14 Best Notion Alternatives and Competitors in 2024
In the past few years, Notion has surged in popularity, gaining an almost cult-like following and becoming a go-to productivity and organization tool for individuals and teams around the world. And for good reason – few productivity tools are as versatile, flexible, and powerful as Notion.
However, Notion may not be the perfect fit for everyone, and that's where alternatives come in. Whether you're looking for a tool similar to Notion but with a different pricing structure, or need a different set of features, there are plenty of options out there.
In this article, we'll introduce you to some of the best alternatives to Notion and help you decide which one is the right choice for your needs.
What is Notion?
Notion is a productivity and organization tool that allows users to create notes, wikis, and tasks in one place. Founded in 2013 by Ivan Zhao, Notion was made available to the public in 2015.
Notion is packed with features and almost endlessly customizable. It was one of the very first apps to try and tackle the problem of tool overload, pioneering the concept of an "all-in-one workspace". Many teams and individuals found it to be a game-changer for their productivity. However, nothing is perfect and Notion also has some fairly significant drawbacks and shortcomings.
What are some limitations of Notion?
There are many reasons why you may be looking for a Notion alternative:
The learning curve is extremely steep. Figuring out how to use Notion on your own is challenging enough, let alone having to onboard your entire team (source).
Notion can be quite slow, especially when you accumulate a lot of content (source).
Navigating your content can be very unintuitive (source).
Notion is free for personal use, but for teams, the price can be quite steep (source). Learn more about the pricing plans offered by Notion: Notion free vs paid.
The mobile app leaves a lot to be desired (source).
Does that sound familiar? Then it might be time to switch to a more user-friendly and fast option – fortunately, there are many great Notion alternatives to choose from.
14 Best Notion alternatives
The all-in-one workspace category is diverse and varied, making it challenging to find a single alternative to Notion that can be objectively considered to be the best. However, there are a number of solid Notion competitors on the market that offer their own unique twists on the all-in-one workspace concept.
The key is to find an app that aligns with your specific needs and use case, rather than searching for a tool that will completely replace Notion in every way. Each of the alternatives on this list has something unique to offer, and each of them is better than Notion in some way. It's worth taking the time to explore them and determine which one is the best fit for you.
To make your evaluation process easier, we've evaluated dozens of options and put together a shortlist of the best alternatives to Notion:
- Nuclino
- Confluence + Jira
- Basecamp
- Trello
- Asana
- Quip
- Zoho
- Evernote
- Todoist
- Google Keep
- Airtable
- Microsoft OneNote
- Obsidian
- nTask
Since Notion encompasses so many different product categories, the best choice depends on your unique use case and corresponding requirements. Are you mainly looking for a tool to create a wiki, manage projects, or take notes? Are you planning to use it alone or in a team? Do you find Notion too complex or are you searching for an even more flexible tool? Depending on your answers, a different tool might be a better fit for your needs.
We hope this list helps you learn more about your options and find the Notion alternative that works for you.
1. Nuclino
Pricing: Free, advanced features starting from $6/user/month
Rating on Capterra: 4.7/5
Nuclino is a lightweight alternative to Notion. It offers much of the same core functionality as Notion and can be used as a knowledge base, a collaborative note-taking tool, or a Kanban board for project management. However, Nuclino brings it all together in a much lighter, faster, and simpler package.
While not as feature-packed as Notion, Nuclino focuses on the essentials, such as search, content organization, and collaborative editing. By doing away with the clunky menus and rarely-used options, Nuclino is able to offer a much cleaner and more intuitive interface, minimizing the learning curve for new users.
Performance is another notable strength of Nuclino. Every interaction in the app is optimized for speed, from search to editing. All content can be collaborated on by multiple users in real time, with every change automatically preserved in the version history. Markdown commands allow you to quickly format text without taking your hands off the keyboard.
Like Notion, Nuclino allows you to organize your documents visually. Need a structured overview of all your documents? Prefer to work on your projects using a Kanban board? Want to see how your documents relate to each other in a mind map? The list, board, table, and graph views help you keep your internal documentation structured in a way that works for you and your team.
Similar to Notion Sites, any Nuclino workspace can be turned into a public website, accessible to anyone on the web and discoverable via search engines. It's perfect for help centers, user documentation, changelogs, and much more.
If you're a fan of Notion AI, you will also appreciate Sidekick, the AI-powered assistant built into Nuclino. Like Notion AI, Sidekick can help you find information, generate ideas, create first drafts, improve your writing, summarize long documents, and more, streamlining your writing process.
Moreover, unlike Notion AI, Sidekick also allows you to instantly generate all kinds of unique images – 2D and 3D, abstract and photorealistic, detailed and simple.
Nuclino also offers built-in visual collaboration and allows you to add an infinite collaborative canvas to any page. You can use it to create flowcharts and diagrams, brainstorm ideas using sticky notes, build moodboards, and much more.
Learn more about how Nuclino compares to Notion: Nuclino vs Notion.
What users say about Nuclino:
"I use Nuclino to document the projects I work on. It serves as a wiki for the project which helps anyone joining the project at later stages understand what was done during the design process, and why certain decisions were made. It is definitely a big step up from using Google Docs and Google Sheets which gets very messy during the course of a project."
2. Confluence + Jira
Pricing: Free, advanced features starting from $5 + $7.50/user/month
Rating on Capterra: 4.4/5
Notion may be great for individuals and smaller teams, but it doesn't scale well. If your company is growing fast and dealing with large amounts of content, a combination of Atlassian Confluence and Jira may be a great alternative.
While Confluence and Jira are technically separate tools, their seamless integration makes them work like a single solution. Both are a part of the Atlassian suite, and together they more than cover the functionality of Notion.
Confluence and Jira are more mature solutions than Notion, with more than 15 years of continuous development. If you are looking for a Notion alternative geared towards enterprises, give Confluence and Jira a try.
Learn more about how Confluence and Jira compare to Notion:
Looking for more tools similar to Jira and Confluence? Check out this list of Jira alternatives and Confluence alternatives.
What users say about Confluence:
"Confluence is a great tool for keeping track of team discussions, meetings, decisions, etc. As a standalone product, it works well in assisting teams in being more collaborative and organized. When combining it with other Atlassian applications like Jira you are able to use its full feature set. We use it to have a single repository for all project artifacts including documents, meeting notes, change control, project requirements, etc."
3. Basecamp
Pricing: $15/user/month or $299/month for unlimited users
Rating on Capterra: 4.3/5
Like Notion, Basecamp is designed as an all-in-one team collaboration tool. It brings together to-do lists, calendars, instant messaging, document and file management, and more, allowing any team to collaborate and manage their work in one place.
Basecamp is less versatile and flexible than Notion, by design. While the drag-and-drop editor of Notion allows you to essentially build your own tools, Basecamp is more rigid and offers you a fixed interface. This simplicity is also what eliminates the learning curve and makes Basecamp so easy to get the hang of, allowing even non-technical users to be productive from day one. Whether that's the right trade-off for you depends on your requirements and preferences.
Basecamp is also one of the rare tools that charge a flat monthly fee (in addition to the option of paying a per-user fee). That makes it a much more scalable option for large and growing teams.
Learn more about how Basecamp compares to Notion: Notion vs Basecamp.
Looking for more tools similar to Basecamp? Check out this list of Basecamp alternatives.
What users say about Basecamp:
"We've been using Basecamp for years. It's kind of an all-in-one piece of software, great for task and project management. You can upload files seamlessly and choose who and who not to alert. The message board feature is great for sharing progress and keeping everyone in the loop on the status of a project."
4. Trello
Pricing: Free, advanced features starting from $5/user/month
Rating on Capterra: 4.5/5
If your primary use case is project management, then Trello can be a great alternative to Notion. While Notion tries to do many things at once and has a much more extensive feature set, Trello is fully optimized for Kanban-style project planning.
This laser-sharp focus has allowed Trello to become one of the most popular Kanban tools on the market. It may not have any of Notion's bells and whistles, but it makes up for it with a much lower learning curve. Anyone, regardless of technical skills, will likely get the hang of Trello in no time.
Learn more about how Trello compares to Notion: Notion vs Trello.
Looking for more tools similar to Trello? Check out this list of Trello alternatives.
What users say about Trello:
"I think the main advantage of using Trello is that it is becoming a standard of the industry. Most people are familiar with it, it has all types of connectors and integrations (Gmail, Calendar, Zapier, Integromat...) and when it comes to collaborating with other teams/companies it is so much easier to use the same tool. Its simplicity and amazing UX are also a great advantage of this tool."
5. Asana
Pricing: Free, advanced features starting from $10.99/user/month
Rating on Capterra: 4.5/5
If you're primarily using Notion to manage your tasks and projects, then Asana may be a great alternative. Compared to Notion, Asana is a productivity tool in a more traditional sense — it's designed to help your team manage projects and doesn't dilute its focus with docs, wikis, or databases.
Like Notion, Asana offers various ways to visually organize your tasks using the List, Board, or Timeline view. Its interface is modern and intuitive, making it easy for any team to adopt the tool and quickly get the hang of it. Asana also offers an extensive set of advanced project management features that Notion lacks, such as workflow automation, dashboards, forms, and so on, making it easier to manage more complex and large-scale projects.
Learn more about how Asana compares to Notion: Notion vs Asana.
Looking for more tools similar to Asana? Check out this list of Asana alternatives.
What users say about Asana:
"It's so easy to get started with Asana and easy to import spreadsheets from other tools. For less tech-savvy and project management averse, it's a really pleasant experience. Notion really didn't offer the ease of scale and I found it frustratingly time-consuming to set up and use for more than documentation purposes."
6. Quip
Pricing: Starting from $10/user/month
Rating on Capterra: 4.4/5
Like Notion, Quip is a multi-functional collaboration app. It combines documents, spreadsheets, checklists, presentation slides, and chat, all in one platform. It is owned by Salesforce and truly shines when used in combination with the Salesforce CRM.
Quip is mainly geared toward sales teams at large enterprises. Note that it's also considerably more expensive than most other alternatives on our list, with its cheapest subscription plan starting at $10 per user per month.
Learn more about how Quip compares to Notion: Quip vs Notion.
What users say about Quip:
"Quip is a great collaboration tool that is something similar to Slack, Google Docs, and Google Sheets all wrapped up into one. It integrates well with Salesforce, so if you are using Salesforce, this is a good option."
7. Zoho
Pricing: Depends on the combination of Zoho tools you need
Rating on Capterra: 4.2/5
Zoho offers a diverse suite of business, collaboration, and productivity apps, including an HR platform, a project management tool, chat, and more. A combination of Zoho Projects, Zoho Docs, and Zoho Wiki can largely cover the functionality of Notion.
Unlike the unified workspace of Notion, the Zoho Suite is made up of individual apps which can be integrated with each other. While that allows for more flexibility, note that each app will require a separate subscription.
What users say about Zoho:
"Zoho has never stopped developing new features throughout their productivity suite. Support is awesome and the ease of use is great for newbies. I've been using Zoho Apps for more than ten years and I am still loyal."
8. Evernote
Pricing: Free, advanced features starting from $10.83/user/month
Rating on Capterra: 4.4/5
When Notion first launched, the note-taking app Evernote was one of its main competitors. And though since then Notion has undergone a significant overhaul, considerably expanding its feature set and positioning itself as an "all-in-one workspace for all your work", Evernote remains a Notion alternative worth considering.
Evernote follows the approach of Trello: focus on one task and execute it perfectly. If you need a simple, straightforward note-taking app for work or personal projects, there is no beating Evernote. Its user-friendly interface, easy setup, and diverse set of specialized note-taking features, such as sketching and document scanning, make it a solid choice for many users.
What users say about Evernote:
"Evernote is perfect for traditional and meeting notes. I found its dashboard so clean and simple yet features and functions are accessible easily. To some users, the price may be pinching a bit. If price is a major decider for you then you might like to use Notion."
9. Todoist
Pricing: Free, advanced features starting from $4/user/month
Rating on Capterra: 4.6/5
Todoist is a great alternative to Notion for those who are looking for a simpler, more streamlined tool for task management. It has a straightforward interface that is easy to use, and it offers a range of features to help you stay organized and on top of your tasks, including the ability to create to-do lists, set deadlines and reminders, and track your progress.
Todoist is focused on task management and doesn't require a lot of setup or customization. It's a good Notion replacement for those who don't need the more robust set of features offered by Notion, such as the ability to create notes, wikis, and databases, and who prefer a more focused interface that doesn't have the distractions of other features.
Learn more about how Todoist compares to Notion: Notion vs Todoist.
Looking for more tools similar to Todoist? Check out this list of Todoist alternatives.
What users say about Todoist:
"Even though Notion is a great software, with so many tools and uses, Todoist is a way better platform for task management and productivity. Notion was very limited for this use and I felt like it wasn't as easy to create and manage my tasks, as it is in Todoist. I'm very happy I made the switch."
10. Google Keep
Pricing: Free
Rating on Capterra: 4.7/5
Google Keep is a practical alternative to Notion for those who are looking for a simple, easy-to-use tool for taking notes and organizing information.
Google Keep offers a number of unique features that Notion lacks. For example, you can make voice memos and have them automatically transcribed. Google Keep also supports handwriting notes, location and time-based reminders, the ability to add notes, lists, and photos, and more.
If you mainly use Notion for simple note-taking and don't need all of the extra features, such as databases and Kanban boards, then Google Keep can potentially be a great Notion replacement for you.
What users say about Google Keep:
"My overall experience with Google Keep has been really positive and would recommend it to others for quick note taking and management. There are few areas that can be improved but overall Google Keep is a really strong product."
11. Airtable
Pricing: Free, advanced features starting from $10/user/month
Rating on Capterra: 4.7/5
If you're looking for a more flexible and customizable tool for organizing and managing data, then consider replacing Notion with Airtable. Airtable has earned popularity for its modern interface, colorful design, and ease of use. Airtable offers a range of views for organizing data, including spreadsheet-style tables, calendars, Kanban boards, galleries, and timelines.
Airtable is particularly well-suited for building relational databases and is more powerful and flexible than Notion in this regard. It also offers extensive automation features, including the ability to trigger notifications, streamline redundant work, integrate with other tools, and run custom code.
If you like the idea of a low-code platform that can be used to build custom collaboration apps and are willing to put in the time to learn it, then Airtable may be the Notion alternative for you.
Looking for more tools similar to Airtable? Check out this list of Airtable alternatives.
What users say about Airtable:
"When I had to add inventory management to my daily routines, I knew I needed a dedicated database structure and tried several on the market. After making my rounds through many, I chose Notion for its price. A few months later I realized how much more efficient Airtable was for my needs and took the plunge. The upgrade was worth it. I am more productive now and getting more data organized than ever before with 10 other tools."
12. Microsoft OneNote
Pricing: Starting from $6.99/month
Rating on Capterra: 4.6/5
If you mainly use Notion for taking notes, then you may want to evaluate Microsoft OneNote as an alternative. It is a part of the Microsoft Office suite and integrates with a number of other Microsoft apps and services, such as Word, Excel, and Outlook.
OneNote allows you to take notes in a variety of formats, including text, audio, and video, and offers a range of tools for organizing and formatting your notes. It's also well-suited for teams who need to collaborate on notes and documents, as it allows you to share your notebooks and work on them collaboratively in real time.
Learn more about how Microsoft OneNote compares to Notion: Notion vs OneNote.
Looking for more tools similar to Microsoft OneNote? Check out this list of OneNote alternatives.
What users say about OneNote:
"I think my favorite thing about OneNote is the ability to password-protect certain notebooks. Notion or Evernote doesn't allow that so I keep OneNote running as a backup specifically for this option. Once you dig in, the interface is intuitive and simple and just makes sense. Being able to highlight, draw and annotate is really great as well. I love Notion but it doesn't allow that quite yet so, again, OneNote has been a keeper for that reason as well."
13. Obsidian
Pricing: Free, advanced features starting from $8/month
Rating on Capterra: 4.8/5
Obsidian is a note-taking and knowledge management tool that is designed to be highly customizable and extendable. It allows users to create and organize their notes using Markdown and link them together to create a visual representation of their thoughts and ideas in a knowledge graph.
Obsidian stores all of your notes locally on your computer and does not rely on a cloud server. It's also one of the few Notion alternatives with an offline mode. It provides a range of first-party plugins that allow users to extend the functionality of the app, such as adding a slash command menu and the ability to set up Kanban boards, calendars, and to-do lists.
Collaborating with others on Obsidian requires some additional setup, as the app does not currently have built-in collaboration features. One way to do this is to create a vault, upload it to a cloud file storage service such as Google Drive, and share it with your team.
Overall, Obsidian is a good alternative to Notion for users who value having complete control over their data and the ability to customize their workspace to their specific needs. It may require more time and patience to set up and customize, and may not have all of the collaboration and database features that Notion offers out of the box.
Learn more about how Obsidian compares to Notion: Notion vs Obsidian.
What users say about Obsidian:
"I love how fast it is. Since everything lives locally, you don't have to worry about pages not loading or missing internet access. Pages are cached in the background and can load instantly when you want to, making context switching instant and producing content super fast."
14. nTask
Pricing: Free, advanced features starting from $4/user/month
Rating on Capterra: 4.2/5
Another great Notion alternative is nTask, a modern and powerful task and project management platform. Compared to Notion, nTask is a fairly intuitive and easy-to-use solution that allows you to manage all your tasks in a productive and secure way.
Like Notion, nTask has an extensive feature set, which includes project management, risk management, meeting management, Kanban boards, Gantt charts, calendar integration, document management, and issue tracking, among many others.
What users say about nTask:
"It's really a hidden jewel because you can take advantage of most of the features for free, and it offers many of the same functions as larger and much more expensive project management tools."
Find the right Notion alternative for you
So what is the best alternative to Notion? The short answer is "it depends".
If you are looking for a faster and more intuitive solution, Nuclino can be a great option. If you need a more mature and scalable platform, give Confluence and Jira a try. If you are looking for a simpler and more mature app, Basecamp is worth evaluating. If you're primarily using Notion as a Kanban tool, consider Trello. Quip and Zoho can be adequate Notion alternatives for larger teams and enterprises. And if you're looking to replace Notion as your personal note-taking app, take a look at Evernote, OneNote, or Obsidian.
Other Notion competitors to consider include Todoist, a task management and productivity app that is designed to be simple and easy to use, Airtable, a flexible and customizable tool for organizing and managing data, and Google Keep, a free Notion alternative for those who are always on the go and need a tool for taking notes.
Whatever tool you choose, make sure to thoroughly evaluate it, especially if you are planning to use it together with your team.
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