Roam Research alternatives · Note-Taking
Self-hosted alternatives to Roam Research
The Roam Research listing does not say it can be self-hosted. 20 of the 146 other note-taking apps in this directory can be self-hosted, according to their own sites.
Roam Research is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $15 per month, or $165 per year ($13.75 a month). All of them are free or have a free plan.
20 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 9, 2026 · Where the facts come from
The 12 closest to Roam Research
- Free
Memos
Open-source, self-hosted timeline of short Markdown notes
- Memos is free. Roam Research starts at $15 per month, or $165 per year ($13.75 a month).
- Memos has a free plan. Roam Research does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Memos lists a browser extension.
- Only Roam Research lists macOS and iOS apps.
- Free
flatnotes
Self-hosted notes web app on a flat folder of Markdown files
- flatnotes is free. Roam Research starts at $15 per month, or $165 per year ($13.75 a month).
- flatnotes has a free plan. Roam Research does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Roam Research lists macOS and iOS apps.
- flatnotes is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Free
NoteDiscovery
Self-hosted Markdown knowledge base that runs in the browser
- NoteDiscovery is free. Roam Research starts at $15 per month, or $165 per year ($13.75 a month).
- NoteDiscovery has a free plan. Roam Research does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Roam Research lists macOS and iOS apps.
- NoteDiscovery is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Free plan · from $1.99/mo
Notesnook
Open source, end-to-end encrypted notes on every platform
- Notesnook starts at $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year (Essential). Roam Research starts at $15 per month, or $165 per year ($13.75 a month).
- Notesnook has a free plan. Roam Research does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Notesnook lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Only Notesnook lists a browser extension.
- Free
Trilium Notes
Free, open-source hierarchical notes for a personal knowledge base
- Trilium Notes is free. Roam Research starts at $15 per month, or $165 per year ($13.75 a month).
- Trilium Notes has a free plan. Roam Research does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Trilium Notes lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Trilium Notes lists a browser extension.
- Free plan · from $64 one-time
SiYuan
Open-source, local-first notes built on linked content blocks
- SiYuan starts at $64 one-time payment (PRO Features). Roam Research starts at $15 per month, or $165 per year ($13.75 a month).
- SiYuan has a free plan. Roam Research does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only SiYuan lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Only SiYuan lists a browser extension.
- Free
TiddlyWiki
Open-source personal wiki kept in a single HTML file
- TiddlyWiki is free. Roam Research starts at $15 per month, or $165 per year ($13.75 a month).
- TiddlyWiki has a free plan. Roam Research does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only TiddlyWiki lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Roam Research lists an iOS app.
- Free plan · from $5.99/mo
Blinko
AI-assisted card notes, self-hosted or on Blinko Cloud
- Blinko starts at $5.99 per month, billed monthly (Blinko Cloud Pro). Roam Research starts at $15 per month, or $165 per year ($13.75 a month).
- Blinko has a free plan. Roam Research does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Blinko lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Only Roam Research lists an iOS app.
- Free plan · from $50/yr
SilverBullet
Scriptable Markdown knowledge base, self-hosted or on desktop
- SilverBullet starts at $50 per user / year (Desktop Pro, required for work use). Roam Research starts at $15 per month, or $165 per year ($13.75 a month).
- SilverBullet has a free plan. Roam Research does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only SilverBullet lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Roam Research lists an iOS app.
- Free
Jotty
Self-hosted notes and checklists stored as Markdown files
- Jotty is free. Roam Research starts at $15 per month, or $165 per year ($13.75 a month).
- Jotty has a free plan. Roam Research does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Roam Research lists macOS and iOS apps.
- Jotty is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Free plan · from $4/mo
Anytype
Local-first, end-to-end encrypted workspace for notes and data
- Anytype starts at $4 per month, billed yearly ($5 billed monthly). Roam Research starts at $15 per month, or $165 per year ($13.75 a month).
- Anytype has a free plan. Roam Research does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Anytype lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Only Roam Research lists a web app.
- Free plan · from €2.40/mo
Joplin
Open source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose
- Joplin starts at 2.40€ per month, billed yearly at 28.69€ (Joplin Cloud Basic). Roam Research starts at $15 per month, or $165 per year ($13.75 a month).
- Joplin has a free plan. Roam Research does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Joplin lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Only Joplin lists a browser extension.
8 more that can be self-hosted
All 20 in one tableCommon questions
Is there a self-hosted alternative to Roam Research?
Yes. Memos, flatnotes, NoteDiscovery, Notesnook, Trilium Notes, SiYuan, TiddlyWiki, Blinko and 12 more can be self-hosted, according to their own sites.
Can Roam Research be self-hosted?
The Roam Research listing does not say it can be self-hosted. The listing was checked on Oct 4, 2026 against the pages it cites.
When was this checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 4, 2026 to Oct 9, 2026. Vendors change prices and plans without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.
This page is built from the listings. A tool is here because its listing says so, and the order is how close each is to Roam Research: the alternatives its listing names first, then the tools that share the most features with it.