WorkFlowy icon

WorkFlowy

WorkFlowy is a powerful yet simple organizational tool that leverages an infinite nested list structure. It helps users capture, organize, and manage ideas, notes, tasks, and projects through outlining and collaboration, making complex information digestible and actionable. Developed by WorkFlowy, Inc

License: Freemium
Available for:
Online Android iPhone Android Tablet iPad

About WorkFlowy

WorkFlowy is built around a single, foundational concept: an infinitely nested list. This simple yet profound structure allows users to break down complex information into manageable pieces, creating a flexible system for everything from brainstorming and note-taking to task management and project planning.

At its core, WorkFlowy provides a clean, uncluttered interface where you can simply start typing. Each line is a 'bullet' that can be expanded or collapsed, and new bullets can be indented infinitely to create sub-points. This hierarchical approach naturally organizes information, making it easy to see the big picture or drill down into specific details.

Key functionalities include:
  • Capturing and Organizing: Quickly jot down thoughts, ideas, or tasks. The outline structure instantly organizes them logically.
  • Task Management: Turn any bullet into a task by adding tags like #todo or marking it as complete.
  • Collaboration: Share specific bullets or entire lists with others, enabling real-time co-editing and shared information spaces.
  • Search and Filtering: Easily find anything using robust full-text search and filter options based on tags or other criteria.
  • Portability: Access your WorkFlowy lists from anywhere via web, desktop, or mobile apps, with seamless cloud synchronization.
The power of WorkFlowy lies in its simplicity and adaptability. Unlike rigid software with predefined structures, WorkFlowy conforms to your way of thinking. Whether you're outlining an essay, managing a team's projects, keeping a daily journal, or planning an event, the flexible list format adapts to your needs. The ability to zoom in on any bullet transforms it into a new, focused workspace, preventing overwhelm and enabling concentration on the current task or idea.

WorkFlowy supports basic formatting like bold and italics, as well as the ability to link between bullets, creating a wiki-like interconnectedness within your notes. Hashtags and @mentions allow for easy tagging and assigning of tasks or notes. Data can be easily exported in formats like OPML, ensuring you have control over your information. The tool's minimalist design minimizes distractions, allowing users to focus purely on the content and organization of their thoughts.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Extremely fast and easy information capture and organization.
  • Infinitely flexible hierarchical structure adapts to any topic or workflow.
  • Minimalist design promotes focus and reduces distractions.
  • Seamless cloud sync across all devices.
  • Effective real-time collaboration for shared lists.

Cons

  • Pure outline structure may not suit users needing database or visual project management views.
  • Limited rich text formatting compared to dedicated document editors.
  • Lack of native, dedicated visual features like Kanban boards.
  • Heavy reliance on tags and filtering for advanced organization.

What Makes WorkFlowy Stand Out

Infinitely Adaptable Structure

The simple infinite list structure molds to virtually any organizational need, from simple notes to complex project plans.

Focus Through Zooming

Zooming into any bullet transforms it into a new workspace view, allowing deep focus on specific items without losing context of the whole.

Pure Simplicity for Effective Organization

Despite its power, WorkFlowy maintains a remarkably simple user interface, making it easy to learn and fast to use.

What can WorkFlowy do?

Review

WorkFlowy presents itself as a deceptively simple, yet profoundly powerful organizational tool built on the singular concept of the infinite nested list. This core design principle is both its strength and occasionally, a point of necessary adaptation for users accustomed to more structured applications.

Core Concept and User Experience:
The user interface is exceptionally clean and minimalist. Upon opening, you are greeted with effectively a blank page and a single bullet point. This Spartan design is intentional, aimed at minimizing distraction and encouraging direct capture of thoughts and information. The primary method of interaction is typing and using simple indentation (via Tab key) to create hierarchical relationships. This intuitive approach makes getting started very easy. The concept of 'zooming' into a bullet is a key interaction pattern, where selecting a bullet makes it the new root of your view, hiding everything else above it. This allows for focused work on specific sections of your outline without losing the ability to navigate back up the hierarchy easily.

Functionality and Features:
Beneath the minimalist surface, WorkFlowy offers a range of features that enhance its utility. The infinite nesting is the cornerstone, allowing for incredibly detailed breakdown of topics, projects, or ideas. Task management is seamlessly integrated; adding a #todo tag (or similar) and marking items complete keeps your to-do list within your knowledge structure. Full-text search is robust and fast, essential for navigating potentially vast amounts of information accumulated over time. Tagging and mentions further aid in categorization and filtering.

Collaboration features allow shared lists, enabling teams or individuals to work together on outlines, notes, or projects in real-time. This is integrated smoothly, showing collaborators' presence and edits. Cloud sync ensures data is always up-to-date across all devices, which is crucial for a tool intended for ubiquitous capture and access. The web clipper is a useful addition for pulling web content into your outlines for later reference or integration into notes.

Export and import options (primarily OPML) provide a degree of data portability, which is important for users concerned about vendor lock-in. While OPML is standard for outliners, support for other formats might be beneficial for broader compatibility. Markdown support offers basic text formatting, sufficient for most outlining needs without overcomplicating the interface.

Strengths:
  • Unmatched Flexibility: The infinite outline adapts to virtually any workflow or information structure. It doesn't impose a rigid system on the user.
  • Minimalist Focus: The clean interface promotes concentration and reduces cognitive overhead, making it excellent for divergent thinking and brainstorming.
  • Speed of Capture: It's incredibly fast to jot down ideas and organize them on the fly.
  • Effective Zooming: The ability to focus on any part of the outline is powerful for managing complexity and staying focused on the current task.
  • Real-time Collaboration: Simple and effective for shared outlines and lists.

Weaknesses:
  • Reliance on Outline Structure: Users accustomed to databases, kanban boards (native, dedicated boards), or other visual paradigms might find the pure list format limiting for certain types of information or project management styles. While workarounds exist using tags and filtering, they aren't native visual representations.
  • Limited Rich Formatting: Markdown is present, but it's basic. Users needing extensive rich text editing, embedding media, or complex document creation may find it insufficient.
  • Visual Limitations: Compared to tools offering multiple views (kanban, calendar, gallery), WorkFlowy primarily offers variations of the list view. This can make visualizing certain types of information, like deadlines on a calendar, less intuitive.
  • Discoverability of Advanced Features: Some more advanced features or power-user tips might not be immediately obvious within the minimalist interface and require consulting documentation.

Overall, WorkFlowy excels as a tool for capturing, organizing, and developing ideas and tasks linearly and hierarchically. Its simplicity is its genius, allowing users to mold it to their thinking process rather than the other way around. It is particularly strong for notetaking, brainstorming, outlining documents, and managing personal or small-team task lists where a flexible, fluid structure is preferred over rigorous database-like organization. Users seeking a simple, fast, and infinitely flexible way to manage information through outlining will likely find WorkFlowy to be an invaluable tool. However, those requiring extensive visual project management features (like dedicated Kanban boards with drag-and-drop visualization), rich document creation capabilities, or complex database functionalities might need to supplement WorkFlowy with other tools or find its pure outline approach insufficient.

Similar Software

Any.do
Any.do

Any.do is a life management and productivity app.

Asana
Asana

Asana is a web and mobile application designed to help teams track their work.

buckets.co
buckets.co

buckets.co helps you optimize workflows & collaboration at all levels.

Checkvist
Checkvist

Checkvist helps you create and share online outlines, project plans, online checklists, and task lists.

Conqu
Conqu

Conqu is a simple yet powerful task management tool designed to help you conquer your inbox and get things done.

Dynalist
Dynalist

Dynalist lets you organize your ideas and tasks in simple lists.

fluxday
fluxday

fluxday is a user-friendly, free & opensource task & productivity management tool for growing startups.

germ.io
germ.io

germ lets your team capture every great idea, brainstorm and turn them into actionable project plans.

Gingko
Gingko

Gingko lets you shape your ideas with lists, outlines and cards, all in the same clean interface.

Go For It
Go For It

Go For It is a simple and stylish productivity app, featuring a to-do list, merged with a timer that keeps your focus on the current task.

Goalton.com
Goalton.com

Goalton.com is a platform for goal and task management.

Google Tasks
Google Tasks

Google Tasks is the task list functionality provided by Google.

Screenshots

Help others by voting if you like this software.

Compare with Similar Apps

Select any similar app below to compare it with WorkFlowy side by side.

Compare features, pricing, and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features, pricing, and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features, pricing, and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features, pricing, and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features, pricing, and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features, pricing, and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features, pricing, and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features, pricing, and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features, pricing, and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features, pricing, and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features, pricing, and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features, pricing, and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare