Comparison

Structured Outliner vs TabulaDB

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

Head to head
About

Structured Outliner

Features
Read full description

Keep your entire outline in a single portable file you control. No account, no server, no lock-in, future-proof. ORGANIZE IN UNLIMITED DEPTH Build trees as deep as you need. Expand, collapse, and reorder topics with just a few taps. Every topic can have its own notes. Write as much or as little as you like. SEARCH EVERYTHING Search titles or note content at once. The tree expands automatically to show every match in context, so you always know where a result lives in your outline. CROSS-LINK TOPICS Link any note to another topic using the outlook: link format. Tap to jump directly there. Tap the back arrow to return where you came from. OPEN FILES AND URLS Tap any file path or URL inside a note to open it. Connect your outline to existing documents in the folder: PDFs, photos, or anything else you reference. COLOR LABELS Assign a background color to any topic: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, or Purple. The color flows down to all child topics that don't have their own. Use it to visually separate sections at a glance. AUTOMATIC BACKUPS The app writes a .bak backup before every save. Restore at any time from the menu. SYNC YOUR WAY Store your file in iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, or any Files-compatible provider. Open it from there on each device. No special sync setup required. MEMPAD COMPATIBLE Structured Outliner uses the same .lst format as MemPad for Windows, a portable outliner that has been around since the early 2000s. Open existing MemPad files directly, no conversion needed. FREE VERSION Structured Outliner is free to use. Development is supported by a small banner ad shown at the bottom of the screen. PRO VERSION Upgrade to Pro to remove the banner ad, unlock Color Labels and Topic + Note Search and future planned features. One-time purchase. Restore on any device from the menu.

About

TabulaDB

Create custom databases to track anything, from collections to personal projects. Offers pre-built templates or design your own with various field types. Data syncs via iCloud and can be exported for portability.

Highlights
  • Custom database creation
  • Pre-built templates
  • 15 field types
  • iCloud sync
  • Data export (CSV, JSON)
  • Reports and charts
Features
Read full description

TabulaDB – Build Your Own Database Track anything — your way. TabulaDB lets you create fully custom databases right on your iPhone, with exactly the fields you need and none you don't. Whether you're cataloging a wine collection, logging workouts, managing a home inventory, or building something entirely your own, TabulaDB gives you the structure to stay organized without locking you into someone else's template. Start in seconds with built-in templates Choose from seven ready-to-use templates — Home Inventory, Book Library, Movie Watchlist, Wine Collection, Fitness Tracker, Record Collection, and Contacts — or start from a blank database and design it yourself. 15 field types for every kind of data - Text, Integer, Decimal, Date and Date & Time, Checkbox, Rating, Picklist, Currency, URL,, Email, Phone, Image, Color and File Mix and match to capture exactly what matters. iCloud sync, automatically Your databases sync across all your devices via iCloud. Add a wine to your collection on your iPhone and it's there on your iPad. Your data is also protected by iCloud Backup. Reports and insights See your data come to life with charts and summaries. Built-in templates include tailored reports; track workout trends, see your reading pace, visualize your collection by category and custom databases get auto-generated summary cards. Your data, always portable Export any database as a CSV file to open in Numbers, Excel, or any spreadsheet app. Full JSON backups let you export and restore everything — all databases, fields, records, and images — in a single file. TabulaDB Pro — One-time purchase, no subscription The free version gives you 2 databases with up to 100 records each to explore the app. Upgrade once to unlock everything: - Unlimited databases - Unlimited records - Backup and restore - CSV export - Reports and charts - Custom templates A 7-day free trial gives you full access before you decide. TabulaDB is built for iPhone and requires iOS 17 or later.

Screenshots

Structured Outliner4 screens
TabulaDB4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: TabulaDB at none against Structured Outliner's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Structured Outliner sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and TabulaDB sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Structured Outliner versus TabulaDB: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStructured OutlinerTabulaDB
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 9 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFelipe CarraroBrigg Thorp

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Structured Outliner

One-time1
  • Pro Version$7.99
1 purchases

TabulaDB

One-time1
  • TabulaDB Pro$4.99

Questions

Is Structured Outliner free?
Structured Outliner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TabulaDB free?
TabulaDB is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Structured Outliner or TabulaDB have ads?
Structured Outliner shows ads; TabulaDB does not.
Which is updated more often, Structured Outliner or TabulaDB?
Structured Outliner ships an update every 9 days, and TabulaDB every 9 days. Most recently, Structured Outliner was updated on October 7, 2026 and TabulaDB on October 6, 2026.

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