OmniOutliner vs TreeSheets
We give OmniOutliner a 3.0 GPA and TreeSheets a 3.4, out of 4.0. OmniOutliner grades higher on features. TreeSheets grades higher on the free plan 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.
OmniOutliner
Outliner for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro
TreeSheets
Open-source hierarchical spreadsheet for free-form notes and data
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAOmniOutlinerVery good | 3.4GPATreeSheetsVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AEssentials is $24.99 once for all four Apple platforms, with every 6.x update. That's about four months of a typical $5.99 a month plan here. Pro is another matter at $99.99 once or $49.99 a year, and a licence covers version 6 only, with later major versions a discounted upgrade. | AFree and open source under the zlib licence. Every build is a free download from the project's GitHub releases, and there's no paid edition. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. There's a 14-day trial with full features, started by signing in to an Omni Account. After that it's a licence or the yearly subscription. | AThe full app is free on Windows, macOS and Linux, with nothing kept back. |
| Features | AIt's an outliner and it goes all the way: unlimited levels, row notes of any length, inline images, attachments, templates and themes. It exports to Word, PowerPoint, OPML, HTML and CSV. Pro adds columns for dates, numbers and pop-up lists, saved filters, audio recording and Omni Automation plug-ins. | BAny cell can hold its own sub-grid to any depth, and the mouse wheel zooms into nested ones. Cells resize after every edit, images can sit in cells, and pasting indented text rebuilds it as a tree. Clever. But each cell is one line of text, and files are .cts, so other software needs an XML, HTML or text export. |
| Ease of use | BWe have no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is our ceiling. Basic outlining is type, tab, drag. You do need a recent system, though: version 6 wants macOS 15, iOS or iPadOS 26, or visionOS 26. | BNo rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. It's rows and columns, like a spreadsheet. One snag: the written tutorial on the website is marked as out of date, and the current one is a document that opens inside the app. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro, synced through iCloud Drive, with AppleScript on the Mac. One family of devices. The site lists no Windows, Android or web version. | BWindows, macOS and Linux, with Debian packages, AppImages and a Flatpak on Linux. The project lists no mobile or web version. |
| Best for | serious outlining across Apple devices | plans and brainstorms that outgrow a flat outline |
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: OmniOutliner and TreeSheets. How we grade
Where they differ
- OmniOutliner starts at $24.99 one-time license for version 6 (Essentials). TreeSheets is free.
- TreeSheets has a free plan. OmniOutliner does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only OmniOutliner lists an iOS app.
- Only TreeSheets lists Windows and Linux apps.
- OmniOutliner can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- TreeSheets is open source, according to its own site.
- OmniOutliner also covers templates.
At a glance
| OmniOutliner | TreeSheets | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | $24.99 one-time license for version 6 (Essentials) | Free |
| Free plan | None | Free and open source under the zlib license. Every build is a free download from the project's GitHub releases, and there is no paid edition. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial with full features, started by signing in to an Omni Account | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | The Omni Group | Wouter van Oortmerssen |
| Price read from | omnigroup.com | strlen.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
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
Worth knowing
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.
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.
Key features
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.
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.
Plans
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.
TreeSheets
TreeSheets$0
The full app for Windows, macOS and Linux, with Debian packages, AppImages and a Flatpak for Linux.
Ways to pay less
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.
TreeSheets
No public discounts listed.
