outl vs Tine
outl
outl.app
Tine
tine.pageSide by side
| Figure | outl | Tine |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Outliner Software | 8.5 (#8) | 7.6 (#23) |
| Maker | The project is maintained by Thiago Avelino and states that there is no company behind outl. | The site credits Martin Koutecký and describes Tine as independently built; it does not state a headquarters or founding date. |
| Mobile availability | iOS is distributed through public TestFlight and Android through sideloaded APK beta releases rather than official app stores. | Android builds are available through F-Droid or GitHub, while iPhone and iPad access is a public TestFlight beta with no App Store listing yet. |
| Privacy | 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. | Tine says it has no account, advertising, analytics, or tracking, and does not upload graph or note contents to Tine servers. |
| Product | outl is a local-first outliner and bullet-point note-taking app that stores plain Markdown on disk. | Tine is a fast, local outliner that reads and writes the same Markdown files as Logseq. |
| Support | Users are directed to Discord for questions and GitHub issues for bugs. | Questions and ideas go through GitHub Discussions, while bugs and feature requests go through GitHub Issues. |
Plans
In their own words
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.
Tine
Tine is a free, local outliner that works with Markdown files in the same on-disk format as Logseq, so users can open the same graph in either app without importing or exporting. It supports split panes, separate tabs and histories, and layouts that remain after a restart. Search can use filters, and a visual query editor keeps in sync with query text while showing results as a list, table, or board. Sheets can turn bullets and their children into grids, typed-field tables, or boards, with formulas, filters, aggregates, grouping, and CSV or TSV import. Tine can publish graph pages as a static site with search, tabs, split view, and navigation, without requiring a server. It has no built-in sync; users need to bring a service such as Syncthing, Dropbox, or git. The maker says graph and note contents are not uploaded to Tine servers. Plugins run in a capability-limited sandbox, but the plugin API is experimental and does not support Logseq or Obsidian plugins. Android builds are available through F-Droid or GitHub; iPhone and iPad access is a public TestFlight beta with no App Store listing yet.