Switching from Tana

Move from Tana to a SpacebarX outline you control

You do not need a schema for every idea. SpacebarX gives plans, notes and next actions one fast, private home—without workspace limits, AI-credit counters or a cloud account holding the original copy of your work.

Start with one project · Keep your Tana workspace unchanged · No card required

Keep the structure. Lose the overhead.

Tana is built for turning notes into structured objects. SpacebarX is built for moving real work forward in a clear hierarchy. When the schema is getting in the way, a focused outline is often the faster system.

This page refers to Tana Outliner, reviewed August 2026 against its pricing, its views, its AI information. Product details can change — check Tana Outliner’s current pages before you decide.
What changes when you switchSpacebarXTana Outliner today
Where your work livesYes: On your device. Optional sync uses your own Google Drive or Dropbox—not a SpacebarX server.A cloud workspace held in Tana.
Working offlineYes: Create, edit and search offline, including in the browser.Offline behaviour was not established from the reviewed public pages.
How much you can keepYes: No item, document or folder cap. Grow one system without a workspace ceiling.Free plan includes workspace and storage limits.
How you organiseYes: A clear tree first. Structure comes from where an item belongs, not from a schema you have to maintain.Supertags add types, fields and structured objects.
How you find and move workYes: Keyboard-first workflow. Search, jump, zoom and recurring tasks keep active work moving.Live searches and dashboards are available.
How you use AIYes: Bring your own provider key. Choose the model provider and pay that provider directly.AI is bundled as plan-based credits.
AI cost controlYes: No SpacebarX credit meter. Your model usage is visible in the account you already use.Credits vary by plan and top-up rules.
Getting your work outYes: OPML, JSON backup and more. Keep a portable outline you can take with you.Markdown and JSON export are available.
How you buyYes: Monthly, yearly or lifetime Pro options.Subscription plans.

Spend less time designing the system

Structure

Let a note stay a note

In SpacebarX, an item does not need to become a typed object before it becomes useful. Put it in the right branch, add a date or checkbox when you need one, and keep moving. Your structure stays visible instead of hiding behind fields and schemas.

A date and a checkbox are the only structure most items ever need.
Ownership

Keep the plan on your device

The original SpacebarX outline lives on your machine. Optional sync copies it through a Google Drive or Dropbox account you already own, so your personal work is not dependent on a cloud workspace to exist.

Your device holds the original; your own cloud account carries it to the next one.
AI

Use AI without a second credit economy

Bring the OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, OpenRouter or Grok key you already use. SpacebarX sends the request from your browser to that provider, with no proxy, usage meter or changing exchange rate between credits and tokens.

⌘⇧A, answered by the provider whose key you supplied — the request never passes through us.
Views

Make one outline work harder

Keep your plan in an outline, then use Today to focus on what is next, Board to move work forward, Table to review it and Mind map to see the shape. Every view reads the same tree—nothing needs to be rebuilt as a dashboard.

See how SpacebarX views work

The same branch, read as columns. Move a card and the outline moves with it.

Keep Tana if the schema is the work

Tana remains the better fit if Supertags and fields, live-search dashboards, dynamic progress, voice memos, meeting transcription, bundled AI credits or native desktop and mobile apps are central to your workflow. SpacebarX does not replace a typed workspace or meeting-capture system. It gives your plans, notes and next actions a simpler, private place to live.

Move one Tana project first

This is a conversion, not a workspace transfer. Start with a project that is already a clear hierarchy, convert it to OPML, import it into SpacebarX, and test it with real work. Your Tana workspace stays unchanged while you decide.

  1. Choose a hierarchy-shaped project

    Start with a plan, outline or project tree—not a dashboard built around Supertags.

  2. Convert it to OPML

    Export from Tana and convert the structure to an OPML file that SpacebarX can import.

  3. Run it in SpacebarX

    Work from the outline, keyboard shortcuts and Today view for a week before deciding what else belongs here.

What can transfer

Node text, hierarchy, headings and checkboxes can transfer when the conversion includes them. Daily-note content becomes ordinary outline items.

What remains in Tana

Supertags, fields and their values, @-references, live searches, dashboards, views, audio, transcripts and attachments do not transfer. Keep the Tana workspace as the source for those materials.

The safe approach

Move work that was always a project tree. Keep typed databases and meeting workflows in Tana. If you miss fields by day three, you have learned something useful without putting the original workspace at risk.

Learn how OPML import works

Questions before you switch

Will my Supertags and fields survive an import into SpacebarX?
No. SpacebarX uses a simple outline rather than typed objects. Item text and hierarchy can transfer, but Supertags, fields and their values do not.
Can I use the OpenAI key I already pay for instead of buying credits?
Yes. SpacebarX Pro supports your own keys for Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, OpenRouter and Grok. Your usage is billed by the provider you choose.
Can I try SpacebarX without changing my Tana workspace?
Yes. Convert and import one project as a copy. Keep the Tana workspace unchanged while you test whether a focused tree fits the work better.

Convert one Tana project. See how focused work feels.

Keep your workspace exactly as it is. Bring one active project into SpacebarX and see what changes when your structure, next action and data ownership live in one clear outline.