What is the difference between Roam Research and Craft?

Roam Research is best for Researchers and writers who think in networks, while Craft is best for Apple users who want beautiful native docs. Roam Research starts at $15/mo and Craft starts at Free.

Is Roam Research or Craft cheaper?

Roam Research starts at $15/mo. Craft starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Roam Research?

Yes, Craft offers a free tier (Free for 1000 blocks).

Roam Research vs Craft

Roam Research is networked note-taking tool with bidirectional links and graph-based knowledge management, while Craft is native document editor for Mac and iOS with beautiful formatting and real-time collaboration. The biggest difference up front: Craft is free, while Roam Research starts at $15/mo. Roam Research is built for researchers and writers who think in networks, whereas Craft targets apple users who want beautiful native docs.

At a glance

	Roam Research	Craft
Best for	Researchers and writers who think in networks	Apple users who want beautiful native docs
Starting price	$15/mo	Free
Free tier	—	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	—	✓
Open source	—	—
AI Assist	—	✓
Backlinks	✓	—
Block References	✓	—
Daily Notes	✓	—
Graph View	✓	—
Markdown	—	✓
Native App	—	✓
Sharing	—	✓

Roam Research

Strengths

Backlinks let you build a connected knowledge graph from your notes
Includes Graph View as a core feature, purpose-built for note taking workflows
Pricing starts at $15/mo, which includes the full note taking feature set
Includes daily notes alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Starts at $15/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Moving notes out to another platform can be difficult — export options vary
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Roam Research → Full review

Craft

Strengths

Includes Native App as a core feature, purpose-built for note taking workflows
Full Markdown support with live preview for clean, structured notes
Free for 1000 blocks — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes ai assist alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Moving notes out to another platform can be difficult — export options vary
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Craft → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Craft is completely free (Free for 1000 blocks), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Roam Research starts at $15/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Roam Research offers Backlinks, Block References and Daily Notes that Craft lacks. Craft brings AI Assist, Markdown and Native App that Roam Research does not have.

Team fit: Both tools target individuals teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Where each tool shines: Roam Research's biggest strengths are: backlinks let you build a connected knowledge graph from your notes. includes graph view as a core feature, purpose-built for note taking workflows. Craft's biggest strengths are: includes native app as a core feature, purpose-built for note taking workflows. full markdown support with live preview for clean, structured notes.

Watch out for: With Roam Research, users commonly note that starts at $15/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users. With Craft, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Roam Research if...

You need a tool built for researchers and writers who think in networks
You specifically need Backlinks and Block References
You care about includes graph view as a core feature, purpose-built for note taking workflows

Choose Craft if...

You need a tool built for apple users who want beautiful native docs
Budget is a hard constraint — Craft is free, Roam Research is not
You specifically need AI Assist and Markdown
You care about full markdown support with live preview for clean, structured notes
The free tier works for you: free for 1000 blocks