TreeSheets vs Workflowy

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

Workflowy

• People who think in outlines and nested lists
• Keeping notes, to-dos and plans in one place
• College faculty and their students, who can get Pro free
• Teams working from a shared outline

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• The written tutorial on the website is marked as out of date; the current one is a document that opens inside the app.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.

Workflowy

• The free Basic plan allows 100 new nodes per month and 100 MB of file uploads; past the limit you are prompted to subscribe.
• Content is organized as one bullet outline, with no separate documents or folders.
• Workflowy describes its API as basic, supporting CRUD operations.
• The optional AI features send prompts and selected content to third-party model providers, named as OpenAI and Anthropic.

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.

Workflowy

Infinitely nested outline

Everything is a bullet that can be indented under another, so the same list works as notes, folders, to-dos and documents without separate files.

Boards, tables and node types

A bullet can be turned into a to-do, heading, paragraph, code block or quote, and a list can be laid out as a kanban-style Board or as a Table.

Tags, dates, links and mirrors

Tags, mentions and date tags filter the outline, links between bullets create backlinks, and mirrors show the same bullet in several places.

Sharing and collaboration

Notes and resources can be shared for real-time collaboration, with comments on bullets and an instant presentation view.

Calendar and quick capture

A Calendar and Timeline lay out dated items, while Quick Add, mobile sharing and Email to Workflowy capture ideas from outside the app.

AI, API and integrations

Optional AI features generate, edit and summarize content. A basic API, Zapier and a Readwise sync connect Workflowy to other apps.

TreeSheets

• TreeSheets$0

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

Workflowy

• BasicFree

  All features, with 100 nodes per month and 100 MB of file uploads.

• Pro$6.99

  per month, billed annually ($8.99 billed monthly)

  All features with unlimited nodes and unlimited uploads.

• Teams$6.99

  per user / month, paid yearly

  Unlimited nodes and file uploads for every member, one-on-one team setup and auto-backup to Dropbox.

TreeSheets

No public discounts listed.

Workflowy

• Annual discount

  About 22% lower price with annual billing

  Pro is $6.99 per month when billed annually against $8.99 per month on monthly billing.

• Education

  Free Pro for faculty and their students

  College and university faculty can apply for free Pro for life and invite their students, who get Pro at no cost for the duration of their studies.

• Nonprofit

  50% non-profit discount on Pro

  The pricing FAQ lists a 50% non-profit discount on Pro subscriptions, arranged by emailing Workflowy.