Outline is a program for creating your own VPN networks for subsequent connection to them from computers or mobile devices. The application consists of two separately installed modules: Outline Manager and Outline Client. Both programs are free, but you need to subscribe to one of the services (if you don't use your own service) to create a personal VPN in Outline Manager. The program is multiplatform and can be run on macOS devices. We will tell you about it.

What is this program used for?

Outline for Mac is an effective tool for bypassing blocked websites and various online services that have been blocked by a system administrator, ISP, or a government regulator. Unlike usual VPN clients, Outline consists of two independent software modules:

• Outline Manager. The application is used to create and then manage your own (one or more) VPN server using DigitalOcean, Google Cloud Platform, or Amazon Lightsail cloud services. More advanced users can use a Linux cloud server for the same purpose, either their own or one of the existing ones, such as VULTR, Linode, or Web);

• Outline Client. This program connects to VPN servers created or managed through Outline Manager. The client module does not have any settings. To connect to a VPN, the user just needs to enter the key generated by Outline Manager into the main window.

Like any other VPN client, Outline Client bypasses blockages, visits sites anonymously, and uses network resources. It also protects confidential data that can be transmitted over the Internet from third parties by encrypting the traffic.

Project structure

Outline is a tool for creating corporate knowledge bases and structuring documents. With Outline, an organization can form a space for storing instructions, notes, project documents, and other information. Outline is available in a web-based version, and there is the ability to store data on both the service's and the company's servers.

Projects in Outline are called collections. They can contain information on an individual project or the work of an entire team. Collections have folders with documents on specific topics. The documents are formed in a text editor.

Outline allows using Markdown markup, slash commands, and editing tools for writing text. Users can add images, videos, tables, and links to internal documents and third-party resources when creating documents. Headers can be used to create a structure of a document.

Collaborative access

Users can edit documents in real-time, share new documents, and rate them by working together. Outline allows you to use backlinks to create hierarchies of collections and documents. The program has more than 20 configured integrations with third-party services. For example, it is possible to import tables from Airtable or add board snippets from Miro into the documents you create.

Program functions

To create a VPN server, the user needs to create an account on one of the supported cloud services listed above or run a particular command on their Linux server to configure it automatically (the command can be found in Outline Manager). The functionality of a created VPN depends on the settings on the server. They are set by default, so the user doesn't have to configure anything to use a VPN.

The functions of Outline Client are described above. It is worth noting that it can work with VPN networks created by any other user on the Internet. You can find the necessary keys to connect to a working VPN server by using the search engine. Remember that such servers can be blocked at any time by the same provider or disabled by their owner.

Primary features of the program

Outline for Mac has the following advantages:

• It is an open-source project available to everyone. Such projects are studied by thousands of developers worldwide, so it eliminates the possibility of hidden vulnerabilities or information leakages;

• Outline uses advanced Shadowsocks technology that is popular in China because it allows users to bypass the Chinese firewall, unlike many other solutions;

• Outline runs on your private server, allowing you to control your data. It is much harder to track and block Outline, and even if your cloud provider gets blocked, you can create a new server in 10-15 minutes;

• Outline does not store any logs on the server, so even if intruders can access the server, they can't find anything.

Outline, like any VPN service, provides privacy but doesn't provide anonymity. When you sign up on a cloud server, you provide your data, and a cloud provider finds your IP. You should use additional services to ensure anonymity.