Comparison

Readeck vs Outerline

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Readeck

Organize your web links with categories, tags, and offline reading capabilities. This app offers a native iOS design with customizable layouts and annotation tools for an enhanced reading experience. It prioritizes user privacy with a self-hosted backend option.

Highlights
  • Organize links by categories and tags
  • Offline reading with background sync
  • Share extension for easy saving
  • Customizable card layout styles
  • Highlight and annotate text
  • Self-hosted backend for privacy
Features
Read full description

Organize all your links with categories, offline support, and native iOS design. The native iOS client for readeck.org brings professional bookmark management to your iPhone and iPad. iOS 26 ready – Optimized for the latest iOS version Smart Organization • Organize bookmarks in categories: All, Unread, Favorites, Archive, Articles, Videos, Pictures • Dynamic tag system with search functionality • Swipe actions for quick management Share Extension • Add URLs directly from Safari and other apps • Works with any app that supports sharing • Automatic metadata extraction Three Card Layout Styles • Compact layout for quick browsing • Magazine style for visual appeal • Natural layout for optimal readability Universal App • Native iOS design with Dark Mode support • iPad support with multi-column split view and sidebar menu • Also available for Mac • Responsive design for all devices Offline Reading • Read articles without internet connection • Automatic background sync keeps unread articles cached • Choose how many articles to cache (5–100) • Pre-download images for offline viewing • Save bookmarks offline via share extension Enhanced Reading Experience • Highlight and annotate text passages with multiple colors • 10+ fonts including Literata, Merriweather, SF Pro and New York • Article view with reading time and word count • Reading progress tracking • Undo delete system with visual progress Privacy & Control • Self-hosted backend - your data stays on your server • Secure OAuth 2.0 login via browser • VPN and private network support (e.g. Tailscale) • HTTP and self-signed certificate support • No tracking or analytics Important Note: This app requires your own Readeck server instance. You must run your own Readeck server or have access to one to use this app.

About

Outerline

A fast, fluid Markdown editor for macOS and iOS that prioritizes your writing and file ownership. It offers robust features for organizing, linking, and exporting notes, all while working offline and without requiring an account.

Highlights
  • Offline Markdown editing
  • File ownership with .md files
  • Live syntax highlighting
  • Keyboard toolbar for formatting
  • In-document search and word count
  • Wiki links and note connections
  • Export to Markdown, HTML, PDF
  • Mermaid diagram rendering
Read full description

Outerline gives you space to think and space to write. A fast, fluid Markdown editor with no server, no database, and no clutter. Truly native on macOS and iOS. It works offline, opens instantly, and stays out of your way so you can just write. YOUR FILES STAY YOURS Every note is an ordinary .md file in a folder you choose, on your iPhone, in iCloud Drive, or anywhere in Files. No proprietary format and no account required to write. Open the same folder in any other Markdown app whenever you like, and take your work with you if you ever leave. A WRITING SURFACE, NOT A DASHBOARD • Live syntax highlighting, with each heading level at its own size • A keyboard toolbar with the formatting you actually reach for • Smart lists that continue, indent, and break out the way you expect • Auto-pairing brackets, quotes, and backticks • In-document search, word count, and reading time • Editor and preview, a tap apart • Choose your typeface, size, line height, and preview theme • Autosave, so a draft is never waiting on you to remember FIND ANYTHING FAST Full-text search across your whole library. Nested folders, Starred and All Documents views, and colored #tags you write inline and filter by later. Swipe to star, move, or delete. CONNECT YOUR IDEAS Link notes with [[wiki links]] and an autocomplete palette. The inspector shows what points here, each with a line of context and the folder it came from, keeps every external link in one place, and jumps you to any heading in the document. ANNOTATE WITHOUT TOUCHING THE MARKDOWN Highlight passages in five colors, attach notes to them, and leave anchored comments on any selection. Annotations live beside your files, so your Markdown stays clean and portable. NEVER LOSE A DRAFT Automatic timestamped snapshots, a diff viewer, and one-tap restore. Deleted notes move to Recently Deleted, where you can bring them back. WORK WITH SIRI AND SHORTCUTS Ask Siri to create or find a note, and use Shortcuts to open or append to one. On iOS 27, Siri and Apple Intelligence can use the open document as context on supported devices. Availability depends on language, region, and system settings. No Outerline account or subscription required. EXPORT, DIAGRAM, AND BACK UP Export any note as Markdown, HTML, or PDF. Write Mermaid diagrams in fenced code blocks and see them render in preview and in exports, entirely offline. Zip your whole library, metadata included, whenever you want a backup. THE SAME NOTES ON YOUR MAC This is the whole app, not a companion. Outerline for macOS syncs the same library as iOS, while adding split view, Quick Look, and an optional local Model Context Protocol server for AI assistants. Buy Outerline once on either platform and use it on both. Your Outerline account and Publish subscription carry across seamlessly. OUTERLINE PUBLISH (OPTIONAL) Publish a note to a link anyone can open, then keep it current as you save. Publishing needs a free Outerline account and an Outerline Publish subscription. Everything else in Outerline works without either. Outerline Publish is an auto-renewing monthly subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase, and renews automatically unless you turn it off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://outerline.so/support/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://outerline.so/support/privacy/

Screenshots

Readeck4 screens
Outerline4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Readeck at Free against Outerline's $9.99. Readeck also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (10 vs 1). Outerline's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 5 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Readeck is free to download; Outerline costs $9.99 up front. Outerline sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Readeck asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Outerline holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Readeck has 10 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Readeck ships an update every 5 weeks, Outerline every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Readeck versus Outerline: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReadeckOuterline
PriceFree — better$9.99
Rating4.6 (10 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings10 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, Mac
Requires iOS18.1 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB27 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperIlyas HallakAdam Goehrig-Bawany

Customer experience

Readeck

All ratings10 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Outerline

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Readeck

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Outerline

Subscriptions1
  • Outerline Publish$1.991 Month
One-time3
  • Small Tip$1.99
  • Outerline Tip Medium$4.99
  • Large Tip$9.99

Questions

Is Readeck free?
Readeck is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Outerline free?
Outerline costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Readeck or Outerline?
Outerline is rated higher. Readeck averages 4.6 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Outerline averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Readeck or Outerline have ads?
Neither Readeck nor Outerline shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Readeck or Outerline?
Readeck ships an update every 5 weeks, and Outerline every 4 days. Most recently, Readeck was updated on September 24, 2026 and Outerline on September 19, 2026.

Other comparisons