Goodnotes vs Roam Research
Goodnotes
goodnotes.comRoam Research
roamresearch.comSide by side
| Figure | Goodnotes | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1/mo | $15/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 13 | 5 |
| Spec score · Note-taking apps | 9.5 (#2) | 8.7 (#38) |
| Spec score · Notes apps | 9.3 (#3) | 8.2 (#42) |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Integrations | The help center documents automatic backup to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or WebDAV on iOS and iPadOS. | Roam Backend API,Roam Append API,Roam Alpha API,Roam Depot extensions |
| Note sharing | Yes | Yes |
| Offline access | Yes | Yes |
| Supported platforms | web,windows,macos,ios,android | web,windows,macos,linux,ios,android,chrome_extension,api |
| Trial | The Google Play listing says new users receive a seven-day free trial. | The Pro page offers a free trial and says the customer will be charged after 31 days; the trial is only valid for people who have never had a plan. |
Plans
Goodnotes
- FreeFree
- Essential$11.99 a year
- Pro$35.99 a year
- AI Pass$9.99 a month
- Teams$120 a year
- EnterprisePriced on request
- EnterprisePrice not published
- Special EditionPriced on request
- Special EditionPrice not published
- Goodnotes Essential$11.99 a year
Roam Research
- Pro$15 a month
- ProPriced on request
- BelieverPriced on request
- Pro$180 a year
- Believer$500, paid once
In their own words
Goodnotes
Goodnotes is a note-taking app from Goodnotes, a company founded in 2011 and based in London. It runs on Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows, with offline access, note sharing, and real-time collaboration. Listed integrations include Google Calendar, Google Drive, ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Outlook, and Apple Calendar. The Free plan costs nothing and includes three notebooks, three text documents, three whiteboards, three folders, 100 MB of storage, and a 5 MB import limit. Essential costs $11.99 a year and includes 5 GB of storage and unlimited files, with a 7-day free trial. Pro costs $35.99 a year and includes unlimited files, also with a 7-day trial. Teams costs $120 a year and adds collaboration, SAML SSO, domain control, consolidated billing, and user and admin management. AI Pass is a $9.99 a month add-on with approximately 6,300 additional AI credits per month; availability varies by region and eligible plan. Enterprise and Special Edition have no listed prices.
Roam Research
Roam Research is a note-taking tool for networked thought, designed to connect ideas in Roam Graphs. Its site describes a document-like experience paired with a graph-database model, and says it helps users organize research over the long term. The Pro plan costs $15 a month and includes unlimited private or public graphs, unlimited collaborators, API access, and Apps. Roam supports note sharing and offline access. It is available on the web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, with a Chrome extension also listed. Integrations include the Roam Backend API, Roam Append API, Roam Alpha API, and Roam Depot extensions. The Pro page offers a 31-day free trial to people who have never had a plan, with billing after the trial. There is no free plan.