What is the difference between Roam Research and Joplin?

Roam Research is best for Researchers and writers who think in networks, while Joplin is best for Privacy-focused users wanting open-source note-taking. Roam Research starts at $15/mo and Joplin starts at Free.

Is Roam Research or Joplin cheaper?

Roam Research starts at $15/mo. Joplin starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Roam Research?

Yes, Joplin offers a free tier.

Roam Research vs Joplin

Roam Research is networked note-taking tool with bidirectional links and graph-based knowledge management, while Joplin is open-source note-taking with end-to-end encryption, Markdown support, and sync via any cloud. The biggest difference up front: Joplin is free, while Roam Research starts at $15/mo. Roam Research is built for researchers and writers who think in networks, whereas Joplin targets privacy-focused users wanting open-source note-taking.

At a glance

	Roam Research	Joplin
Best for	Researchers and writers who think in networks	Privacy-focused users wanting open-source note-taking
Starting price	$15/mo	Free
Free tier	—	✓
Open source	—	✓
Free tier available	—	✓
Open source	—	✓
Backlinks	✓	—
Block References	✓	—
Daily Notes	✓	—
E2E Encryption	—	✓
Graph View	✓	—
Markdown	—	✓
Open Source	—	✓
Webclipper	—	✓

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

Joplin

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
The core product is free with no paywalled essentials

Weaknesses

May lack some advanced features
Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
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

Try Joplin → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Joplin is completely free, 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 Joplin lacks. Joplin brings E2E Encryption, Markdown and Open Source 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.

Open source: Joplin is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Roam Research is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

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. Joplin's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development.

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 Joplin, the main complaint is that may lack some advanced features.

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 Joplin if...

You need a tool built for privacy-focused users wanting open-source note-taking
Budget is a hard constraint — Joplin is free, Roam Research is not
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need E2E Encryption and Markdown
You care about open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development