Roam Research vs Trilium Notes
Detailed comparison to help you choose the right tool for your needs
R
Roam Research
A note-taking tool for networked thought
4.4
Editorial RatingT
Trilium Notes
Powerful self-hosted hierarchical knowledge base
4.5
Editorial RatingQuick Comparison
Rating
4.4
vs4.5
Starting Price
$15
vsFree
Pricing Model
paid
vsfree
Feature
Roam Research
Trilium Notes
Bidirectional links
Block references
Graph view
Queries
Version history
Multiplayer
Hierarchical notes
Rich text editor
Note relations and maps
Full-text search
Web clipper
Encrypted notes
Roam Research Pros
- Pioneered networked thought
- Powerful block references
- Great for research
- Strong community
Roam Research Cons
- No free tier
- Expensive
- Cloud-only (no local-first)
- Web-only, no native apps
Trilium Notes Pros
- Powerful hierarchical organization
- Relation maps for knowledge graphing
- Desktop and server modes
- Code block syntax highlighting
- Excellent search
- Web clipper for research
Trilium Notes Cons
- UI looks dated compared to modern note apps
- Mobile experience via browser is limited
- Single developer project
- Learning curve for power features
- No native mobile app