Workflowy

Workflowy is a note-taking and outlining app for people who want to keep notes, tasks, and reference material in one flexible structure. Its strongest fit is an expandable outline that can change shape as ideas develop; the tradeoff is a monthly creation cap on the free plan.

Overview

Workflowy puts content in one document rather than asking users to organize it across separate notebooks. Nested bullets can hold detail beneath broader topics, and zooming into a bullet provides a focused view of that branch. Real-time search helps retrieve material across the document. This structure suits work that naturally breaks into layers, but it is less compelling for readers who prefer to organize information in separate collections.

Workflowy says it saves automatically and syncs across devices. The company was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, United States.

Key features

Reshape and connect content

Bullets can become checkboxes, headings, boards, or tables, giving one outline room for notes, tasks, and other formats. Tags and dates help categorize items, while backlinks, mirrors, and templates connect or reuse content. The combination makes the single-document approach more adaptable than a plain list, though it remains centered on that one underlying structure.

Integrations, API, and account controls

Integrations include Readwise, Kindle Highlights, Google Calendar, Web Clipper, Zapier, and Workflowy Desktop MCP. The API can read and write Workflowy data, so apps, scripts, and automations can work with a user's content. Users can enable multi-factor authentication with a six-digit authenticator-app code and receive recovery codes. User-generated content remains the user's property; content may be shared with LLM providers for certain AI features with explicit opt-in consent. Some information that may contain personal data is stored by AllCloud at AWS in northern Virginia, United States.

Pricing

Workflowy is freemium, with a 7-day trial for paid plans. Basic is free forever and includes all features, 100 nodes per month, and 100mb of file uploads. The node cap limits ongoing growth for heavy note-takers, although reaching it does not prevent adding nodes: users can continue, with a popup inviting them to subscribe. The upload allowance is also finite.

Pro costs $6.99/month billed annually, with unlimited nodes and uploads. It suits individuals who regularly add content or need more upload capacity; the annual billing term is the tradeoff. Monthly-billed Pro costs $8.99/month and includes unlimited nodes, unlimited uploads, all features, and a 7 Day Free Trial. It costs more than the annual option but avoids an annual billing commitment.

Workflowy Teams costs $6.99 per user / month, paid yearly. It includes unlimited node creation and file uploads for all members, one-on-one team setup, and auto-backup to Dropbox. The per-seat annual term matters for teams budgeting for multiple members. Eligible faculty can receive Pro for life and invite students who receive Pro while enrolled through that faculty member. Questions can be directed to [email protected].

Platforms

Workflowy supports web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and a Chrome extension. Its API also provides a route for apps and automations to read and write data.

Who it's for

Workflowy is a strong fit for people who want notes and tasks in a single outline, value zooming into a topic without losing its place in the larger structure, and can make use of tags, mirrors, templates, or API access. The free plan can suit lighter use, while Pro is the clearer choice for users likely to exceed its monthly node or upload limits. It is a weaker fit for anyone who wants separate notebook-style organization or does not want to manage an annual commitment for the lower paid rate.

Pros and cons

Flexible outline: Nested items, focused zoom, and multiple bullet formats let users adapt one document to different kinds of content.

Useful connections: Backlinks, mirrors, templates, and integrations support linking and reusing material across workflows.

Free plan has firm quotas: 100 nodes per month and 100mb of uploads can constrain users building a large working archive.

Lower Pro rate requires annual billing: Readers who prefer monthly payment pay $8.99/month rather than $6.99/month.

Teams price scales by member: The $6.99 per-user monthly rate is paid yearly, so the total commitment depends on team size.

Alternatives

Dynalist is another freemium outliner, with a free plan offering unlimited items and documents plus five bookmarks; its Pro plan is $9.99 per month. Choose it if that free allowance is a better fit for your outlining needs.

Logseq is free for personal use. Choose it if a free personal-use plan is the priority; its Sync Backer option is a $5.00 monthly recurring donation for beta sync access.

Checkvist has a free plan with unlimited hierarchical lists, sharing and collaboration, task creation by email, Markdown, and notes. Choose it if collaborative lists and email task capture matter more than Workflowy's single-document model.

Legend offers a free plan with 10 Panes, one plugin sync account, and unlimited documents and items. Choose it if pane-based organization and separate documents better match how you want to arrange content.

Tana has a free plan capped at five meetings per month, one calendar, and 50 AI queries. Choose it if those allowances suit your meeting and calendar needs.

Tine is a free option independently built by Martin Koutecký.

Indenta is a free option designed and maintained by one software engineer in Japan.

outl is free, MIT licensed, and has no paid tier.

For broader comparisons, see Outliner Software, Outlining Software, and Note-taking apps.

Verdict

Choose Workflowy if you want one expandable home for notes and tasks, with enough ways to reshape and connect items to keep that structure useful. Its free plan provides a substantial starting set of features, but the monthly node and upload caps make Pro the practical choice for sustained, high-volume use. Look elsewhere if you want distinct document collections or a lower-cost option without those caps.