Replacement Guide

How to Build Your Own Workflowy

Replace Workflowy with a custom build. A simpler way to organize your work

Weekend Project
16 features0 integrationsOne weekend

Estimated Timeline

Based on 16 features at Weekend Project difficulty, expect about One weekend with AI-assisted development.

1
Setup & scaffolding
2 hours
2
Core features
4-6 hours
3
Polish & deploy
2 hours

Recommended Tech Stack

Next.js 14

Full-stack React framework with API routes and server components

Supabase

PostgreSQL database, auth, and real-time subscriptions

Tailwind CSS

Utility-first styling for rapid UI development

Key Features to Replicate

Top features across 8 categories. See all 16 features

Organization(5 features)

Backlinks

Backlink to anything with automatically created references

Bullet List Organization

Core feature using a single bullet list with indentation to create hierarchical organization

Infinite Nesting Structure

Infinitely nesting structure allows organizing content exactly as needed

Live Copy (Mirrors)

Create live copies of anything and view and update from anywhere

Tags

Tag items to quickly filter and visually identify them

Collaboration(3 features)

No-Login Editing

People you share with don't need an account to view or edit items

Quick-Saving

Easily save shared items to your account for later viewing

Simple Sharing Permissions

Dead-simple sharing permissions to control who sees what and collaborate easily

AI(1 features)

Workflowy AIAIPremium

AI-powered capabilities for enhanced productivity

Capture(1 features)

Lightning Fast Capture

Lightning fast application, just open the app and start typing

File Management(1 features)

File & Image UploadPremium

Drag-and-drop files and images inline without switching apps, with unlimited uploads on Pro

Mobile(1 features)

Mobile Apps

Capture anything on the go with iOS and Android native applications

Navigation(1 features)

Expand & Collapse

Focus on the forest or the trees with keyboard shortcuts to zoom in and out

Project Management(1 features)

Kanban Boards

Turn lists into super-powered kanban boards for visual task management

Cost Calculator

Keep Paying Workflowy

Monthly$8.99/mo
Yearly$108/yr
5-Year Total$539

Build It Yourself

Est. Build Time~1 hrs
Hosting$20/mo
DifficultyVery Easy

Total Cost Comparison

1 Year
SaaS
$108
DIY
$240
3 Years
SaaS
$324
DIY
$720
5 Years
SaaS
$539
DIY
$1.2k

DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 16 features at very easy complexity.

Ready to Build?