Craft
Roam Research
| Feature | Craft | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $5/mo | From $15/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Best For | apple-users, writers, consultants, students, creative-professionals | researchers, writers, academics, knowledge-workers |
| Founded | 2019 | 2019 |
| Nested Docs | ✓ | ✗ |
| Collaboration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ai Assistant | ✓ | ✗ |
| Templates | ✓ | ✓ |
| Export | ✓ | ✗ |
| Deep Links | ✓ | ✗ |
| Offline Access | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bidirectional Links | ✗ | ✓ |
| Block References | ✗ | ✓ |
| Daily Notes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Graph View | ✗ | ✓ |
| Queries | ✗ | ✓ |
| Version History | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Craft Pros
- Stunning native macOS/iOS design
- Offline-first with seamless sync
- Nested documents for organized hierarchies
- Export to Markdown, PDF, Word, and more
✗ Craft Cons
- Best experience limited to Apple ecosystem
- Web app less capable than native apps
- Fewer integrations than Notion
✓ Roam Research Pros
- Bidirectional links surface unexpected connections
- Block-level referencing for atomic notes
- Daily notes workflow reduces friction
- Graph view reveals knowledge structure
✗ Roam Research Cons
- Steep learning curve for new users
- No free tier (expensive for note-taking)
- Mobile experience is poor
- Performance issues with very large graphs
The Verdict
Craft is built for apple users and writers, with a focus on nested-docs and collaboration. Roam Research targets researchers and writers and leads with bidirectional-links and block-references.
On pricing, Craft is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $5/mo compared to $15/mo for Roam Research. That $10/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Craft has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Roam Research requires a paid subscription from day one.
Craft edges out on user ratings (4.5 vs 4.1). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Both tools are a solid fit for writers — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: Craft has a slight overall edge — but if bidirectional links surface unexpected connections matters most to you, Roam Research may still be the right call.