Roam Research
Networked thought and bi-directional links.
why this verdict
Downgrade — pay for the workflow, not the AI
Logseq and Obsidian cover the headline feature free, so the $15/mo is now paying for the workflow around it.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- AI assistants that surface connections. OpenAI, May 1, 2024 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers headline only editorial call
- The headline feature, but not the workflow, data or integrations around it.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 3 of 3 listed replacements have a usable free tier: Logseq, Obsidian and Tana.
- What the call is worth $180/yr
- $15/mo at the entry paid tier — $180 a year per seat.
- Threatened by
- OpenAI
- Since
- May 1, 2024
- List price
- $15/mo
- Per year
- $180
The backstory
Roam Research popularized networked thought, using bi-directional links to connect ideas so relationships between notes surface over time. Its central promise, find the hidden connections in your notes, is almost exactly what long-context AI assistants now do when you feed them your writing. It is wounded because that unique selling point has been commoditized by tools that can read everything and surface links instantly. Roam retains a devoted community and a distinctive outliner workflow, but the connection-finding magic it was built on is no longer its alone.
Escape hatches
switching could free up $180/yrFree open-source outliner with backlinks
logseq.com open_in_newNetworked notes with graph view, free
obsidian.md open_in_newAI-native networked outliner
tana.inc open_in_new3 of 3 replacements have a usable free tier.