Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Outliner Software

Legend vs outl

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Legend #4 in Outliner Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Legend
outl #8 in Outliner Software 8.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit outl

Legend leads on 1 check, outl on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreLegend · 8.8/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresLegend · 4 of 4

Legend scores higher on our rubric for outliner software: 8.8 against 8.3 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #8.

Legend offers real-time collaboration; outl doesn't.

Legend is the better fit for offline-first collaborative outlining. outl is the better fit for free private Markdown outliners.

  • Legend fits best

    Offline-first collaborative outlining

  • outl fits best

    Free private Markdown outliners

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Legend 8.8/10 Visit ↗ outl 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.8 8.3
Ranking #4 in Outliner Software #8 in Outliner Software
Best for Offline-first collaborative outlining Free private Markdown outliners
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price $5/mo Free
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Mobile Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support Email, Community, Docs Community, Docs
Integrations 3 integrations 3 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market Solo, Small business
Features Legend 4/4 · outl 3/4
Offline access ✓ ✓
Markdown support ✓ ✓
Real-time collaboration ✓ (best) —
Backlinks ✓ ✓
Specs
App platforms web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android macOS, Linux, Windows, iOS, Android
Export formats HTML, Plain Text, Markdown, OPML, JSON Markdown, JSON, Hugo
Navigation modes zooming, filtering, Outline, List, Calendar, Group by Normal, Insert, Visual, collapse/fold, workspace search, fuzzy switcher, command palette
Our review
Pros
  • Offline-first editing with automatic synchronization
  • Hierarchical navigation with backlinks, mirrors, filters, and zooming
  • Available on web, desktop, and mobile platforms
  • Free, MIT-licensed, and requires no account
  • Encrypted peer-to-peer sync across desktop and mobile platforms
  • Imports, exports, backlinks, and MCP connections for AI tools
Cons
  • Advanced features are divided across paid plans
  • The $399 Lifetime plan requires a large one-time payment
  • Its broad workspace may be more than simple outlining requires
  • Pre-1.0 software with several beta clients
  • Windows desktop app is still in progress
  • No collaboration features
Our verdict

Legend is an outliner and productivity workspace for organizing documents, notes, tasks, projects, emails, files, and calendars. It suits people who want hierarchical notes with deeper navigation than a basic document editor, including…

Read the review →

outl is a local-first outliner for people who organize notes as nested, movable blocks and want Markdown files stored on their own devices. It supports offline editing across macOS, Linux, Windows, iOS, and Android, with a terminal…

Read the review →
  1. LegendOutliner Software 8.8Free plan
  2. outlOutliner Software 8.3Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Legend — where it wins

    • Offline-first editing with automatic synchronization
    • Hierarchical navigation with backlinks, mirrors, filters, and zooming
    • Available on web, desktop, and mobile platforms

    Where it doesn't

    • Advanced features are divided across paid plans
    • The $399 Lifetime plan requires a large one-time payment
    • Its broad workspace may be more than simple outlining requires
  • outl — where it wins

    • Free, MIT-licensed, and requires no account
    • Encrypted peer-to-peer sync across desktop and mobile platforms
    • Imports, exports, backlinks, and MCP connections for AI tools

    Where it doesn't

    • Pre-1.0 software with several beta clients
    • Windows desktop app is still in progress
    • No collaboration features
  • Legend8.8/10 · Free plan

    A broad, offline-first outliner with collaboration, views, backlinks, and cross-platform apps.

    Visit LegendFull verdict →
  • outl8.3/10 · Free plan

    A free, private Markdown outliner with encrypted sync, backlinks, and AI-tool connections.

    Visit outlFull verdict →

More comparisons

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update