Roam vs Obsidian by Travis Chan

Notion optimizes for curation and organization, while Roam optimizes for creation and ideation.

It operates under the idea that the only thing that’s really constant in your notes, is time.This effect can also be achieved with Obsidian but instead, it’s an option you need to enable.

In Obsidian you might feel inclined to think more organization before writing. This is because the file explorer is visible by default and can become unwieldy as your notes grow.

Albert Einstein’s desk on his last day at Princeton

But with Obsidian you can decide how many panes you want open, align them however you want and write your own extensions as Obsidian’s written in plain javascript. Plus, some setups are just :chefs-kiss:

Customizing in Roam is a bit more round-about and involves using more advanced features but can definitely give Obsidian a run for its money.

Roam’s long term goal is to provide a platform for collaborative knowledge building with other people, or your past and future self.

Obsidian has more of a focus on providing an environment for slower and more deliberate notes, letting you design your own workflow.