Indenta vs outl
Indenta
indenta.app
outl
outl.appSide by side
| Figure | Indenta | outl |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Outliner Software | 8.7 (#4) | 8.5 (#8) |
| Maker | Indenta is designed, built, and maintained by one software engineer in Japan as a personal project. | The project is maintained by Thiago Avelino and states that there is no company behind outl. |
| Offline use | The installed Progressive Web App works fully offline. | Notes can be edited without a network connection, and devices on the same Wi-Fi can sync directly without internet access. |
| Privacy | Indenta says it does not run analytics or track app use; its site and, in some places, the app may show third-party ads. | The project says it collects no note data, operates no backend, and has no account, sign-in, advertising, crash-reporting, or third-party analytics SDK in the apps. |
| Self-hosting | The site says it is delivered as static files with no application server or user database, but it does not publish a self-hosting package or instructions. | An optional Docker-based always-on peer can run on hardware the user controls and stores a full replica. |
| Support | Support is provided through a free Discord community where the solo developer answers directly, usually within a few days; email is slower. | Users are directed to Discord for questions and GitHub issues for bugs. |
| What it does | Indenta is a free outliner note app that organizes notes as nested outlines with Markdown, backlinks, tags and tasks. | outl is a local-first Markdown outliner and daily-journal application whose tree data is synchronized between devices. |
Plans
In their own words
Indenta
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.
outl
outl is a free, local-first outliner and bullet-point note app that stores plain Markdown files on disk. Its nested blocks, wiki-style links, backlinks, tags, and daily journal support structured note-taking. Stable block IDs and metadata are kept in sidecar files rather than the Markdown notes. Notes can be edited offline, and devices on the same Wi-Fi can sync directly without internet; device syncing uses peer-to-peer end-to-end encryption and does not require an account or cloud. Markdown code blocks can run Python, JavaScript, Lua, and Rust, with Lisp available behind a build flag. An MCP server lets compatible hosts including Claude, Cursor, Zed, and ChatGPT read and write local notes. Native desktop builds are listed for macOS, Linux, and Windows, alongside iOS TestFlight and Android APK beta builds. The product is pre-1.0, and the download page describes builds as public beta. The macOS desktop DMG is currently unsigned. An optional Docker deployment can run an always-on peer with a full replica of notes. Export formats include Markdown, JSON, and Hugo; navigation includes search, a fuzzy switcher, and a command palette.