Free Roam Research alternatives

All Roam Research alternatives

1. 

   

   Obsidian

   4.5(2.8K) · App StoreLike

   Obsidian stores notes as plain Markdown files on your device, links them into a knowledge graph and extends with a large plugin ecosystem.

   17 Obsidian alternatives

   Pros

   • Notes are plain Markdown files stored on your device
   • Large ecosystem of community plugins and themes
   • Graph view and backlinks for connected notes

   Cons

   • Official sync and publishing are paid add-ons
   • Plugin-heavy setups take time to configure and maintain
   • No real-time collaboration on notes

   Cost / License

   FreemiumProprietary

   Categories

   Note-taking & Knowledge Bases

   Platforms

   WindowsMacLinuxiPhoneAndroid

   Features

   End-to-end encryptionMarkdown supportOffline mode

   Visit websiteMore about Obsidian
2. 

   

   Logseq

   4.4(264) · App StoreLike

   Logseq is a privacy-first outliner that stores notes locally in Markdown or Org files, with bidirectional links, journals and whiteboards.

   7 Logseq alternatives

   Pros

   • Notes live in local Markdown or Org files that you fully own
   • Bidirectional links, block references and daily journals
   • Free and open source, with a plugin ecosystem

   Cons

   • Outliner-only structure is a poor fit for long-form writing
   • Can slow down with very large graphs
   • Syncing between devices takes extra setup

   Cost / License

   FreeOpen source

   Categories

   Note-taking & Knowledge Bases

   Platforms

   WindowsMacLinuxiPhoneAndroid

   Features

   Markdown supportOffline mode

   Visit websiteMore about Logseq
3. 

   

   Notion

   4.8(90.4K) · App StoreLike

   Notion combines notes, documents, databases and project management in a flexible block-based workspace, with an integrated AI assistant.

   17 Notion alternatives

   Pros

   • Docs, wikis and databases combined in one flexible workspace
   • Large template gallery for roadmaps, trackers and wikis
   • Real-time collaboration with comments, mentions and an API

   Cons

   • Databases and relations take time to master
   • Offline access is limited compared with local-first apps
   • Large workspaces can feel slow to load

   Cost / License

   FreemiumProprietary

   Categories

   Note-taking & Knowledge Bases

   Platforms

   WebWindowsMaciPhoneAndroid

   Features

   AI assistantAPI accessMarkdown supportReal-time collaborationTemplates

   Visit websiteMore about Notion
4. 

   

   Capacities

   4.3(114) · App StoreLike

   Capacities is a note-taking app that organizes knowledge as objects such as people, books, meetings and ideas, each with its own properties and templates, instead of folders. Objects link to each other through backlinks and a graph, daily notes collect everyday thoughts, and the Pro plan adds an AI assistant. It is developed by a small team in Germany.

   8 Capacities alternatives

   Pros

   • Object types like people, books and meetings give notes structure
   • Backlinks, graph view and daily notes connect ideas
   • Available on web, desktop and mobile with sync

   Cons

   • The object-based approach takes time to get used to
   • The AI assistant and some features need the Pro plan
   • Cloud-based storage gives less control than local-first apps

   Cost / License

   FreemiumProprietary

   Categories

   Note-taking & Knowledge Bases

   Platforms

   WebWindowsMacLinuxiPhoneAndroid

   Features

   AI assistantBidirectional linksCross-device syncGraph viewTemplates

   Visit websiteMore about Capacities
5. 

   

   Anytype

   4.5(250) · App StoreLike

   Anytype is a local-first workspace for notes, databases and collaboration, with peer-to-peer sync and end-to-end encryption.

   10 Anytype alternatives

   Pros

   • Local-first data with end-to-end encrypted peer-to-peer sync
   • Objects, types and relations enable flexible, database-like notes
   • Works offline on desktop and mobile alike

   Cons

   • The object and type model takes time to learn
   • No web app, only desktop and mobile clients
   • Fewer integrations and plugins than mainstream workspaces

   Cost / License

   FreemiumSource available

   Categories

   Note-taking & Knowledge Bases

   Platforms

   WindowsMacLinuxiPhoneAndroid

   Features

   End-to-end encryptionOffline modeTemplates

   Visit websiteMore about Anytype
6. 

   

   Craft

   4.8(6.6K) · App StoreLike

   Craft is a document and note-taking app with a native, polished design on Mac, iPhone and iPad, also available on Windows and the web. Notes are built from blocks and nested pages with backlinks, can be shared as public web pages or edited together in real time, and include AI writing help, tasks and daily notes.

   12 Craft alternatives

   Pros

   • Polished native design on Mac, iPhone and iPad
   • Block-based pages can be shared as public web pages
   • Real-time collaboration plus built-in AI writing help

   Cons

   • The experience is best on Apple devices, other platforms feel secondary
   • Advanced features and AI usage are reserved for paid plans
   • Less suited to large databases than Notion-style tools

   Cost / License

   FreemiumProprietary

   Categories

   Note-taking & Knowledge BasesWord Processors

   Platforms

   WebWindowsMaciPhone

   Features

   AI assistantBidirectional linksCross-device syncOffline modeReal-time collaborationTemplates

   Visit websiteMore about Craft
7. 

   

   Bear

   4.7(6.9K) · App StoreLike

   Bear is a writing and note-taking app for Mac, iPhone and iPad from Shiny Frog, built on Markdown with nested tags, links between notes and a choice of themes. The app is free to use on a single device, while Bear Pro adds iCloud sync across devices, OCR search in images and PDFs, and more export formats.

   12 Bear alternatives

   Pros

   • Elegant Markdown editor with a choice of themes
   • Nested tags and note links keep things organized without folders
   • Native, fast apps designed for Mac, iPhone and iPad

   Cons

   • Apple only, with no Windows, Android or web version
   • Sync across devices requires the Pro subscription
   • No shared notes or real-time collaboration

   Cost / License

   FreemiumProprietary

   Categories

   Note-taking & Knowledge Bases

   Platforms

   MaciPhone

   Features

   Bidirectional linksCross-device syncDark modeMarkdown supportOCR

   Visit websiteMore about Bear
8. 

   

   AppFlowy

   4.2(33) · App StoreLike

   AppFlowy is an open source workspace for docs, databases and kanban boards that you can self-host, with AI features and offline support.

   7 AppFlowy alternatives

   Pros

   • Open source Notion alternative that you can self-host
   • Docs, databases and kanban boards in one workspace
   • Offline support with apps on desktop and mobile

   Cons

   • Fewer templates and integrations than Notion
   • Some features still feel less polished than in mature rivals
   • Advanced AI features are reserved for paid plans

   Cost / License

   FreemiumOpen source

   Categories

   Note-taking & Knowledge Bases

   Platforms

   WindowsMacLinuxiPhoneAndroidSelf-hosted

   Features

   AI assistantOffline modeReal-time collaborationTemplates

   Visit websiteMore about AppFlowy