Your head is full of ideas, tasks, and projects. You try to keep track of everything in note apps, spreadsheets, and sticky notes, but nothing feels natural. Workflowy takes a different approach: one endless list where you can nest infinitely deep, zoom, and focus on what’s important now.
Who is behind Workflowy?
Workflowy was founded in 2010 by Jesse Patel and Mike Turitzin in San Francisco. At the time, Jesse was working at a non-profit and became completely overwhelmed by the amount of work. Existing tools felt too rigid and didn’t match how his brain worked. He wanted something flexible, something that moved with his train of thought. Together with Mike, he built Workflowy: a tool that organizes the way you think, not the way a software company thinks you should organize.
The duo went through Y Combinator in the summer batch of 2010, which helped them lay the foundation for what is now WorkFlowy Inc. (also known as FunRoutine Inc.). They raised seed funding through Y Combinator, New Ground Ventures, and Precursor Ventures, though the exact amounts were never publicly disclosed. What is known: the tool quickly attracted a cult-like following. Even founders of companies like Slack and Twitter use Workflowy, and Google veteran Matt Cutts is an outspoken fan.
Today, Workflowy has more than a million users worldwide. The company has never been acquired and remains true to its original vision: simplicity above all. While other tools keep adding more features, Workflowy sticks to what it always did – and users greatly appreciate that.
Who is Workflowy for?
Workflowy is ideal for writers who want to structure their thoughts before they start writing. Project managers who want quick overview without complex software also find what they’re looking for here. List makers and researchers who want to organize information in hierarchies are in the right place. Basically, anyone who thinks in layers and connections instead of loose notes.
But Workflowy isn’t for everyone. Teams that need complex databases with relationships and filters are better off looking elsewhere. Users who expect extensive text formatting, design options, or embedded media will also be disappointed. Workflowy is text, structure, and focus – nothing more, nothing less.
What can Workflowy do?
The free version offers the core functionality: infinite nesting, zooming, tags, and basic collaboration capabilities. For automatic Dropbox backups and unlimited new items per month, you need a paid plan. Here are the key features:
- Infinite nesting: You can create sublists within sublists, as deep as you want. A project plan becomes a main item with phases, tasks, subtasks, and notes – all neatly collapsed until you need them.
- Zoom function (Hoisting): Click on an item and it fills your entire screen. All distraction disappears. You focus on that one part as if it’s your only list. Zoom out and you see the big picture again.
- Mirror nodes: Create live copies of items that appear in multiple places. When you change the original, the mirror updates automatically. Handy when a task belongs to multiple projects.
- Kanban board view: Turn your list into a visual board with columns. Perfect for those who prefer dragging tasks rather than checking them off.
- Tagging with hashtags and mentions: Tag items with #projectname or @person to find them later. The search function is lightning fast and finds everything within milliseconds.
- Collaborate and share: Share lists with others, give them read or write access. Changes sync in real-time, so you immediately see what others add.
Workflowy works on the web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. The desktop and mobile apps work offline and sync as soon as you’re back online. Keyboard shortcuts make it even faster: you can reorganize entire lists without touching your mouse.
What does Workflowy cost?
Workflowy has a free Basic plan that lets you create 100 new items per month. The file size is limited to 100MB and you don’t get automatic Dropbox backups. For many users, this is enough to get started and learn the tool.
Want unlimited items and backups? Then Workflowy Pro costs $1.99 per month with monthly billing. If you choose an annual subscription, you pay $1 per year, which comes down to $1.08 per month. New users get 7 days to try the Pro version for free.
There is no lifetime deal or team subscription with special pricing. The pricing is simple and transparent, just like the tool itself.
What should you watch out for?
The free version has a limit of 100 new items per month. For active users, that’s quickly reached, which means you’ll need to upgrade fairly soon if you want to use Workflowy seriously. For some, that feels like too tight a trial period.
Workflowy has no native calendar or reminders. You can tag dates, but you won’t get notifications or calendar integration. For those who want to link tasks to deadlines, this is a shortcoming. Databases and tables are also completely absent – this is purely an outliner, not an all-in-one workspace like Notion.
The mobile app is less powerful than the desktop version. Some keyboard shortcuts don’t work and it feels less smooth. Users also complain that development is slow – new features sometimes take years to arrive. And because Workflowy is cloud-only, you don’t have local storage or full control over your data.
Workflowy alternatives
Workflowy is not the only outliner on the market. Here are three alternatives you can consider:
- Dynalist: Choose this if you value Markdown support and a folder structure. Dynalist offers more formatting options than Workflowy, but because of that also feels less minimalist.
- Notion: Go for this if you’re looking for an all-in-one workspace with databases, wikis, and embedded media. Notion is much more complex and powerful, but also more overwhelming than plain text and lists.
- Obsidian: Choose this if you want complete control over your data and want to work offline. Obsidian stores everything locally and works with plugins, but lacks the cloud sync and simplicity of Workflowy.
Frequently asked questions
Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions about Workflowy:
Does Workflowy work offline?
Yes, the desktop and mobile apps work offline. As soon as you’re back online, everything syncs automatically. So you can just keep working on the train or in places without internet.
Can I export my data?
Yes, you can export lists as plain text, formatted text, or OPML format. That way you’re never locked into the tool and you can always switch to something else if needed.
Is there a limit to how deep I can nest?
No, the structure is infinitely nestable. That’s what makes Workflowy unique compared to standard to-do apps that often only allow a few levels.
Conclusion
Workflowy is an excellent choice if you prefer minimalism and structure over embellishment. It’s fast, reliable, and helps you focus without distraction. For writers, project managers, and anyone who thinks in hierarchies, this is a strong tool. But if you need databases, calendars, or extensive formatting, then Workflowy is too limited. The free version gives you a good impression, but for serious use you’ll need to upgrade to Pro fairly quickly.
