Dynalist Reviews

Pros

Dynalist combines the minimalist features (speed, simplicity, lack of bloat) of other tools like Workflowy with intelligent keyboard shortcuts, formatting options and searching/tagging to create a really fast and easy-to-use task management tool.

Cons

Accidentally filtering notes by clicking on them instead of collapsing the note hierarchy for a topic happens from time to time, especially on a mobile device, and disrupts my flow of fast notetaking. Using keyboard shortcuts is one way I taught myself to avoid doing this.

Pros

Can be use locally or internet. On my Mac or my iPhone. In more than 2 years NEVER STOP WORKING A SINGLE DAY !

Cons

It is not perfect but precisely Cons : NONE

Pros

Dynalist is multiplatform (I use it on my Macbook, iPad and Android Smartphone) and the sync is fast and smooth.
It's basically an outline application with no frills, this means it's really fast to load, easy to use and it's fully adaptable to your own unique way of thinking and organization process (or lack of organization at all).
Differently from other outlining applications, in Dynalist you can have folders to organize your documents/outlines.
Free account may be enough for many users.

Cons

Although free account layer may be enough for many, upgrading to the Pro level can be too expensive ($7.99/month) to personal users and quite small businesses.
It's in english, no other languages are available. And no option to change date formatting.

Pros

I was able to migrate from workflowy (that i still have) to dynalist without any difficulties, because dynalist is practically an improved copy of workflowy. Important features such as search & replace, organizing bullets in documents and folders, backlinks, search via outline or global are features that are widely used.

Cons

Not being able to search a folder to only look for content in the documents within it. This is really UNACCEPTABLE in software like this, causing a huge inconvenience to anyone who wants to look for something inside a folder. For example, if I want to search for the word "handle" inside a folder that has 50 documents, it's not possible. I have to do a global search, which causes a huge volume of information that is not what I want.

Alternatives Considered

Trello

Reasons for Choosing Dynalist

Workflowy made no improvements to the system.

Reasons for Switching to Dynalist

Because it was the closest to workflowy and had more features, as I use it to organize tasks in my projects and systems and also documentation. But I ended up with the 3, that is, workflowy for an old project, the rest was all migrated to dynalist. And Trello I use for admin tasks with cards and checkmark.

Pros

Before having this software I used TheBrain. I've always loved making creative connections between different ideas in a mindmap style. Linking this thought/node to that thought.
Dynalist allows for this in a journal/diary way. It's brilliant. It's a lot like WorkFlowy, but just way better. So many more features

Cons

The mindmap view needs a lot of work.
I want it to be editable.
I also want it to work on touchscreens.

Pros

Works very well offline and even on Linux.

I'm using Linux temporarily and it fitted like a glove. They are more flexible than workflowy and offer dark mode for free which is life changing.

Cons

Mobile app still needs a bit of work. It should be easier to delete and move notes when you're done with them

It would be nice to embed images like notion

Alternatives Considered

monday.com

Reasons for Choosing Dynalist

Needed dark mode and more flexibility

Reasons for Switching to Dynalist

seemed more robust and lighter and easier to use

Pros

Dynalist is a perfect note-taking application for me, the reasons being -

1. Blazing fast synchronization. I transfer notes between my phone and computer all the time, with Dynalist, it's even easier. The sync is too smooth and happens without delay.
2. Limited customization. The standardization of features straight-up cuts a lot of distraction. With a handful of customization availability, you get to focus more on work.
3. Dynalist's look is pleasing to the eyes. The interface is minimal and UX is well-thought and designed. It takes out the burden of "searching for features" for different tasks. With a simple shortcut, you get to see most of what it can do.
4. Cross-platform support. I use Dyanlist on my phone, browser, and also its desktop application on my Ubuntu 16.04 machine, and it works flawlessly on every platform. I haven't faced a single issue till now.

I've been using Dynalist for a while now, and it's one of the few software which I can recommend without thinking twice. It has everything that a note-taking application should have.

Cons

There are two things that I wish Dynalist had better designed. First, the missing option to view bookmarked links through Dynalist's web clipper. The "Toggle Bookmark Pane" shows bookmarked files, so it would be better to have another option through which a user can easily view the bookmarked URLs/excerpt. As of now, one has to set up a file that contains the bookmarked links, which get mixed up in the documents. Second, next to "Create New File," the option "Create New Folder" will be a nice feature to have, as it makes organizing files even more straightforward.

Pros

Dynalist is an extremely easy to use software that lets you organize ideas in simple lists. I use it extensively to plan to-dos, capture notes on books or blogs I have read, as well as brainstorm ideas. I am on their pro plan and even get daily backups to my gmail & dropbox. They even allow you to import from other tools such as workflowy. The ability to upload files is a feature I discovered recently - I know I will be using it soon!

Cons

Don't really have any cons to list. The mobile app has been a work in progress and they update it fairly frequently. As of now, I use it primarily from a laptop.

Pros

I love how you can zoom in on different points and dig even deeper into it. So for example, you can write goals, then zoom in on it and write down your goals, then zoom into each of those goals and write down how you'll achieve them.

Cons

There is nothing I dislike about Dynalist, it does everything I want it to do, very well, and you can use it free.

Pros

I fell in love with design of app and the fact that is very easy to use:outlining triggers, taking notes and many more. It combines all of my favorite features from different apps like Workflowy or Cotton notes giving advantage of all in one app. The use of keyboards shortcuts is on point which makes the work even faster.
For me ability to have different folders for your notes make me stick to this app for a long time.

Cons

I wish they increased some of features for the free version like bookmarking.

Pros

Dynalist is like a second mind to me. It takes webs of thoughts from my mind to the screen - in a way that its both accessible as a singular thoughts and as a web. It is very useful for me as a researcher who reads a lot, and needs to organise notes and comments from the texts I have read. Notes which I not only need in the near future, but that could be perhaps be useful for me 5-10 years later. Two features have changed my life: 1) the option to organise points in a collapsible format - only seeing what is important - and thus making it very easy to scan a long text months later with the headings you created alone. 2) The option to connect points and even sub-points from different files to each other. So when I am reading something today, I can be like - oh this is related to Point X I read in that document 3 weeks ago, and Dynalist lets me connect those thoughts - and add more and more. Finally I have a web of connected thoughts from different books - an article waiting to be written.

Cons

The collaboration tools and sharing options could be much better. Also they don't allow image integration well which is a problem when I want to put images of tables in my notes.

Pros

Dynalist is my go-to planning tool. The tool is one of the most elegant applications I have ever come across. It is so intuitive. And so useful! It allows me to organize ideas into chunks via bullet points and also allows these nested lists to go as deep as I want. I can reorder points on my list by copy-pasting it where I want with or without the nested lists. In addition, these bullets can be expanded and collapsed, which makes it possible for me to at times create huge documents around a specific idea without making the document look too overwhelming. The items in these lists are searchable and it is this feature that makes it most powerful. I can also highlight specific points via highlights, bold, italics, strikethroughs, etc. Everything is in the cloud and if you're a pro user like me, you can get daily backups of your work on dropbox and google drive. I use Dynalist for my personal as well as professional needs. I really love this tool!

Cons

I don't think the tool has any cons as such. One minor issue I have faced (and I may be sounding hyper-critical here) is that if I want to upload a file, I know I have to drop the file into the workspace. The file gets uploaded and a link to the file is generated and is shown in a pop up. If I close that pop-up, I still don't know how to access that file. My workaround to that issue is to re-upload the file and use the new link from the pop up. Maybe there is a way to circumvent my approach, but since I didn't know how, I am listing it as a con (although it is not really a con).

Pros

Dynalist functions like a zoomable document that provides flexibility in organizing ideas. Its biggest strength is in letting me type and organize information around a subject that is complex. It has allowed me time and again to get my thoughts organized. I use this for all my important note taking including marking of important dates and planning activities around those. The tool has excellent search capabilities and retrieves items or files blazingly fast. The tool also has an iOs app which I use to retrieve my notes on the go.

Cons

Not a lot to dislike about this tool, really! One minor gripe I have is that the team recently released a chrome extension that is supposed to clip snippets you come across online. This feature is still in its infancy stages as it does not allow you to append it to specific documents of your choice.

Pros

It is easy, we have only text ( for some kind of use this is enough -like to do notes). I like a lot the organization inside notes, subnores, folders. For the free version it delivers more than similar ones in Pro version

Cons

Didnt find how to move several notes from one folder to the other. Not so easy to modify characters to bold or italic ( must put a sign to identify). It would have some APIs to open communication so the info could be stored there via other apps, emails etc. Besides that , it is a honest App and very useful daily

Pros

I have been using the bullet-style to-do apps as long as I can remember. I can surely say, without a doubt, Dynalist is the best one I have used so far. They have managed to merge both style and efficiency in one app. I have always kept my notes organized, however, ever since I have started to use Dynalist my productivity is on another level. I use it for all, I can take notes in university, I can keep a list and progress of my goals, I can even plan my next vacation.

Cons

To be quite honest, it is very hard to find something wrong with Dynalist. However, I would like to have more colors or even custom color selection for highlighting special bullet points in a list. Though, I am almost certain developer team in Dynalist will implement this feature in no time.

Pros

- Can be used for notes/lists/To-Dos, all at once
- Sharing with other users
- Export/Import

Cons

Though sharing works, the way the sharing requests work, it's less evident that something was being shared until you check your email, instead of a share request right within the app itself.

Pros

I love that I can easily write my daily schedule and it automatically synchronizes with Google calendar. It's super easy to use (can you write a list?) but it can also be advanced if you want it to.

I use it for my weekly/daily schedule, for important ULRs (to courses I'm following), for lists of ideas, todo lists, and more.

It looks pretty, too. I love the simple user-interface.

Cons

I don't like that if you add a checkbox to a list point, then you'll see both the point (dot) and the checkbox. I would love if it could be only the checkbox.

Pros

Very easy to use, great pro service, very responsive Dev team, and many new features that aren't overwhelming.

Cons

I could benefit from a few more customization options here and there, but it isn't necessary.

Pros

Dynalist is very well structured! The finder is my favorite feature. Search results load as you type and are relevant. Dynalist is always fast and it's good for notes and lists. Lists can be changed to numbered or check lists instantly and each line can be dragged and dropped. The internal links actually keep their title, I hate when links take up an entire paragraph so that's great.
Sync with Google calendar and manage to do lists.

Cons

Dynalist is a little closer to the simple side than I wanted it to be. I wish there were built in spell and grammar check tools and I don't think the pro version is worth the paid subscription.

Pros

I absolutely love everything about this! I love getting my head straight by journaling out my thoughts in this nested format—auto-pasting in screenshots, etc. I love the app, too.

Cons

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE if this had all the features of Roam Research too. They are both such complementary software.

Pros

Really like Dynalist - easy to use and fast and free version is awesome!

Cons

Wish they had a side bar that stayed up in the iPad version.

Pros

I really like that Dynalist has created a full suite of apps for Apple (Mac, iPad, iPhone) as well as the web app. It's easy to use, fairly intuitive, and now I can't live without being able to hide and expand bullet points.

Cons

Copying and pasting images into it is difficult - you can't embed images directly unless you pay, so the images are hosted from the source. This means that if a website deletes an image, you won't be able to access it anymore. (One workaround for this is just to use Cloudapp for hosting)

iPad app is also a bit glitchy at times, but Dynalist has supposedly fixed this with the last update.

Pros

Dynalist is the best app for every content creator. Content Management becomes so easy with this app. In-built themes you can use as per your need.

Cons

No lag, no issue, and nothing worst in Dynalist.

Pros

I love the layout and how it uses bulleted lists which can be nested. I like how you can have folders to organize notes.

It also syncs really well across all of my devices, has a lot of options and the keyboard shortcuts are logical and make things easy to modify when needed.

Cons

The only con I can think of is that their premium model is based on monthly payments, which I understand, I just wished they could offer a one off price.

But the free version is feature packed and meets my needs.

Pros

Ease of use, tagging, bookmarking, sorting entries in different ways (Workflowy does not have this). I review entire books, take notes on topics I'm studying, manage my freelance to-do lists, and more, all with Dynalist - it's that flexible!

Cons

On Mac Desktop, formatting is actually in the text, e.g. bolded text **looks like this**, slows me down slightly as I have to use mouse or arrows to exit bolded text.