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Roam Research vs Obsidian: catalog facts
Roam Research	Obsidian
Paid Paid subscription; current plans are listed on the Roam Research site.	Free Free for everyone, including commercial use, in the vendor’s own words. Obsidian Sync and…
Web	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Browser extension
Linked notes for building a graph of ideas Outline-style writing that feels like a bulleted list	Notes are plain Markdown files in a folder you control, readable without the app Linking, backlinks, tags, graph view and fast search across the vault
Little detail is published on the homepage Proprietary with no open-source version	The application is not open source, only the plugin ecosystem and the releases repository Syncing between devices means paying for Obsidian Sync or wiring up your own sync tool
Web application, Hosted service	Downloadable app, Browser extension
Closed source	Closed source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.