Open Source Roam Research Alternatives
A curated collection of the 2 best open source alternatives to Roam Research.
The best open source alternative to Roam Research is SiYuan. If that doesn't suit you, we've compiled a ranked list of other open source Roam Research alternatives to help you find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternative to Roam Research is Logseq.
Roam Research alternatives are mainly Note Taking & Knowledge Management. Browse these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Roam Research.
Privacy-first knowledge management app built on content blocks, with Markdown WYSIWYG editing, two-way links and local or Docker hosted storage.
SiYuan is a personal knowledge management system organized around content blocks. Instead of files referencing each other loosely, every block can be referenced, linked both ways, zoomed into and queried, so notes stay connected without a separate index to maintain.
The editor is Markdown WYSIWYG with list outlining and support for documents running to a million words. It renders mathematical formulas, charts, flowcharts, Gantt charts, timing diagrams and staves, and it handles web clipping and PDF annotation links.
The surrounding features go well past note taking.
- SQL queries: embed query results directly inside a document.
- Database views: organize content in a table view.
- Flashcards: spaced repetition is built into the app rather than bolted on.
- Export: standard Markdown with assets, PDF, Word and HTML, plus copy targets for WeChat MP, Zhihu and Yuque.
- Snippets: template, JavaScript and CSS snippets adjust behavior and appearance.
- AI: writing and question answering through the OpenAI API, with Tesseract OCR alongside.
Desktop and mobile apps cover Android, iOS and HarmonyOS, and a Docker image serves a workspace over port 6806 with a lock screen access code and configurable user and group ids for host mounted directories. An HTTP API and a community marketplace extend it further. Most features are free including commercial use, while some are reserved for paid members.
Privacy-first outliner for knowledge management and collaboration, storing notes as local Markdown or Org-mode files you keep control of.
Logseq is a knowledge management and collaboration platform built around privacy, longevity and user control. Notes live in formats readable without the app, Markdown and Org-mode among them, so the archive outlives whatever software happens to open it today.
Beyond note taking it handles PDF annotation and task management, and a growing ecosystem of plugins and themes shapes it to different workflows. A plugin API is published for building your own. Mobile apps provide access to most of what the desktop application does.
A database version is under active development and worth understanding before committing to it.
- DB graphs: the database version introduces a new graph format, with its own feature overview and a list of changes for existing users.
- Real time collaboration: an RTC sync approach syncs graphs across devices or between people, currently in alpha.
- New mobile app: the database version ships a separate app, on iOS with Android to follow.
- Beta status: data loss is possible, so the maintainers advise automated backups or regular SQLite exports.
- Test channels: a stable branch updates over days or weeks while master changes hourly.
Installing the released version is a download and a launch. Linux users get an installer script that can pin a specific version or install without root for a single user. For the database version the maintainers suggest a dedicated test graph and a project that is not crucial, rather than pointing it at work that matters.
