I lost count of how often I see people asking about Notion alternatives. As a certified Notion consultant, I understand both the strengths of Notion and the various Notion alternatives available. I am also keen to know where other tools thrive and how to take care of my clients. To help with this, I created a spreadsheet documenting Notion alternatives and left it open for public contribution (see origins below).
The goal was to have a comprehensive matrix to compare product features. The challenge remains that despite considerable overlap, each product also had distinct advantages to be tracked. The result is imperfect, but still serves as a valuable source for deciding what tool to use based on your requirements.
In this post, we will explore Notion alternatives that can meet your needs and preferences.
The goal was to have a comprehensive matrix to compare product features of various Notion alternatives. The challenge remains that despite considerable overlap, each product also had distinct advantages to be tracked. The result is imperfect, but still serves as a valuable source for deciding what Notion alternative to use based on your requirements.
Comapring Notion Alternative Features:
- Offline Mode
Can the tool be used without internet access? Offline mode is critical for travelers or those who lose access to the internet.
- Tasks
Is there a facility to create, assign, and track tasks?
- Kanban
Does it support managing items on kanban board?
- Publish
Can content be shared on the web? Can you turn content into a website?
- Supported Operating Systems
Which OS’s does it work on? Mobile?
- Native Automation
Can you automate tasks without the need of external tools like Make or Zapier?
- Integrations
Can the tool be integrated with other tools?
- API Access
Can you control the tool programmatically?
- Ease of Use/Ramp
A subjective assessment. How easy is it to use and learn on a scale of 1-10? (rated by users, not me).
- Databases
Does it support working with your data in databases? (Filters, Sorts and Relationships, and Calculations/formula)
- Backup / Recovery
Is there local storage and recovery of data that you own, in case the service goes away? History?
- Collaboration
Can multiple users work with the tool simultaneously?
- Open Source
Can you see the source code?
- Self-hosting
Can you host all the data yourself without SAAS?
- Client-side encryption
Nоte that app should be at least source-available or else you can’t say that it has client-side encryption”
- Third-party Security Audits
Has an external party given a security audit?
- Price
This would seem to be an essential comparison element. Hoever, it’s not really possible to do an apples-to-apples comparison with the variety of options each product offers.
Alternative Notion Products and Features:
- Affine
“AFFiNE is a workspace with fully merged docs, whiteboards and databases. Get more things done, your creativity isn’t monotone.”
- Anytype
“The everything app for those who celebrate trust & autonomy.”
- Appflowy
“Bring projects, wikis, and teams together with AI. The AI workspace where you achieve more without losing control of your data.”
- Bear
“Markdown notes you’ll love”
- Capacities
“A studio for your mind. A calm place to make sense of the world and create amazing things.”
- ClickUp
“The everything app, for work. One app for projects, knowledge, conversations and more. Get more done faster—together.”
- Coda
“Your all-in-one collaborative workspace. Coda brings teams and tools together for a more organized work day.”
- Craft
“Craft the best docs in the world”
- Evernote
“What will you achieve today? Remember everything and tackle any project with your notes, tasks, and schedule all in one place.”
- Joplin
“Joplin is an open source note-taking app. Capture your thoughts and securely access them from any device.”
- Logseq
“Connect your notes, increase understanding.”
- Microsoft Loop
“Think, plan, and create together”
- Microsoft OneNote
“Your digital notebook. One cross-functional notebook for all your note taking needs.”
- Nifty
“The ultimate project management OS. Stop switching between Roadmaps, Tasks, Docs, Chats, & other tools. Nifty is one app to unite your teams, goals, and processes.”
- Nino
“Build a custom workspace with modular apps. Try the superapp made for professionals. Boundless free tier.”
- Notejoy
“Fast and focused notes for you and your team”
- Notesnook
“Open source. End-to-end encrypted. Private. Write notes with freedom, no spying, no tracking.”
- Notion
“The happier workspace. Write. Plan. Collaborate. With a little help from AI.”
- Nuclino
“Your team’s collective brain. A modern, simple, and blazingly fast way to collaborate – bring knowledge, docs, and projects together in one place.”
- Obsidian
“Sharpen your thinking. Obsidian is the private and flexible writing app that adapts to the way you think.”
- Saga
“The AI Workspace. Connected notes, tasks, and AI. Simple and fast collaborative workspace.”
- SiYuan
“SiYuan is a privacy-first personal knowledge management system that supports complete offline usage, as well as end-to-end encrypted data sync.”
- SlashPage
“Build your website in seconds. Any website you want to create, just a slash away.”
- Slite
“Skip the software learning curve: Slite delivers beautiful documentation, hassle-free adoption, and AI-powered search from day one.”
- Standard Notes
“Standard Notes is a free, secure note-taking app with powerful end-to-end encryption, unparalleled privacy features, and seamless cross-platform syncing on unlimited devices.”
- Superthread
“Finally, a project management tool that doesn’t suck.”
- Tana
“The world’s most powerful notes. From thought to action faster than humanly possible. Welcome to AI-native knowledge management.”
- Taskade
“Build Your Ultimate AI Agent Workforce.
- UpNote
“Organize Your Ideas. Stay focused and productive with a clean and clutter-free note space.”
- Zettlr
“From idea to publication in one app: Zettlr supports your writing process at every stage — from initial notes to journal submission or book manuscript.”
In October 2023, a Reddit thread listed about 10 alternatives to Notion, and people started commenting. I put them in a spreadsheet and left permissions open with an invitation to contribute. That worked for well over a year. At some point, well-meaning contributors started degrading the quality of the sheet, so I added a requirement to log in to track people’s changes. Since then, it has continued to grow in utility and popularity.
Origin of the list
I do not claim ownership of the collective work we produced. At best, I am the curator, not the creator. The real credit goes to those who gave their time and experience to help everybody else.
Getting Help On Your Notion Project
As a business grows, older systems begin to wear thin. What used to work starts breaking down, and “more of the same” will not improve anything. I can help you build better systems with Notion, but Notion is just a tool. The real benefit comes from learning how to think about your growing business.
I offer complimentary consultations to discuss project opportunities.
