Dynalist vs TreeSheets

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

TreeSheets

• Brainstorming and planning that outgrows a flat outline
• People who want structure in two dimensions, not just indentation
• Desktop users who want a small, fast organizer on any major OS

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.

TreeSheets

• Desktop only: builds are offered for Windows, macOS and Linux, and the project lists no mobile or web version.
• Each cell is edited as a single line of text with optional word wrap, so it does not work like a rich text editor.
• The written tutorial on the website is marked as out of date; the current one is a document that opens inside the app.
• Documents are saved as .cts files, so using the data in other software means exporting to XML, HTML or text.

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.

TreeSheets

Grids inside grids

Any cell can hold its own sub-grid, so data nests to any depth while keeping a spreadsheet-like layout of rows and columns.

Shrinking and zooming

Text size is relative to nesting depth, cells can shrink to a pixel per character, and the mouse wheel zooms into a nested grid to make it readable.

Automatic layout

Cells resize to fit their content after every edit, and a column-width setting controls how the text in a cell wraps.

Images in cells

An image can be added to any cell and is stored as part of the document file, then copied to other cells in the sheet.

Import, export and indented text

Documents export to XML, HTML or text and import from XML. Pasting text indented by hierarchy level rebuilds that structure as a tree.

Small footprint

The author reports about 5 MB of memory on Windows 7 with several documents loaded, so it can stay in the system tray.

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.

TreeSheets

• TreeSheets$0

  The full app for Windows, macOS and Linux, with Debian packages, AppImages and a Flatpak for Linux.

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.

TreeSheets

No public discounts listed.