CrossLine vs Indenta

CrossLine is a free, open-source outliner for Windows, Linux, and macOS. It arranges text as parent, child, and subtopic nodes that can be collapsed or expanded, and supports cross-links and Ted Nelson’s transclusion concept. CrossLine also works as a full-text database with a built-in search engine; Lucene can be added as an optional alternative when building the application. Navigation includes search, history, and back/forward controls, with backlinks supported. HTML and CLDX are listed export formats. Precompiled downloads cover Windows and Linux in x86 and x64 versions, plus Mac x64 and M1. The compressed executable can be unpacked and run without installation or special privileges. The README says the Windows build runs on Windows 7 without a separate Microsoft runtime. On Mac, startup requires the context menu’s open command. The project links to a demo repository, provides source-build instructions using LeanQt, and directs support questions to GitHub issues or email. Licenses listed are GPL-2.0 and GPL-3.0.

Indenta is a free outliner note app for structured notes with Markdown, backlinks, tags, and tasks. Notes are trees of nestable, collapsible lines that can be rearranged or explored by zooming into a branch. Wiki-links, automatic backlinks, saved searches, tags, and date-based search help organize notes. Any line can become a task, and a task view gathers open tasks across notes; the journal stores each day as a branch in one note. Notes stay in the browser's IndexedDB on the user's device, and the installed Progressive Web App works offline. Users can export notes as Markdown files in a ZIP and import an Indenta ZIP or individual Markdown files. Optional sync can transfer notes directly between devices through end-to-end encrypted WebRTC, or use Google Drive. Indenta runs in a browser and can be installed with Chrome or Edge, or added to an iOS home screen through Safari. It has no paid tiers or stated feature or device limits.