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Foam VS Walling

Compare Foam VS Walling and see what are their differences

Foam logo Foam

Personal knowledge management and sharing on VSCode & GitHub

Walling logo Walling

Walling is your visual space to capture ideas and organize projects.
  • Foam Landing page
    Landing page //
    2020-06-28
  • Walling Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-21

Walling gives you a better way to organize and refine your ideas and thoughts. Unlike linear documents, with your ideas side by side, Walling empowers you to step back and get a high level understanding of what you're working on.

Walling

$ Details
paid Free Trial
Platforms
Browser Web iOS Google Chrome Mac OSX Firefox

Foam features and specs

  • Open Source
    Foam is an open-source tool, which means it is free to use and allows for community-driven development and contributions. Users can modify the source code to fit their specific needs.
  • Markdown Support
    Foam uses Markdown, a lightweight and easy-to-read syntax, making it simple to create and manage notes. This also allows for easy integration with other Markdown-based tools and platforms.
  • Integration with Visual Studio Code
    Foam is designed to work seamlessly with Visual Studio Code (VS Code). This provides users with a powerful and familiar text editor environment, complete with extensions and customization options.
  • Graph View
    Foam includes a graph visualization feature that helps users see and navigate the relationships between their notes, making it easier to understand and manage complex information.
  • Bidirectional Links
    Foam supports bidirectional links, allowing users to create connections between notes in both directions. This enhances the note-taking experience by enabling a more interconnected and dynamic information structure.
  • Community and Documentation
    Foam has a growing community of users and contributors, as well as comprehensive documentation. This support network helps users troubleshoot issues, share tips, and improve their knowledge of the tool.

Possible disadvantages of Foam

  • Limited to VS Code
    Foam relies on Visual Studio Code as its primary environment. Users who prefer different text editors or platforms might find this limitation restrictive and less convenient.
  • Learning Curve
    Although Foam leverages Markdown, users may still face a learning curve, especially if they are not familiar with VS Code or the specific features and extensions required to maximize Foam's capabilities.
  • Performance with Large Datasets
    Foam can struggle with performance issues when handling large datasets or a high number of notes. This can lead to slow response times and inefficient workflows.
  • Limited Mobile Support
    Foam is primarily designed for desktop use within VS Code, which means that mobile support is limited. Users looking for a seamless cross-platform experience might find this aspect lacking.
  • Customization Complexity
    While Foam offers a high degree of customization, setting up and configuring the tool to meet personal preferences and workflows can be complex and time-consuming for some users.

Walling features and specs

  • Organized Layout
    Walling allows users to create 'walls' where they can neatly organize notes, links, files, and to-dos in a visual way, enhancing productivity and overview.
  • Collaboration
    Users can invite team members to collaborate on walls, making it a good option for both personal use and team projects.
  • Flexibility
    The app supports various content types such as text notes, images, files, and links, offering flexibility in the way users collect and organize information.
  • Cross-Device Sync
    Walling offers seamless synchronization across devices, ensuring that users have access to their information anytime and anywhere.
  • Templates
    The app provides templates for commonly used structures, helping users to get started quickly and easily with their projects.

Possible disadvantages of Walling

  • Learning Curve
    New users might find the interface and plethora of features overwhelming at first, requiring some time to understand and utilize effectively.
  • Cost
    Walling offers a free tier, but some advanced features are only available with a paid subscription, which might be a barrier for some users.
  • Internet Dependency
    The app needs an internet connection to sync across devices, which can be a limitation for users who need offline access.
  • Limited Third-Party Integrations
    Compared to some competitors, Walling supports fewer third-party integrations, which may limit its utility in more complex workflows.
  • Storage Limits
    The free tier includes storage limitations which may be restrictive for users needing to store a large amount of data unless they upgrade to a paid plan.

Analysis of Foam

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Foam is a good tool for those seeking an open-source environment for note-taking and knowledge management, particularly if they appreciate an approach based on markdown files and integration within a powerful text editor like Visual Studio Code. Its flexibility and user-driven customization make it suitable for users who enjoy tweaking and optimizing their workspace according to their workflow.

Why this product is good

  • Foam is a personal knowledge management and sharing system inspired by Roam Research, offering an open-source solution built on top of Visual Studio Code. It provides users with capabilities to create and interlink notes using markdown files, offering flexibility and customization suited to personal preferences. Foam supports features like backlinking, graph visualization of notes, and integration with VS Code extensions, making it a robust tool for managing interconnected information effectively.

Recommended for

  • Individuals preferring markdown-based note-taking systems
  • Developers familiar with Visual Studio Code
  • Users who appreciate open-source software and community-driven projects
  • People interested in managing complex, interconnected knowledge bases

Analysis of Walling

Overall verdict

  • Walling is generally considered a good tool, especially for those who appreciate visually organizing their ideas and projects. Users often praise its intuitive design and flexibility, although it may not fully replace more robust project management tools for larger teams or complex projects.

Why this product is good

  • Walling (walling.app) is a versatile tool designed to help individuals and teams organize their ideas and projects in a structured manner. It offers features like idea organization, task management, and collaboration, making it suitable for content creators, project managers, and teams who need a visual and structured way to manage their workflows. Its user-friendly interface and ability to integrate with other tools enhance its appeal as a productivity solution.

Recommended for

  • Content creators looking for a visual way to organize ideas
  • Project managers needing a flexible idea and task management tool
  • Teams seeking a collaborative platform for brainstorming and planning
  • Individuals who prefer a digital approach to organizing thoughts and tasks

Foam videos

These panels DESTROYED my STUDIO....REVERB? - ArrowZoom Foam Review

More videos:

  • Review - Arrowzoom Foam Review
  • Review - Ryobi Foam Blaster VS. Amazon Foam Cannon | Review

Walling videos

Walling Review - Is this the next Notion or Google Keep?

More videos:

  • Review - WALLING adds new Roam-like graph
  • Review - Easily capture and connect ideas - Walling.app

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Foam and Walling)
Note Taking
55 55%
45% 45
Productivity
25 25%
75% 75
Knowledge Base
100 100%
0% 0
Knowledge Management
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Foam and Walling. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Foam seems to be a lot more popular than Walling. While we know about 48 links to Foam, we've tracked only 4 mentions of Walling. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Foam mentions (48)

  • Migrating from DokuWiki to Obsidian
    I've been using foam instead of obsidian for my personal knowledge base. It works rather well. And it's completely free and ultimately just markdown. While I might wish it was djot, I don't wish hard enough to make that so myself https://foambubble.github.io/foam/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • I Use Obsidian
    I gave up on Obsidian and just use Foam (https://foambubble.github.io/foam/) and/or vimwiki. I just canโ€™t get into overwrought, arbitrarily designed organization schemes or proprietary apps (Foam-managed content is just plain Markdown, so I can easily do without itโ€”it provides the absolute bare minimum for easy linking of notes without proprietary markup). - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Use a Work Journal to Recover Focus Faster and Clarify Your Thoughts
    If you're interested in an open-source, free equivalent, check out VSCodium (open-source version of VSCode), and FOAM (VSCode plugin - https://foambubble.github.io/foam/). In a new project, create a `docs/` folder, and start with `docs/notes.md`. When you want to branch out to other files & links, you can type [[MyTopic]] and FOAM will automatically create MyTopic.md, and will allow you to click on the link and... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Vscode setup with Foam and Logseq for Digital Note Taking
    Source: (1) A personal knowledge management and sharing system for VSCode - Foam. https://foambubble.github.io/foam/. (2) A personal knowledge management and sharing system for VSCode. https://github.com/foambubble/foam. (3) Loam - Visual Studio Marketplace. https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ciceroisback.loam. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Request: VSCode extension that allows users to edit .cavas files
    Foam[0], memo[1], Markdown Memo[2], md-graph[3] file/directory display plugin [4] ----- misc related links: https://forum.obsidian.md/t/obsidian-vscode-editor-elevate-your-code-editing-experience-in-obsidian/69057/2 https://forum.obsidian.md/t/vs-code-plugin-the-best-of-both-worlds/6358 https://jukkaniiranen.com/2022/01/canvas-app-source-code-editing-with-vs-code-in-your-browser/... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

Walling mentions (4)

  • Kanban/Outliner/Notes App with checkboxes that allows guests to edit w/o creating an account?
    Maybe Walling? https://walling.app/ I don't remember if they allow anon guests, though. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Anybox: The missing bookmark manager for your Mac
    Are you going to add a more visual view, perhaps selectively for a collection? Something along the lines of Pile, Walling, Pinterest or Raindrop.io's Moodboard view? Source: over 3 years ago
  • I wish all other productivity apps could have this view. Thanks notion!
    You can check https://walling.app/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Jira for one?
    Other solution are tools like Walling (which I personally love) or Trello. Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Foam and Walling, you can also consider the following products

Obsidian.md - A second brain, for you, forever. Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base that works on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files.

Notion - All-in-one workspace. One tool for your whole team. Write, plan, and get organized.

Logseq - Logseq is a local-first, non-linear, outliner notebook for organizing and sharing your personal knowledge base.

TiddlyWiki - a non-linear personal web notebook

Roam Research - A note-taking tool for networked thought

Google Docs - Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.