Bike Outliner vs Cloud Outliner
We give Bike Outliner and Cloud Outliner the same GPA: 2.8 out of 4.0. Bike Outliner grades higher on value for money. Cloud Outliner grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bike Outliner
Fast outliner and structured writing app for Mac
Cloud Outliner
Outliner for iPhone, iPad and Mac with iCloud sync
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABike OutlinerGood | 2.8GPACloud OutlinerGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$29.99 once on the Hog Bay site, with a year of updates, and what you've got keeps working after that. Or $19.99 a year on the Mac App Store. Either way it's well under the $5.99 a month this category typically starts at. Renewing for more updates is $14.99. | BPro is $4.99 on iPhone and iPad and $9.99 on Mac, bought separately, so $14.98 to sync the two. Small money next to the $5.99 a month this category typically starts at. But the listings show no billing period and don't say what Pro adds. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree mode never expires and lets you read, write and edit outlines. That's a real free version. But text wrap, sorting, rich text, row types like headings and task lists, and the focus and typewriter modes are all locked. | BBoth apps are free to download, and ads came out of the free iOS version in 2.8.1. But the store listings don't spell out what free leaves out, so we can't say how far you'd get. Sync between a Mac and a phone needs Pro on each. |
| Features | BIt does outlines and nothing else, and does them well: built to stay fast on very large files, with rich text, headings and task rows, focus and typewriter modes, and links that survive a file being moved. It's minimal on purpose, and the listing shows no sharing or sync of its own. | BIt only does outlines, but it does them fully: drag to reorder, indent, collapse, checkboxes, numbering, filters for checked items, templates, password protection, and export to PDF, OPML and plain text. The listing mentions no images or shared editing, though. |
| Ease of use | BWe have no App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. It's a document app like any other on a Mac: open a file, type, indent. The buying options take a minute, as App Store copies only unlock by subscription. | B4.52 from about 750 App Store ratings, just under our line for an A. A swipe changes a row's indent on the phone, and the Mac app has shortcuts you can change. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only. The site lists no iPhone, iPad, Windows or web version. Files are open, though: its own format is HTML a browser can show, and it reads and writes OPML and plain text. Shortcuts and AppleScript work with a licence. | CiPhone, iPad and Mac, and that's all. No Windows, Android or web version. Sync runs through iCloud. The vendor's site still lists Evernote sync, which the current App Store pages don't mention. |
| Best for | fast, minimal outlining on a Mac | simple nested outlines on Apple devices |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bike Outliner and Cloud Outliner. How we grade
Where they differ
- Bike Outliner starts at $29.99 one-time license, or $19.99 per year on the Mac App Store. Cloud Outliner starts at $4.99 in-app purchase on iPhone and iPad; $9.99 on Mac.
- Only Cloud Outliner lists an iOS app.
- Bike Outliner can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Cloud Outliner also covers templates and tasks.
At a glance
| Bike Outliner | Cloud Outliner | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $29.99 one-time license, or $19.99 per year on the Mac App Store | $4.99 in-app purchase on iPhone and iPad; $9.99 on Mac |
| Free plan | Free mode never expires and can read, write and edit outlines. Rich text, row types, focus and typewriter modes, text wrap, sorting, Shortcuts actions and AppleScript need a license. | Both apps are free to download, with a Pro upgrade sold in-app. The store listings do not say what the free version leaves out; ads were removed from the free iOS version in 2.8.1. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Hog Bay Software | Xwavesoft |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Bike Outliner
- Mac users who want a fast, minimal outliner
- Writers who draft in outline form with focus and typewriter modes
- People who want outlines kept as open HTML, OPML or text files
Cloud Outliner
- Planning projects and lists as nested outlines on Apple devices
- Checklists that are filtered by checked and unchecked items
- Setapp members, since the Mac app is in the catalog
Worth knowing
Bike Outliner
- It is a Mac app only; the site lists no iPhone, iPad, Windows or web version.
- Rich text, row types, focus and typewriter modes, Shortcuts actions and AppleScript are locked in free mode.
- The one-time license covers one year of updates; later updates need a renewal, offered at half price.
- Copies from the Mac App Store or Setapp are unlocked by subscription only, not by the one-time license.
Cloud Outliner
- Apple only: there are apps for iPhone, iPad and Mac, and no Windows, Android or web version.
- The iOS and Mac apps are separate downloads with separate Pro upgrades ($4.99 and $9.99), and each listing says sync with the other platform needs Pro there.
- The App Store listings show the upgrade prices without a billing period and do not list what the free version lacks.
- The vendor's product page still describes Cloud Outliner 2 with Evernote sync, which the current App Store feature lists do not mention.
Key features
Bike Outliner
- Outlining built for speed
- Designed to handle very large outlines and to stay quick at basics such as opening files, scrolling and resizing windows.
- Rich text and row types
- Format text as bold, italic or links, and mark rows as headings, ordered lists, task lists and more. Both are unlocked by a license.
- Distraction-free writing modes
- Full screen, typewriter and focus modes, with live word counts and other text statistics in the status bar. Focus and typewriter modes need a license.
- Open file formats
- The native .bike format is HTML that can be viewed in a web browser, and Bike also reads and writes OPML and plain text files directly.
- Links and navigation
- Deep links into an outline keep working when the file is renamed or moved, and a navigation bar offers back and forward controls and a breadcrumb trail.
- Scripts and Shortcuts
- AppleScript and Shortcuts actions let other applications control Bike and fit it into existing workflows. Both need a license.
Cloud Outliner
- Rich-text outline editor
- Rows can be dragged to reorder, indented, multi-selected, collapsed and expanded, with optional checkboxes, automatic numbering and a note attached to any row.
- Text styling and filters
- Text size, color and style can be changed to highlight important rows, and filters show only the checked or only the unchecked items.
- Document manager with protection
- Outlines live in a multi-level document manager with color tags, password protection, custom templates and a duplicate command.
- Sync across Apple devices
- Outlines sync between iPhone, iPad and Mac through iCloud, and the vendor's site also lists sync with Evernote. Each store listing says sync with the other platform needs Pro there.
- Export and sharing
- Outlines export to PDF, OPML and plain text, plus HTML on the Mac, and OPML files can be imported. They can also be printed or sent by email or messenger.
- Gestures and keyboard shortcuts
- On iPhone and iPad a swipe changes a row's indentation and wireless keyboards get shortcuts. The Mac app has customizable shortcuts, autosave and a full-screen mode.
Plans
Bike Outliner
Free mode$0
Core outlining with no time limit: read, write and edit outlines saved as .bike, OPML or plain text files.
Bike License – Monthly$2.99
per month, Mac App Store subscription
Unlocks all features in the Mac App Store copy for as long as the subscription is active.
Bike License – Yearly$19.99
per year, Mac App Store subscription
The same Mac App Store subscription billed once a year.
One-Time Purchase License$29.99
one-time, includes one year of updates
Sold on the Hog Bay Software site. Unlocks all features; updates released within the year keep working unlocked afterwards.
Cloud Outliner
Free download$0
The iPhone, iPad and Mac apps without the Pro upgrade. The store listings do not spell out the free version's limits.
Unlock Pro Features (iOS)$4.99
in-app purchase; billing period not shown
The Pro upgrade for the iPhone and iPad app on the US App Store. The listing says sync with a Mac requires Cloud Outliner Pro for macOS, sold separately.
Upgrade to Pro (Mac)$9.99
in-app purchase; billing period not shown
The Pro upgrade for the Mac app on the US Mac App Store. The listing says sync with iOS devices requires Cloud Outliner Pro for iOS, sold separately.
Setapp$14.99
per month, through a Setapp membership
The Mac app as part of the Setapp catalog. Setapp's listing prices membership from $14.99 a month, free for 7 days.
Ways to pay less
Bike Outliner
- Other savings
License renewal at 50% off
After the first year, a one-time license can be renewed for another year of updates at half price; the renewal is listed at $14.99 in the vendor's checkout.
- Annual discount
Yearly subscription costs about 44% less
On the Mac App Store the yearly Bike License is $19.99 against $2.99 a month, which works out to about 44% less over twelve months.
Cloud Outliner
No public discounts listed.
