Bike Outliner vs Zavala
We give Bike Outliner a 2.8 GPA and Zavala a 3.4, out of 4.0. Zavala grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money 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
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABike OutlinerGood | 3.4GPAZavalaVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AIt's free. Zavala is open source, there's no paid tier, and its About page says it will be free forever. Paid note apps typically start at about $5.99 a month. |
| 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. | AThe whole app is free on all three devices, with iCloud sync, sharing and encrypted outlines included. There's nothing held back for a paid plan, because there isn't one. |
| 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. | AIt only does outlines, and it does them fully. Links and backlinks between outlines, tags, full-text search, locked and encrypted outlines, live sharing, and OPML, Markdown and HTML in and out. Shortcuts actions and a web clipper too. |
| 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. | BNo App Store rating on record, so B is as high as we go. You get it from the App Store and start typing. The Mac app has real menus and shortcuts, and the iPhone one works by gestures. |
| 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. | CMac, iPhone and iPad, tied together by iCloud and Shortcuts. All Apple. The site lists no Windows, Android or web version, and you can only share with other Zavala users. |
| Best for | fast, minimal outlining on a Mac | a free outliner on Mac, iPhone and iPad |
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 Zavala. 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. Zavala is free.
- Only Zavala lists an iOS app.
- Bike Outliner can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Zavala is open source, according to its own site.
- Zavala also covers linked notes and web clipper.
At a glance
| Bike Outliner | Zavala | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $29.99 one-time license, or $19.99 per year on the Mac App Store | Free |
| 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. | Free on Mac, iPhone and iPad, with no paid tier. The About page says the project is open source and will be free forever. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Hog Bay Software | Vincode, Inc (Maurice Parker) |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | zavala.vincode.io |
| 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
Zavala
- Apple users who want a plain outliner on Mac, iPhone and iPad
- Planning and drafting in nested lists from the keyboard
- Working on an outline together with other iCloud users
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.
Zavala
- Apple platforms only: the site describes it as an outliner for macOS and iOS, with no Windows, Android or web version.
- The current App Store version requires iOS 26.0, iPadOS 26.0 or macOS 26.0 or later.
- Sync and sharing run through iCloud, and collaboration is limited to other Zavala users.
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.
Zavala
- Native outliner on three devices
- The Mac app has menus, keyboard shortcuts and customizable toolbars, the iPhone app uses gestures and context menus, and the iPad app supports multiple and side-by-side windows.
- iCloud sync and realtime sharing
- Outlines sync through iCloud and can be edited offline. An outline shared through iCloud can be worked on in real time with one or more other Zavala users.
- Locked and encrypted outlines
- Individual outlines can be locked and encrypted, and the App Store listing says iCloud sync is encrypted as well.
- Links and backlinks
- A link dialog connects one outline to another, backlinks show which outlines point at the current one, and pasted URLs turn into clickable links.
- Tags, search and Open Quickly
- Outlines take tags that become searches in the sidebar. A full-text search finds outlines, and Open Quickly opens one from part of its name.
- Import, export and Shortcuts
- OPML, Markdown and HTML files can be imported and exported, a web clipper share extension brings in web pages, and Shortcuts actions allow custom automation.
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.
Zavala
Zavala$0
The full app from the App Store for Mac, iPhone and iPad, including iCloud sync, sharing and encrypted outlines.
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.
Zavala
No public discounts listed.
