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SPECIFICTION
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CarbonFin Outliner

carbonfin.com

Free plan WebmacOSiOS
Visit carbonfin.com
Spec score 9.2 #2 of 22 in Outlining Software

What it is

CarbonFin Outliner organizes thoughts, tasks, and projects in nested outlines. Tasks can contain subtasks, with progress indicators for parent tasks that have them. Its editor supports inline changes, cut, copy, paste, undo, redo, drag-and-drop reordering, search, and controls to collapse or expand items. Outlines can be tagged and filtered by tag, searched across the collection, archived, and optionally numbered. Each outline can include notes, with configurable checkboxes, note previews, and numbering. The iPhone and iPad app costs $4.99, paid once. Outliner Online is a free browser-based companion for syncing, editing, printing, importing, exporting, and sharing outlines. Outliner users can invite other Outliner users to view and edit shared outlines; published outlines can be viewed read-only by anyone with the URL. The app can sync outlines as OPML files with Dropbox or OneDrive, import OPML, and export plain text or OPML. Shared editing through Outliner Online is limited to iPhone or iPad app users. The app lacks native printing, though synced outlines can be printed through Outliner Online in a browser.

Spec sheet

Purpose
Outliner organizes thoughts, tasks, and projects in outlines.Read 8 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Integrations
OneDrive and Dropbox synchronization stores outlines as OPML files.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Security
CarbonFin describes online syncing as secure; its version history says syncing was secured using HTTPS in version 2.1.Read 8 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Support
CarbonFin lists [email protected] for sales, support, or feedback.Read 8 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Conflict behavior
If collaborators change the same item before syncing, the last synchronization wins.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Desktop synchronization limit
There is no direct desktop-app synchronization; desktop editing uses OneDrive, Dropbox or the browser companion.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Documentation
Documentation is provided through an in-app help button, a web help center and an FAQ.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Editor
The editor supports inline editing, cut/copy/paste, undo/redo, drag-and-drop reordering, searching and collapse/expand controls.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Extensibility
The iOS app supports outliner:// URL commands to launch the app or open a named outline.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Import and export
Outliner supports importing OPML files and exporting outlines as plain text or OPML.Read 8 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Import/export
Outlines can be imported or exported as OPML and plain text, including through email and the web companion.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Licence
AlternativeTo classifies CarbonFin Outliner as proprietary commercial software.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alternativeto.net
Limit: collaboration scope
An independent legal note-taking guide says collaboration is limited to contributors using iPhone or iPad rather than cross-platform collaborators.Read 15 Oct 2026 · cdn.ymaws.com
Limit: Dropbox outage complaint
An App Store reviewer reported repeated Dropbox reauthorization caused by short-lived access tokens, later saying CarbonFin fixed it.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Limit: formatting
A Macdrifter review reports no rich formatting, images, multiple columns or summary rows compared with OmniOutliner.Read 15 Oct 2026 · macdrifter.com
Limit: missing task features
A JustUseApp review requests due dates, deadline views and stronger task-management functions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · justuseapp.com
Limit: printing
The app does not have native printing support; synced outlines can be printed through Outliner Online and a web browser.Read 8 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Limit: sharing
Only iPhone or iPad Outliner users can use Outliner Online for shared editing; other people can view a published outline by URL.Read 8 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Limit: usability complaints
OutlinerSoftware forum users report missing keyboard navigation, a cluttered interface and uncertainty whether the product is for tasks or writing.Read 15 Oct 2026 · outlinersoftware.com
Maker identity
The App Store identifies the seller as Jeremy Dewey and the developer name as CarbonFin.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Notable release
Version 3.20 added iOS 27 support, updated Dropbox and OneDrive integrations and included bug fixes in September 2026.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Notes
Each outline item can contain notes, with options for note previews, hidden notes and compact fonts.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
OPML limit
OPML storage omits some creation/completion dates and unsupported OPML data can be removed after synchronization.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Organization
Users can tag, archive and filter outlines, and optionally number outline items.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Praise: simplicity
Apple reviewers repeatedly describe the app as simple, fast, reliable and easy to learn for checklists and multilevel outlines.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Praise: structured notes
Zapier highlights attaching notes to individual outline rows, note previews, collapse-all and zoom as reasons to choose it for note-based outlining.Read 15 Oct 2026 · zapier.com
Praise: synchronization
Independent reviewers praise dependable web, Dropbox and cross-device synchronization over many years.Read 15 Oct 2026 · macdrifter.com
Printing limit
The mobile app has no native printing; printing requires the browser layout in Outliner Online.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Product purpose
CarbonFin Outliner organizes thoughts, tasks and projects in hierarchical outlines.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Publishing
Published outlines are accessible only through their URL and are not listed or indexed by search engines.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Rating on AlternativeTo
4.0 out of 5 from 1 reviewRead 15 Oct 2026 · alternativeto.net
Rating on Apple App Store
4.8 out of 5 from 89 ratingsRead 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Rating on Appshunter
4.8 out of 5 from 124 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · appshunter.io
Rating on JustUseApp
4.8 out of 5 from 20 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · justuseapp.com
Security statement
CarbonFin says online synchronization is secure and its roadmap records HTTPS-secured syncing from version 2.1.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Sharing
Outliner users can invite other Outliner users to edit shared outlines, while published outlines are read-only URL views.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Structured work
It supports hierarchical tasks and subtasks, with progress indicators for tasks that have subtasks.Read 8 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
System requirements
The App Store listing requires iOS/iPadOS 16 or later; Mac use requires macOS 13 and Apple silicon.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Task management
Tasks can be checked off, and parent tasks show pie-chart completion progress for subtasks.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carbonfin.com
Web companion
Outliner Online is a free browser-based companion for syncing, editing, printing, importing, exporting, and sharing outlines.Read 8 Oct 2026 · outliner.carbonfin.com

Plans and prices

Outliner Online Free browser syncing · editing · printing · importing/exporting · sharing Read 15 Oct 2026 · outliner.carbonfin.com
Outliner $4.99, paid once iPhone and iPad app · iOS/iPadOS 16+ Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com

Every CarbonFin Outliner plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Tasks support subtasks and progress indicators
  • Tags, search, and archiving help organize outlines
  • Imports and exports OPML
  • Free browser companion supports printing

Limits

  • Shared editing requires iPhone or iPad app users
  • The app has no native printing
  • The app costs $4.99, paid once

Who it suits

Outliner suits people who organize tasks, projects, or notes as nested lists. Its shared editing is intended for users of the iPhone or iPad app; others can view published outlines by URL.

Verdict

Outliner combines nested task structures with tagging, notes, and OPML exchange. Printing is handled through its browser companion, and shared editing has a device-user limitation.

Where Specifiction places it

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