OneNote vs Roam Research:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, OneNote had more branded searches than Roam Research among note taking apps worldwide. OneNote had about 1.8 million branded searches, while Roam Research had 4,400. OneNote made up 39.2% of all note taking app searches we track, and Roam Research accounted for 0.09%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about note taking apps, OneNote appeared in four of the five answers and Roam Research in none.
Who do people search for more?
OneNote, about 416 searches for every 1 for Roam Research
Who does AI mention more?
OneNote, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Roam Research in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
OneNote, the only one of the two named
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Top note taking apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, OneNote was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Roam Research did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- OneNote1st
Notion2nd
Apple Notes3rd
Obsidian4th
Google Keep5th
Goodnotes6th
Evernote7th
Bear–
Roam Research–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- OneNote4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Notion4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Google Keep3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Obsidian3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Apple Notes3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Goodnotes2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Evernote2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Bear0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Roam Research0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about note taking apps
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which note taking app should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best note taking apps?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best note taking app for class notes?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“note taking app”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“note app”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is OneNote or Roam Research more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for OneNote and Roam Research by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine note taking apps we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for OneNote, Roam Research. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | OneNote | Google Keep | Goodnotes | Evernote | Obsidian | Notion | Apple Notes | Bear | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 39.7% | 32.5% | 11.9% | 8% | 3.4% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.29% | 0.21% |
| Nov 2025 | 36.3% | 36.3% | 10.9% | 8.9% | 3.1% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 0.32% | 0.24% |
| Dec 2025 | 31.2% | 38.1% | 11.5% | 9.4% | 4% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 0.41% | 0.31% |
| Jan 2026 | 35.3% | 35.3% | 10.6% | 8.7% | 4.5% | 3.2% | 1.7% | 0.38% | 0.23% |
| Feb 2026 | 37.5% | 37.5% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 3.2% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 37.5% | 37.5% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 3.2% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.33% | 0.16% |
| Apr 2026 | 37.5% | 37.5% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 3.2% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.33% | 0.16% |
| May 2026 | 33% | 40.6% | 10% | 8.1% | 2.9% | 3% | 2% | 0.29% | 0.15% |
| Jun 2026 | 33.8% | 41.6% | 8.4% | 6.8% | 4.3% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 0.55% | 0.34% |
| Jul 2026 | 32.4% | 39.6% | 9.8% | 8% | 4.2% | 3.6% | 2% | 0.35% | 0.18% |
| Aug 2026 | 31.9% | 39.2% | 11.8% | 6.4% | 4.9% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 0.63% | 0.32% |
| Sep 2026 | 39.2% | 32.1% | 14.4% | 5.3% | 4.8% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.19% | 0.09% |
How has the OneNote and Roam Research comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- OneNote was ahead of Roam Research in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OneNote’s share of searches among note taking apps worldwide moved from 39.7% to 39.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.8M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Roam Research’s share of searches among note taking apps worldwide moved from 0.21% to 0.09%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 9.9K to 4.4K.
How did search popularity change for note taking apps worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, OneNote overtook Google Keep to become the leader among note taking apps worldwide, with 39.2% of the searches.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Roam Research worldwide fell 55.6% over 12 measured months, from 9.9K to 4.4K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using OneNote’s and Roam Research’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
OneNote
1 branded search term
- onenote
Roam Research
1 branded search term
- roam research
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