What is the difference between Roam Research and Standard Notes?

Roam Research is best for Researchers and writers who think in networks, while Standard Notes is best for Privacy-focused users wanting encrypted notes. Roam Research starts at $15/mo and Standard Notes starts at Free.

Is Roam Research or Standard Notes cheaper?

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

Is there a free alternative to Roam Research?

Yes, Standard Notes offers a free tier (Free with basic editors).

Roam Research vs Standard Notes

Roam Research is networked note-taking tool with bidirectional links and graph-based knowledge management, while Standard Notes is end-to-end encrypted note-taking app with extensible editors and self-hosting option. The biggest difference up front: Standard Notes is free, while Roam Research starts at $15/mo. Roam Research is built for researchers and writers who think in networks, whereas Standard Notes targets privacy-focused users wanting encrypted notes.

At a glance

	Roam Research	Standard Notes
Best for	Researchers and writers who think in networks	Privacy-focused users wanting encrypted notes
Starting price	$15/mo	Free
Free tier	—	✓
Open source	—	✓
Free tier available	—	✓
Open source	—	✓
Backlinks	✓	—
Block References	✓	—
Daily Notes	✓	—
E2E Encryption	—	✓
Editors	—	✓
Graph View	✓	—
Self-Hosted	—	✓
Tags	—	✓

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

Standard Notes

Strengths

Open source and transparent
End-to-end encryption by default — messages are unreadable even to the server operator
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
Free with basic editors — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Self-hosting requires Linux admin skills and ongoing server maintenance
Moving notes out to another platform can be difficult — export options vary
Community support can be slower than the dedicated support teams at commercial alternatives

Try Standard Notes → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Standard Notes is completely free (Free with basic editors), 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 Standard Notes lacks. Standard Notes brings E2E Encryption, Editors and Self-Hosted 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: Standard Notes 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. Standard Notes's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. end-to-end encryption by default — messages are unreadable even to the server operator.

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 Standard Notes, 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 Standard Notes if...

You need a tool built for privacy-focused users wanting encrypted notes
Budget is a hard constraint — Standard Notes 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 Editors
You care about end-to-end encryption by default — messages are unreadable even to the server operator