Writing is a skill that is easy to adopt but difficult to master. Even very talented writers have to practice a lot and research the topic they intend to cover in great detail. When working on a longer text, it can be daunting to keep all the facts in memory so it’s prudent to use a tool that allows the writer to stay on the same course without deviating too much from the plan.

This is where outliner software can be a valuable asset for people who write on a regular basis. Tools of this kind are designed to give the writer access to all the information he needs at all times, essentially serving as reminders and scrapbooks to test ideas. Smart writers use such tools to shape the narrative, make the details more consistent, and generally improve the plot as well as the execution. Students working on a term paper or research project can also benefit a great deal from outlining software.

This article will recommend some viable options for both of those groups and discuss some of the unique advantages and weak spots of numerous outliner tools.

What is Outlining in Writing and Why Are Outlining Tools Needed?

A text that consists of many pages needs to be structured in advance, and its content presented in the right order and within the appropriate sections. Much like in architecture, creation starts with a blueprint which is then gradually developed until it reaches its final form. The initial phase of this process is known as outlining and it carries a huge weight in terms of technical quality of the work.

Outlining can be performed in Microsoft Word or any note-taking application with decent success, but using a specialized tool brings certain benefits. Students or writers who are frequently engaged in the complex project should consider installing outliner software and calling upon it whenever they want to make sense of an idea. Apps of this kind allow the author to control the timelines better, incorporate new bits of information into the existing material without creating contradictions, and produce more coherent and logical text.

List of Best Outliner Tools for Students

Taking into account the unique needs of learners, we compiled a list of best outliner apps for students that perform very well in the educational context and provide crucial assistance with acquiring new knowledge and earning good grades.

Dynalist

Most students are seeking outliner tools that are both user-friendly and feature-rich, which is a very good description of Dynalist. Capturing and shaping your thoughts with this app feels very natural, and you can always add more information as you learn new things. Since it contains productivity features as well, Dynalist also improves the chances the project will be completed in time.

Core features:

• Easily converts any lists into an actionable to-do list
• Users can easily find, group, bookmark, or cross-link documents as they see fit
• Color coding and Markdown tools help with organizing content
• Collaborative features allow group of students to share data and work on the same files

Drawbacks:

• Notification system could be made more consistent
• Copying and pasting of documents is not entirely intuitive

Pricing: Free plan is available, Pro plan costs $7.99 per month

Reviews:

• G2: 4.9 (4 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7 (37 reviews)

Taskade

Getting things done is much easier when you can optimize your time and focus on the most important tasks first. Taskade is an outliner tool with strong time management and productivity features that can help students achieve more without investing additional hours. It’s a very flexible and customizable tool that works on almost any hardware platform and doesn’t require too much computing power.

Core features:

• Creative app that lets users map their projects and break them down into tasks
• Multiple users can collaboratively work on a document at the same time
• Tasks can be visualized and organized in many different ways
• Screen sharing and video conferencing features are useful for study groups

Drawbacks:

• This app may be too complex if you only need a simple outliner
• Calendar integrations are too limited

Pricing: Forever free plan is available, Unlimited plan costs $5 per month for each user

Reviews:

• G2: 4.7 (23 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7 (38 reviews)

Workflowy

With a smooth-flowing process in place that never gets stuck on any individual task, students can complete more ambitious projects and research papers easily. Workflowy is a web-based solution that can be accessed from any location with a unique username and password, and is frequently used in the education sector due to its combination of accessibility and affordability.

Core features:

• Simple, web-based program for managing tasks and organizing documents
• Creating notes or outlines is very easy with this software
• Plain text can be automatically converted into bullet points
• Lists and documents can be shared with others via private URL

Drawbacks:

• It’s necessary to make an account to access the website and use the tool
• The app doesn’t allow the dragging and dropping of elements

Pricing: completely free

Reviews:

• G2: 4.4 (21 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.8 (5 reviews)

Checkvist

Smart tools like Checkvist can provide enterprising students with an edge over their colleagues and give them a chance to impress their mentors. This outliner tool can be used in online or offline mode, allowing the user to keep working on his project regardless of the current location. Its interface is very keyboard-centric, which facilitates faster work.

Core features:

• Flexible app for creating, editing and sharing unlimited lists, notes, outlines, and documents
• Smart completion and markdown formatting empower the users to complete ambitious projects
• Excellent search function with advanced filters and syntax operators
• Tags and due dates can be used for sorting and discovering documents

Drawbacks:

• There is no library of project templates
• Working on multiple lists at once can be somewhat impractical

Pricing: Free plan is offered, Pro plan costs $3.9 per user monthly

Reviews:

• G2: 4.2 (3 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.9 (52 reviews)

Roam

Designed to unleash creativity and support innovative research endeavors, this app is absolutely beloved in the academic community. It combines great visualization tools with productivity features and allows users to organize knowledge in a way that leads to shared benefits. Roam is suitable for individual or group use and really shines on longer projects that require consistency and coordination.

Core features:

• Cloud-based app for note-taking, file sharing, and other research-related tasks
• Multiple notes can be linked based on content, creating topical knowledge bases
• Shared workspace with overlapping knowledge hierarchies created by different users
• Full-text search is enabled, making document discovery possible based on limited information

Drawbacks:

• The graphic interface is too simplistic
• This app may be too expensive for some students

Pricing: Free trial is available, the full version costs $15 per month

Reviews:

• G2: no reviews
• Capterra: 4.5 (13 reviews)

List of Best Outliner Tools for Writers

Writers regularly have to deal with a large volume of text, including the source material and their own work. They need advanced outliner tools that let them plan ahead and shape the content in a format that suits their purpose. Here are some of the best outliner apps for writers that meet the aforementioned criteria:

Plot Factory

To stay in full control of the narrative they are building, writers of all kinds can use an app created specifically for them. Plot Factory is not a very complex tool and is primed towards increasing the speed of writing without sacrificing any quality. It won’t hurt to try it out if you are a professional storyteller with a big project coming up.

Core features:

• Story creation tool that lets writers keep track of characters and storylines
• Dashboard view allows for efficient organization of existing material
• Stories can be grouped into specific universes with shared characters and events
• Name generator tool helps to keep the characters realistic

Drawbacks:

• Not well suited for non-fiction writers
• Outline templates can be difficult to find in the interface

Pricing: Basic plan is free, the Enthusiast plan costs $14 per month, Novelist plan costs $19 per month

Reviews:

• G2: N/A
• Capterra: N/A

Scrivener

Generally considered one of the best outliner tools in the market, Scrivener is used by numerous writers to help with preparation stages as well as execution. The text can be organized in shorter or longer chunks, with the writer having complete control over the structure. This app was launched in 2007 and is currently in its third version, which is considered to be very innovative and intuitive.

Core features:

• Versatile writing assistant that supports outlining, research, and much more
• Great control of long manuscripts with the ability to instantly edit any part
• Notes can be pinned to a digital corkboard during the planning process
• Powerful outlining tool allows for designing complex narrative structures

Drawbacks:

• The application is large and requires a lot of practice to fully grasp
• Word processing features are not at the highest level

Pricing: Educational license costs $50.99, Standard license costs $59.99

Reviews:

• G2: 4.6 (77 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7 (176 reviews)

Plottr

Outlining your short story or online article won’t require too much effort if you are using Plottr. This is predominantly a visual tool that lets you organize ideas in a format that’s easy to follow and build upon. With Plottr, developing a story line or adding new scenes to an existing plot is just a logical continuation of previously completed actions.

Core features:

• Book planning app that lets writers visualize their ideas and keep track of events and characters
• Visual timelines can be dragged and dropped on a corkboard as convenient
• Plot lines and scene cards can be color-coordinated for quick overview
• Plenty of prepared templates to get beginners up to speed

Drawbacks:

• More expensive than similar outliner apps
• Files uploaded from other apps can’t be edited

Pricing: $99 for one device, $149 for 3 devices

Reviews:

• G2: 5.0 (1 review)
• Capterra: 4.9 (103 reviews)

CeltX

This incredible tool is intended primarily for long-format screenwriters, but can deliver a lot of value to professionals in other lines of work. It brings together excellent workflow control features and text creation and editing capabilities. Celtx has been in the market for over 20 years, so it’s a refined product ready for high-level utilization.

Core features:

• Scriptwriting software that allows users to develop ideas and collaboratively work on projects
• Beat Board tool makes story arc development really natural and consistent
• Text-anchored comments can serve as useful reminders or feedback mechanism
• Documents can be saved and exported as PDF’s

Drawbacks:

• The app can’t be used without an internet connection
• Flowchart and presentation tools are missing

Pricing: The writer plan costs $13.49 per month, Writer Pro plan is priced at $22.49 monthly

Reviews:

• G2: 4.2 (53 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7 (20 reviews)

Final Draft

Writers who primarily create videos and multimedia will be delighted with this professional-level script-writing software. Final Draft allows the author to take a bird’s eye view or get down to nuts and bolts, thus shaping the structure and the style of the text. Despite having countless powerful features, this app actually isn’t very hard to use and can be adopted quickly.

Core features:

• High-end screenwriting software suitable for brainstorming and developing complex ideas
• Visual outlining tools simplify story building and clarify the timelines
• The outline can be displayed while the writer is working on the text
• Automated formatting saves time and makes writing more comfortable

Drawbacks:

• Collaborative writing features are unimpressive
• There are some file conversion issues when importing documents

Pricing: Educational package is available for $99.99, the Standard package costs $199.99

Reviews:

• G2: 4.4 (37 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5 (22 reviews)

Final Words

The value of outliner tools only becomes evident once you try using such an app on a large project. Of course, the correct choice of the most optimal app depends on the type of work you are doing and the level of expectations you are facing. It’s understandable that students are more inclined to use cheaper tools that require less training, but professional writers shouldn’t hesitate to get the best product they can. The initial expense will surely be recouped through a more efficient work process and a final product that makes a huge impression on the audience.