Workflowy alternative
A Workflowy alternative that keeps your outline yours
You already know the power of a good outline. SpacebarX gives it a more private, flexible and durable home: your data stays on your device, your outline can grow without a monthly node allowance, and you can work at full keyboard speed.
Import OPML in minutes · Keep your Workflowy account while you test · No card required
Keep the outlining. Lose the limits.
SpacebarX keeps the speed and simplicity that make outlining useful, then gives your work more room to grow, more ways to use it, and more control over where it lives.
| What changes when you switch | SpacebarX | Workflowy today |
|---|---|---|
| Where your outline lives | Yes: On your device. Optional sync uses your own Google Drive or Dropbox—never a SpacebarX server. | Account-hosted and synced through Workflowy. |
| How much you can add | Yes: No monthly node cap. Keep capturing, planning and growing without a usage allowance. | Basic includes a monthly new-node allowance. |
| How you work | Yes: Keyboard-first and remappable. Make the shortcuts fit the way you think. | Keyboard shortcuts are available. |
| How you see the work | Yes: One outline, multiple views. Outline, Today and Search are free; Board, Table and Mind map are available with Pro. | Outline, board and table views are available. |
| How portable it is | Yes: OPML export plus JSON backup. Keep a complete copy you control. | OPML and other export formats are available. |
| How you use AI | Yes: Use your own provider key. Requests go from your browser to the provider you choose. | Built-in AI is available. |
| How you buy | Yes: Free plan with no monthly item limit, plus monthly, yearly and lifetime Pro options. | Subscription plans; feature access varies by plan. |
Your outline becomes a system you control
Your work stays private by design
In SpacebarX, the original outline is on your device. When you choose to sync, it moves through a cloud account you already own. Your notes do not have to live in a product account to stay available across your devices.
Capture as much as your work demands
Research days, planning sessions and long meetings create a lot of ideas at once. SpacebarX does not put a monthly cap on the items you create, so the system keeps up when your work comes in bursts.
Make the keyboard your workspace
Move, zoom, capture, date and organise without breaking your flow. SpacebarX is built around keyboard work, and you can remap shortcuts when your muscle memory needs something different.
See the same outline in the right shape
Keep your structure in one place, then change the view when the question changes. Use Today to focus on what is due, Board to move work forward, Table to review details, and Mind map to see the shape of a branch.
When staying with Workflowy may make sense
Workflowy is a strong fit if native desktop and mobile apps are essential to you today, or if you want the simplest possible account-based setup with no file or sync choices to manage. SpacebarX is currently a browser app that can be installed as a PWA. If owning your data, removing the node allowance and building a keyboard-first system matter more, SpacebarX is the stronger next step.
Bring your Workflowy outline with you
The move starts with a file, not a risky account transfer. Export one branch from Workflowy, import it into SpacebarX, and test it alongside your existing account before moving anything else.
Export from Workflowy
Export a branch or your full account as an OPML file. Your Workflowy data stays unchanged.
Import into SpacebarX
Import the OPML file and check a branch you know well.
Make the outline yours
Keep organising with SpacebarX shortcuts, views and backups. Move the rest only when you are ready.
What imports cleanly
Item text, notes, checkboxes, checked state, hierarchy and sibling order all transfer through OPML.
What you may need to rebuild
Due dates, mirror relationships, styling, colours, numbered-list settings and collapsed state are not part of OPML. Keep your Workflowy account until you have checked your imported outline.
Questions before you switch
Will my Workflowy mirrors survive the import?
Can I try SpacebarX without deleting Workflowy?
Can I use SpacebarX on my phone?
Bring one Workflowy branch over
Start with real work, not a demo. Export one OPML branch, import it into SpacebarX, and feel the difference of an outline that is fast, flexible and yours.