Dynalist vs Zavala
Dynalist
dynalist.ioZavala
zavala.vincode.ioSide by side
| Figure | Dynalist | Zavala |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $7.99/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Spec score · Outliner Software | 9.3 (#1) | 7.2 (#28) |
| Spec score · Outlining Software | 9.3 (#1) | 7.2 (#19) |
| Collaboration | Documents support collaborative access with configurable permissions and public links that visitors can view without accounts. | Users can share outlines through iCloud to collaborate in real time with other Zavala users. |
| Security | Dynalist says passwords are encrypted, stored data has physical/electronic/procedural safeguards, and transmissions use SSL encryption. | Locked outlines encrypt their rows and images on disk and during iCloud sync using AES-GCM with a 256-bit key; titles, tags, and some metadata are not encrypted. |
| Support | The Free plan includes community support, while Pro includes priority email support. | The maker asks users to report bugs through Zavala's Provide Feedback option and says support interactions are retained for reference. |
Plans
In their own words
Dynalist
Dynalist is an outlining app for capturing ideas and developing them into plans, projects, brainstorms, or notes. Users can nest outline items and documents without a stated depth limit, turn lists into checklists, and add dates that can be filtered by date and time. Tags, sorting, and links between items help organize content; search, flat search, item finder, bookmarks, and folding provide navigation options. Dynalist supports Markdown, backlinks, and real-time collaboration, and exports content as formatted HTML, plain text, or OPML. File attachments can be up to 50 MB. Offline work is available through the desktop app. The Free plan costs nothing and includes unlimited items and documents, five bookmarks, and community support. Pro adds unlimited bookmarks, Google Calendar integration, daily backups to Dropbox or Google Drive, and priority email support. The pricing note lists a 14-day trial and an annual starting rate of $7.99/user/mo; Pro is also listed at $9.99 a month billed monthly. Dynalist runs on web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.
Zavala
Zavala is a free, open-source outliner for arranging information in related hierarchical rows. Its outlines support note taking, task lists, brainstorming, project planning, project management, and documentation. The app works offline and can sync through iCloud, which requires iCloud Drive setup; outlines can also be shared through iCloud for real-time collaboration with other Zavala users. It imports and exports OPML, Markdown, and HTML, can print outlines, and lists PDF among its export formats. A share extension downloads a web page and attempts to convert it into an editable outline, with results depending on that page’s structure. Apple Shortcuts actions support creating, finding, editing, exporting, and manipulating outlines and rows. Locked outlines encrypt rows and images on disk and during iCloud sync with AES-GCM and a 256-bit key, but titles, tags, and some metadata are not encrypted. Zavala runs on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS; current listings require version 26 or later.