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Outline V4 - Subscription Model and Free Tier

Effective from June 1, 2023, Outline is transitioning to a subscription-based model. Below you will find more details regarding this change, along with relevant links and answers to common questions.


Why are we making this change

We are implementing this change for a few reasons. Firstly, the subscription model provides us with a stable and predictable source of revenue. This enables us to invest in the continued growth and improvement of our product, ensuring that we can deliver regular updates, new features, and ongoing support to our users.

Secondly, the subscription model allows us to maintain a sustainable business model in the long run. By having a consistent revenue stream, we can allocate resources towards research and development, customer support, and maintaining the overall quality of the service we provide.

Lastly, offering flexible subscription plans, including a free tier with core features, allows us to cater to a wider range of users. We understand that not everyone is ready to commit to a paid subscription, so by providing a free option, we can still offer value to those who may not be in a position to pay while also giving them a glimpse of the additional benefits they could enjoy with a paid plan.

Overall, this change will enable us to deliver a better product, ensure its long-term sustainability, and cater to the diverse needs of our user base.

Subscription Plans

Basic


Please consider purchasing the paid subscription to support the application developer, even if you do not need paid features.

Free
For Personal Use
Fully functional and powerful note-taking app with some limitations. Use it for free for unlimited time. 
Community Support (Facebook)
Sync with iCloud
Available on the App Store
Standard

We added some additional features that will make your experience more full.

This version is eligible for personal/non-commercial use only. If you use Outline for work, please purchase the Pro tier. 
$4.99/month or $49.99/year
For Personal Use
Everything in Basic, plus
Customer Support
Sync with 
- iCloud
- OneDrive
- Dropbox
- Box
- GDrive
Protected Sections
Customizable Font Styles
Available on the App Store
Pro


Fully unlocked version of Outline with the best customer support service included. Eligible for commercial use.


$9.99/month or $99.99/year
For Personal & Commercial Use
Everything in Standard, plus
Priority Customer Support
Sync with 
- OneDrive for Business
- SharePoint
- WebDAV
Print-outs
Available on the App Store and Outline Store

App Store vs Outline Store

Outline V3 (before the change)

App Store
      Outline for Mac
            One Time Purchase - $39.99
      Outline for iOS
            One Time Purchase - $9.99

Outline Store

      Outline for Mac
           One Time Purchase - $39.99
      
      14-Day Trial

Outline V4 (after the change)

App Store
      Subscription - Basic, Standard and Pro tiers. 
            Outline for Mac
            Outline for iOS (later this year)

      14-Day Trial when purchasing 1 year Pro tier subscription

Outline Store
      Subscription - Pro tier 1year subscription only
            Outline for Mac
            Outline for iOS (later this year)

      14-Day Trial

Notes For Existing Customers

Outline for Mac V3 purchased from the App Store

You will be able to update your app to V4 starting from June 1st, 2023.

If you do not want to switch to the subscription model and want to continue using the old version, you should NOT update your app.
We had to decide whether to release V4 as a separate app or to update the existing one. We decided to do the latter because in this case, we can automatically detect the date of the original purchase and provide a prolonged trial for users who recently purchased the app (see below).

Existing users who purchased Outline V3 after the 1st of June 2022, can activate the Pro tier trial for up to one year (the trial end date is calculated as one year after the original purchase date). Once updated to v4, app will detect your original purchase date and if are eligible it will ask you if you want to activate the trial. Please note that this will work only on Mac OS 13+.

Outline for Mac V3 purchased from the Outline Store

Depending on the subscription tier that is most suitable for you, you may want to switch to the App Store versions or stay with the Outline Store version. If you want the Basic or Standard tier, you should switch to the App Store version. If you want the Pro tier, you can continue using this version by purchasing a subscription from the Outline store.

We still continue to use FastSpring as our payment processing partner. You can choose either to store your credit card details for recurrent billing or to be notified when your subscription is about to end and purchase the renewal manually. The subscription purchase and activation process is very similar to that for V3 - after an online purchase you receive a link to download a subscription license file (file with the extension ".outlinesubscription"), which you can use to activate the app. This subscription license file is bound to your subscription, not the order, so it stays the same when you renew your subscription.

Existing users who purchased Outline V3 after the 1st of June 2022, can activate the Pro tier trial for up to one year (the trial end date is calculated as one year after the original purchase date).

Outline V4 will be released as a separate app, so your existing V3 app will NOT update to V4. However, there will be a notification about new version availability and a link to this page.

How to Activate Outline V4 trial using the Outline v3 license file from the Outline Store.

Outline for iPad and iPhone

Outline for iOS, which is available now as a separate app on the App Store, will be removed from sale starting from June 1st, 2023, and new version will be reintroduced as part of the subscription later this year. If you already purchased current version of the app, you will be able to re-download and use it.