Paragraph-based notes and subnotes
Write notes as regular paragraphs without creating a title or filename first, then add subnotes to build trees of related ideas.
Understory
Understory is a Mac notes and outlining app for students, researchers, bloggers, and writers. Collect research, draft in Markdown, and publish as PDF, Rich Text, Markdown, or a website.
Notes, outlines, and drafts in one Mac app
Understory is a Mac notes and outlining app for turning research into finished writing. It is designed for students, researchers, bloggers, and other writers who need to collect source material, organize an argument, draft sections, and produce a shareable document without copying notes between separate apps.
Notes are written as regular text and can be arranged into flexible trees of subnotes. A note can appear in more than one tree, allowing the same research or idea to support different subjects. From an outline, users can select the sections they want to read or publish as a PDF, Rich Text file, Markdown, or website.
Features
Reusable notes across outlines
Place one note in multiple trees without duplicating it. Edits remain consistent wherever the shared note appears.
Search and keyboard navigation
Search as you type, jump from results to a note's place in its tree, and navigate the browser with keyboard commands.
Research attachments and links
Attach PDFs or images to notes, add links in note text, and follow links in both directions.
Research-to-draft workflow
Arrange research beneath the points it supports, write each draft section in Markdown, collapse supporting notes, and read selected main points as a continuous piece with a word count.
Multiple publishing outputs
Publish a selected set of notes or a complete outline as PDF, Rich Text, Markdown, or a website. Earlier versions of notes are retained for review.
Use cases
Collecting reading research
Create a note for a book, add chapter subnotes, and capture quotes or ideas beneath their sources. PDFs and images can be attached to the relevant notes for reference.
Shaping an argument
Build a new outline for an essay or research paper, then place existing research beneath the main points it supports. The source notes remain available in their original tree as well.
Drafting long-form work
Write each section of a paper, article, script, or book in its corresponding note while keeping supporting material visible below it. Collapse the research to review the main points as a continuous draft.
Preparing work for publication
Select individual sections or an entire outline and export it as a PDF, Rich Text document, Markdown file, or website for printing, sharing, or finishing elsewhere.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Combines paragraph-based notes with an outliner-style tree structure.
- Lets the same note appear in multiple outlines without duplicating its content.
- Supports research attachments, bidirectional links, Markdown drafting, and retained note versions.
- Provides PDF, Rich Text, Markdown, and website publishing, with printing supported.
- Offers local Markdown-based Project Notebooks and iCloud-backed Personal Notebooks without requiring an Understory account.
Cons
- It currently runs on Mac only; there is no iPhone or iPad version.
- The free version limits notebooks to 100 notes in a Personal Notebook and 20 notes in each Project Notebook.
- Shared notebooks larger than the free limits open in read-only mode until the one-time payment is made.
FAQ
Is Understory a subscription?
No. Understory is free to try, and a one-time payment of $24.99 USD removes the note limits. The App Store may show a different regional price, and there is no subscription.
Which platforms does Understory support?
It is a Mac-only app for now. An iPhone or iPad version is not currently available.
Where are Understory notes stored?
A Personal Notebook is stored in the user's iCloud account and syncs between Macs. A Project Notebook is a folder selected on the Mac that contains Markdown files and attachments. Project Notebooks work offline, and no Understory account is required.
What can Understory publish?
Notes or complete outlines can be published as PDF, Rich Text, Markdown, or a website. PDFs can use US Letter, paperback, or hardback book sizes, and the output can also be printed.
Can a draft be finished in another app?
Yes. Rich Text can be opened in a word processor, while Markdown can be used in another writing app, blog, or site that supports it.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Writing and note-taking app
- Platform
- Mac
- Primary users
- Students, researchers, bloggers, and writers
- Storage
- Local Project Notebooks or Personal Notebooks in the user's iCloud account
- Free tier
- Up to 100 notes in a Personal Notebook and 20 notes in each Project Notebook
- Paid option
- One-time payment of $24.99 USD; regional pricing may vary
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