No browser access | ||
| Integrations | ||
| API access Available for developers | ||
| Publishing | ||
| Publish to web Obsidian Publish ($8/mo) | ||
| Mobile | ||
| Mobile apps Available but buggy | ||
| Reliability | ||
| Offline access Full offline by default | ||
| Offline-first Cloud-based with offline cache | ||
| Pricing | ||
| Free tier No free plan available | ||
| Free personal use No feature restrictions | ||
| Portability | ||
| Markdown files Proprietary format | ||
| Collaboration | ||
| Real-time collaboration Not available | ||
| AI | ||
| AI features Not available natively | ||
