Dynalist vs OmniOutliner

Dynalist

• People who think in outlines and nested bullet lists
• Mixing notes with dated tasks in the same list
• A free outliner with no cap on items or documents

OmniOutliner

• Writers, students and planners who organize their thinking as outlines
• People who work across a Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro
• Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription

Dynalist

• The free plan allows 5 bookmarks and leaves out file attachments, version history, recurring dates and Google Calendar sync.
• The changelog's most recent major feature entry is dated June 2020, and the site footer carries a 2021 copyright.
• File attachments need Pro and are limited to 50 MB per file.
• The terms of service say a paid account can be cancelled at any time but is not refunded.

OmniOutliner

• It runs on Apple platforms only: the site lists Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro, with no Windows, Android or web version.
• Version 6 requires macOS 15, iOS or iPadOS 26, or visionOS 26; older systems need a previous version from the downloads archive.
• Columns, saved filters, style customization, audio recording and automation need Pro, at $99.99 once or $49.99 a year.
• A perpetual license covers 6.x updates only; later major versions are a paid upgrade, offered at a discount.

Dynalist

Outlines with notes, tags and colors

Content is arranged as nested bullets that can carry a note, tags and a color label, and lists can be sorted, numbered and edited several items at a time.

Dates and checklists

Any list can become a checklist, and items can be given dates and filtered by them. Recurring dates and Google Calendar sync are Pro features.

Cross-linking and backlinks

Items and documents can link to one another, and an option shows the number of links pointing at an item along with its references.

Markdown formatting

Supports bold, italics, code, images, links and LaTeX, typed as Markdown inside any item.

Sharing and public lists

Documents are shared with collaborators under adjustable permissions, or published so visitors can read them without signing up.

Export, version history and backup

Exports to OPML, plain text or formatted text on every plan. Version history and daily backups to Dropbox or Google Drive need Pro.

OmniOutliner

Outlines of unlimited depth

Rows nest to any level, expand and collapse, and reorder by drag and drop. Optional status checkboxes turn an outline into a checklist.

Row notes and attachments

Each row can carry a note of any length, resizable inline images and attached reference files. Pro can also record audio into a document.

Columns and saved filters

Pro documents can hold several columns for pop-up lists, checkboxes, numbers, dates or durations, and filters saved on text, checkbox status or column value.

Templates, themes and styles

Built-in templates and themes adapt to Dark Mode automatically. Pro adds structural and named styles and row numbering for control over appearance.

Import and export

Imports OPML, plain text and RTF, and exports CSV, HTML, OPML, plain text, RTF, Word and PowerPoint, plus Excel with Pro. An OPML mode edits OPML files directly.

Omni Automation and AppleScript

Pro runs cross-platform Omni Automation plug-ins, which can use Apple Intelligence on supported devices, and supports AppleScript on the Mac.

Dynalist

• Free$0

  Unlimited items and documents, internal linking, Markdown, dates, tags, checklists, sharing, export and import, with 5 bookmarks.

• Pro$7.99

  per month, billed annually ($95.88); $9.99 billed monthly

  Adds Google Calendar integration, capture to inbox, recurring dates, unlimited bookmarks, file attachments, version history and daily backups.

OmniOutliner

• v6 Essentials License$24.99

  one-time purchase, includes all 6.x updates

  Core outlining on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro: unlimited levels, checkboxes, row notes, attachments, themes, keyword filtering and Omni Links.

• Annual Subscription$49.99

  per year, renewing automatically

  The latest Pro version on all four Apple platforms, with no charge for major version upgrades while subscribed.

• v6 Pro License$99.99

  one-time purchase, includes all 6.x updates

  Adds columns, saved filters, style customization, audio recording, the section list, batch find and Omni Automation plug-ins.

Dynalist

• Annual discount

  20% off with annual billing

  Pro costs $95.88 a year on annual billing, which works out to $7.99 a month against $9.99 billed monthly. The pricing page labels this 20% off.

• Education

  50% off Pro for students

  Students can request a 50% discount on Dynalist Pro by emailing from a school address. The discount has to be renewed every year.

• Other savings

  Referral credit toward Pro

  Each friend who signs up through an invite link earns $5 of Dynalist Pro credit, which can cover up to half of each payment.

OmniOutliner

• Education

  Education licenses at $14.99 and $59.99

  Students, faculty and staff of accredited, degree-granting institutions can buy OmniOutliner 6 Essentials for $14.99 or Pro for $59.99 in Omni's education store. Subscriptions are excluded.

• Other savings

  Quantity discount of up to 30%

  Each perpetual license beyond the first in the same order takes a further 5% off the whole order, up to 30%. Subscriptions do not qualify.

• Other savings

  Upgrade discounts for existing owners

  Owners of versions 1 to 5 can upgrade to version 6 at about half price: the US App Store lists the upgrade at $12.49 for Essentials and $49.99 for Pro.