Comparison

Outerline vs Roma

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

Head to head
About

Outerline

A fast, fluid Markdown editor designed for focused writing. It offers live syntax highlighting, a convenient keyboard toolbar, and robust organization features. Your notes are saved as ordinary .md files, ensuring portability and no vendor lock-in.

Highlights
  • Offline Markdown editing
  • File-based storage (.md files)
  • Live syntax highlighting
  • Keyboard toolbar for formatting
  • Wiki-style note linking
  • Full-text search
  • Export to Markdown, HTML, PDF
Features
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/

About

Roma

This AI-powered to-do list automates task completion. Simply speak your tasks, and the app handles the rest, ensuring items are not just listed but actively managed and finalized.

Highlights
  • AI-driven task automation
  • Voice-activated task input
  • Automated task completion
  • Task review and finalization
  • Intelligent to-do list management
Read full description

Roma is the to-do list that does itself. The to-do list was the first productivity tool. We rebuilt it so every task gets done, not just written down. Say what's on your mind, and Roma gets to work. Come back to something real to review, finish, and keep.

Screenshots

Outerline4 screens
Roma4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Roma at Free against Outerline's $9.99. Roma also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and update cadence (daily vs every 5 days). Outerline's advantage is chart position (#176 vs unranked). On rating, 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Outerline against 4.9 for Roma. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Roma has 18 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Outerline ships an update every 5 days, Roma daily. Both last shipped on November 9, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Outerline versus Roma: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOuterlineRoma
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better4.9 (18 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings318 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#176 — better—
DevicesiPhone, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.0 — better26.1
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB73 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAdam Goehrig-BawanyMilo Mode Inc.

Customer experience

Outerline

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Roma

All ratings18 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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
None

Roma

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Outerline free?
Outerline costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Roma free?
Roma is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Outerline or Roma?
Outerline is rated higher. Outerline averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Roma averages 4.9 from 18 ratings.
Do Outerline or Roma have ads?
Neither Outerline nor Roma shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Outerline or Roma?
Outerline ships an update every 5 days, and Roma daily. Most recently, Outerline was updated on November 9, 2026 and Roma on November 9, 2026.

Other comparisons