Obsidian vs Roam Research
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and integrations.
Quick Verdict
Obsidian offers fewer features (24 vs 49) and fewer integrations (0 vs 25). Starting price: Obsidian at $5/mo vs Roam Research at $15/mo. Obsidian has 19 unique features while Roam Research has 44 unique features, with 5 features in common.
| Obsidian | Roam Research | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Knowledge Management | Knowledge Management |
| Total Features | 24 | 49 |
| AI-Powered Features | 0 | 3 |
| Starting Price | $5/mo | $15/mo |
| Pricing Tiers | 5 | 4 |
| Integrations | 0 | 25 |
| Shared Features | 5 | |
| Shared Integrations | 0 | |
| Data Quality | 60% | 74% |
Feature Comparison by Category
AI (0 vs 2)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| AI Writing Assistant | ||
| Smart Suggestions |
Accessibility (0 vs 1)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Offline Access |
Advanced (0 vs 4)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Queries | ||
| Queries | ||
| Smart Blocks | ||
| Transclusion |
Collaboration (1 vs 0)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Collaboration |
Core (0 vs 2)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Bi-directional Linking | ||
| Graph Database |
Customization (1 vs 1)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Custom CSS | ||
| Plugins & Customization |
Data (0 vs 1)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Import/Export |
Data Ownership (1 vs 0)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Open File Formats |
Developer (0 vs 2)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| API | ||
| JavaScript Extensions |
Discovery (0 vs 2)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Linked Mentions | ||
| Unlinked References |
Document Management (0 vs 1)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| PDF Annotation |
Formatting (0 vs 3)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Code Blocks | ||
| LaTeX Support | ||
| Markdown Support |
Integration (1 vs 1)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Web Clipper |
Learning (0 vs 1)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Review |
Management (0 vs 1)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Version History |
Methodology (0 vs 1)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Zettelkasten Support |
Navigation (0 vs 1)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Backlinks |
Note Organization (1 vs 0)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Links |
Organization (0 vs 8)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Alias Support | ||
| Attribute Tagging | ||
| Block References | ||
| Daily Notes | ||
| Outlining | ||
| Tags | ||
| Templates | ||
| Workspaces |
Platform (0 vs 1)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile App |
Plugin (5 vs 0)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Community Plugins - Calendar | ||
| Community Plugins - Dataview | ||
| Community Plugins - Kanban | ||
| Community Plugins - Outliner | ||
| Community Plugins - Tasks |
Privacy & Security (2 vs 0)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| No Telemetry | ||
| Private Note Storage |
Productivity (0 vs 3)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk Operations | ||
| Focus Mode | ||
| Keyboard Shortcuts |
Publishing (4 vs 0)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Performance Optimization | ||
| Publish | ||
| Publish Customization | ||
| Seamless Publishing |
Research (0 vs 1)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Citation Management |
Search (1 vs 3)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| AI-Powered Search | ||
| Filtering | ||
| Full-Text Search | ||
| Graph and Full Text Search |
Security (1 vs 2)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| End-to-End Encryption | ||
| Two-Factor Authentication |
Sharing (0 vs 1)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Publish to Web |
Support (1 vs 0)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Priority Support |
Synchronization (2 vs 0)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Fine-Grained Sync Control | ||
| Sync |
Teamwork (0 vs 1)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Collaboration |
UI (0 vs 2)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Mode | ||
| Sidebar |
Versioning (1 vs 0)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Version History |
Visualization (2 vs 3)
| Feature | Obsidian | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Calendar View | ||
| Canvas | ||
| Graph Visualization | ||
| Table Views |
Unique Features
Only in Obsidian (19)
Plugins & Customization
Open File Formats
Links
Community Plugins - Calendar
Community Plugins - Dataview
Community Plugins - Kanban
Community Plugins - Outliner
Community Plugins - Tasks
No Telemetry
Private Note Storage
Performance Optimization
Publish
Publish Customization
Seamless Publishing
Graph and Full Text Search
Priority Support
Fine-Grained Sync Control
Sync
Canvas
Only in Roam Research (44)
Offline Access
Advanced Queries
Queries
Smart Blocks
Transclusion
AI Writing Assistant
Smart Suggestions
Bi-directional Linking
Graph Database
Custom CSS
Import/Export
API
JavaScript Extensions
Linked Mentions
Unlinked References
PDF Annotation
Code Blocks
LaTeX Support
Markdown Support
Daily Review
+ 24 more unique features
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