outl vs Zavala
outl
outl.appZavala
zavala.vincode.ioSide by side
| Figure | outl | Zavala |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Outliner Software | 8.5 (#8) | 7.2 (#28) |
| Spec score · Outlining Software | 8.5 (#7) | 7.2 (#19) |
| Maker | The project is maintained by Thiago Avelino and states that there is no company behind outl. | The About page identifies Maurice Parker as Zavala's author. |
| Outlining | The product provides block-level outlining, indentation, folding, and Vim-style navigation. | Outlines can be used for note taking, task lists, brainstorming, project planning, project management, and documentation. |
| 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. | The maker's privacy policy says data collected is not shared with other entities except the third-party services it describes and legally required disclosures. |
| Product | outl is a local-first outliner and bullet-point note-taking app that stores plain Markdown on disk. | Zavala is a simple outliner for structuring information into related hierarchical rows. |
| Support | Users are directed to Discord for questions and GitHub issues for bugs. | 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
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.
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.