BrainVault vs Roam Research: Free & Local-First
Both apps offer bidirectional linking and graph views for knowledge management. But one costs $165/year and stores your data in the cloud. The other is free and local.
The Bottom Line
Roam Research pioneered networked thinking with its bidirectional links and graph visualization. It's powerful, but costs $15/month or $165/year, and your data lives in their cloud.
BrainVault offers similar core features—wiki links, graph views, daily notes—but keeps your data local, costs nothing, and is completely open source.
Feature Comparison
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Free vs $165/Year
BrainVault is completely free. No trial periods, no payment required. Download and use forever.
Roam Research costs $15/month or $165/year (with annual billing). That's $825 over five years for a note-taking app. They offer a 31-day trial, but after that, it's subscription or nothing.
The cost adds up: After 5 years, you've spent $825. After 10 years, $1,650. BrainVault stays free, and you own your data outright.
Bidirectional Links & Graph Views
Both apps excel at this. [[Wiki links]] create connections between notes automatically. Both visualize your knowledge graph in 3D.
Roam's advantage: Block references let you embed specific paragraphs from other notes. More granular than note-level links.
BrainVault's approach: Simpler note-level links, but still powerful for most use cases. Easier to understand, less complexity.
Local vs Cloud: Ownership & Privacy
BrainVault: Your notes are stored as plain Markdown files on your device. You own them literally. No account, no cloud, no subscription. Works offline forever. Open them in any text editor.
Roam Research: Your data lives on Roam's servers. Requires internet for most operations. You can export your graph, but the primary storage is cloud-based. If Roam shuts down or changes pricing, your access depends on their decisions.
Speed & Performance
BrainVault is instant. Local storage means zero network latency. Search results appear in milliseconds. No loading spinners. Works perfectly offline.
Roam Research can feel sluggish with large graphs (500+ pages). Performance depends on your internet connection. Some users report lag when typing or navigating large databases.
Open Source vs Proprietary
BrainVault is MIT licensed and fully open source. Audit the code, contribute features, or fork it for your needs. Complete transparency—no hidden telemetry or tracking.
Roam Research is proprietary. You can't see the source code, can't modify it, and must trust their privacy policy. The community has built extensions, but the core is closed.
What BrainVault Doesn't Have
To be transparent, here's what Roam offers that BrainVault currently doesn't:
- Block references: Embed specific paragraphs from other notes
- Queries: Dynamic views of notes matching criteria
- Spaced repetition: Built-in flashcard system
- Real-time collaboration: Multiple users editing simultaneously
- Mobile apps: Roam has iOS/Android, BrainVault is desktop-only (for now)
If you need these features, Roam might be worth the cost. If you can live without them, BrainVault offers the essentials for free.
Migration from Roam to BrainVault
Moving from Roam to BrainVault:
- Export your Roam graph as Markdown (in Roam: ... menu → Export All → Markdown)
- Extract the exported zip file
- Open BrainVault and point it to the extracted folder
- Your notes and wiki links should work immediately
Note: Block references and queries won't transfer since BrainVault doesn't support them. Consider whether you actively use these features before migrating.
Our Honest Recommendation
Choose Roam Research if: You need block references, queries, or real-time collaboration. You're willing to pay $165/year for these advanced features. You don't mind cloud storage.
Choose BrainVault if: You want the core networked thinking experience (wiki links, graph views, bidirectional links) without the subscription. You value privacy, local storage, and owning your data. You want open-source software that's free forever.