How to Migrate from Roam Research to Obsidian

Roam Research to Obsidian migration: export your Roam database as JSON or Markdown, then convert and import into Obsidian. Roam’s EDN or Markdown export works with available conversion scripts.

Export from Roam Research

In Roam: click the three-dot menu (top right) > Export All > choose format. Markdown export: creates one .md file per page. EDN export: complete database dump in Roam’s native format.

For Obsidian import: Markdown export is simpler to work with.

Converting Roam Markdown for Obsidian

Roam’s Markdown uses double square brackets [[Page Name]] for links, which Obsidian also uses natively. This is the main reason Roam-to-Obsidian migration works better than most PKM migrations.

Differences to address: Roam uses {{query: ...}} for queries (no Obsidian equivalent without Dataview plugin), TODO items use {{[[TODO]]}} syntax (convert to - [ ] for Obsidian tasks), and daily notes are named differently.

Tools: the "roam-to-obsidian" Python script on GitHub handles most conversions automatically. Run it on your Roam export folder.

Import into Obsidian

• Move the converted .md files into a folder.
• In Obsidian: open vault > select the folder.
• Install Obsidian plugins as needed: Dataview for database-like queries, Tasks for task management, Daily Notes for journal continuity.

Why People Move Roam to Obsidian

Primary reasons: Roam’s pricing ($15/month), Obsidian’s local storage, faster performance on large databases, and Obsidian’s larger plugin ecosystem. Roam’s block-based architecture is harder to replicate in Obsidian, but most core workflows transfer.

Preserving Your Knowledge Graph

Roam-to-Obsidian migrations lose bidirectional link semantics. Roam's block references don't translate cleanly to Obsidian's file-based links. Most migration guides address the file conversion; few address the thinking patterns.

The underlying habit is more portable than the tool. If you built a Roam practice around daily notes and progressive summarization, that workflow transfers to Obsidian with the right plugins (Daily Notes, Dataview, Templater).

For mobile capture: both Roam and Obsidian have weak iPhone experiences. Nemos fills this gap regardless of which desktop PKM you use. Capture on iPhone throughout the day in Nemos, review captures during your daily note session, and migrate permanent notes into Obsidian's vault manually. Mobile capture shouldn't depend on your desktop PKM's app quality.