9 best (free and paid) Notion alternatives

There are many things for agencies to consider when choosing a productivity tool. While the well-known Notion software has lots of functionality that helps users manage their workflows and wrangle their to-do lists into submission, it may not be the best choice for everyone.

If you like to look at all your options (and who doesn’t?), here are nine of the best Notion alternatives on the market today. One of them is bound to be the right choice for your agency.

1. Teamwork.com

Touted as the “Swiss Army Knife” of project management software, Teamwork.com provides users with powerful collaboration and planning tools and a whole lot more. It cuts through the complex, hard-to-use, and repetitive actions associated with some software platforms.

The result?

Users can effortlessly manage their projects, team, and clients in one place. Its long list of features and many integrations make it an excellent alternative to Notion.

Features

Teamwork.com helps users stay organized and informed, without overwhelming them.

• Task management: Robust task management capabilities, including the ability to add tags, estimate time, assign work, set due dates, and get granular with your privacy settings.

• Time tracking: Offers visibility into where each team member's time is being spent. Never wonder how much time specific tasks take, or miss billable hours again. 

(Did you know that, according to the Teamwork.com State of Agency Operations Report, nearly a quarter (23%) of agencies do not track employee time at all? Can we say “lost revenue”?).

• Customizable views: From list views, to Kanban boards and Gantt charts, Teamwork.com lets you choose the view that suits you. With collapsible projects and subtasks, you can also select the level of information you need so you're not overwhelmed with unhelpful details.

• Resource scheduler: An intuitive way to schedule your team’s resources in advance, so you can always assign the right people to the right projects. 

• Task list budgets: Breaks down costs at the task list level, offering insights and control over your workflows.

• Workload planner: Provides a live view of a team's work capacity so you can proactively manage it to keep projects on track.

• Spaces: Seamlessly integrating with other Teamwork.com apps, Teamwork.com Spaces creates a centralized workspace for your teams to create, edit, collaborate, and share content across teams and with clients. 

Pros

• Pre-built task management templates make it easy to take more effective notes.

• Sub-tasks allow for getting down to the nitty-gritty details of the project.

• Teamwork.com Spaces creates an ideal knowledge base to create, edit, collaborate, and share content. 

• Recurring tasks give users a way to automate repetitive actions, saving time and money.

Cons

• Very small organizations may find Teamwork.com to have more features than they need.

• Value-stream mapping is not yet available.

Pricing options

Teamwork.com offers a free version for up to five users. From there, the three plans range from $9.99 per user per month for the Deliver Plan, to $19.99 per user per month for the Grow Plan (our most popular), and custom pricing for the Scale Plan.

2. nTask

nTask is another note-taking tool alternative to Notion. With its transparent comment section and user-friendly project management capabilities, this software should be on every list.

Features

nTask offers a feature-rich platform with a short learning curve required to use it:

• Project-related Knowledge Base: Ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

• Checklists: Keep track of tasks and deadlines.

• Gantt Charts: Plan, manage, and measure every project stage.

• Real-time collaboration: Boost overall team productivity.

Pros

• Optimizes work via Kanban board views.

• Tracks tasks efficiently.

• Gives users a way to easily manage online meetings.

• Boosts team productivity with real-time collaboration.

Cons

• Doesn’t offer many customization options.

• Lacks a dedicated app for desktop users.

• Doesn’t offer a free version.

Pricing options

nTask breaks down its pricing into three options. The first one is Premium and costs $3 a month. The second, Business, is $8 a month. The top tier is called Enterprise and is customized to fit each client’s needs.

3. Coda

Coda is a powerhouse of a tool that lets users manage their project docs, so they can stay in control of their tasks. It’s user-friendly with tons of customization options, making it a great choice for agencies that aren’t using Notion.

Features

• Collaborative workspace: Foster inclusivity for on-site, hybrid, and remote team members.

• Helpful automation options: Save time!

• Automatic alerts, notifications, and escalation: Keep users fully informed.

• Easy collaboration and brainstorming: Promote idea creation and problem-solving.

Pros

• Provides customized doc-building options and spreadsheets based on client needs.

• Helps decrease ramp-up time with a large template library.

• Updates sync to ensure everyone is working with the freshest data.

• Scales with your agency easily.

Cons

• Costs more than Notion.

• Free version is limited.

• Customer support quality is inconsistent.

Pricing options

Coda offers four pricing options. The first one is called Free and — you guessed it — there’s no charge for it. The three paid plans are Pro, Team, and Enterprise, starting at $10 a month per doc maker.

4. Evernote

Managing data and taking notes has never been easier than with this note-taking tool. Get organized, save important documents in one place, filter your information, and take control of your schedule with Evernote.

Features

• Advanced annotation and markup: More ways to stay productive.

• Connection with Google Calendar: At-a-glance workflow planning and task management.

• Web clipper: Save web pages, articles, and PDFs found on the web in a single location.

• Filters: View tasks by date, note, or assignment.

Pros

• Stores tasks inside the notes, helping users avoid back-and-forth.

• Provides a mobile and web interface.

• Allows users to share notes on social media.

• Changes update instantly across all devices.

Cons

• Free plan has very limited features.

• Storage is limited (other wiki tools offer unlimited storage).

• No real-time collaboration.

Pricing options

Evernote does offer a free version, but many of its features aren’t available on that plan. The paid versions are Personal, priced at $6.67 per month, and Professional, which costs $9.17 per month.

Want more alternatives? Check out our Basecamp, Asana, and ClickUp alternatives.

5. ProofHub

ProofHub is an end-to-end solution packed with helpful features and wrapped up in an intuitive interface. Team collaboration features? Check! Planning and organization options? Check! A quick look at this software tool shows you why it made our list.

Features

The many features included in ProofHub make it a wonderful alternative to Notion. Some of our favorite ones are:

• Project management tool: Meets every project need, no matter how complex or drawn out.

• Time tracking: Ensures clients can be billed for every dollar possible, helping increase project profitability.

• Reporting: Measure success and view the most important metrics.

• Table view: Keep the highest priority tasks in plain sight, so they don’t fall through the cracks.

Pros

• Fixed pricing plans make it easy on the budget, especially for smaller agencies.

• Unlimited notes and wikis give agencies the space they need to plan and execute their objectives.

• The ability to attach files and add comments to notes makes it possible to organize all information by topic.

Cons

• The mobile version doesn’t function as well as the desktop version.

• Notification management could be easier to manage and filter.

• There’s no free version.

Pricing options

The flat-rate pricing is one of Proofhub’s biggest selling points. The first package, named Essential, is $45 per month. The top-tier plan, Ultimate Control, is $89 per month. There are no per-user fees with ProofHub.

6. Google Keep

A to-do list and note-taking app, Google Keep packs a big punch. There are several reasons why it’s a highly downloaded and trusted app for organizations of all sizes.

Features

• Colors: Easy to segment and highlight notes and groups of information.

• Handwriting: Supports handwritten notes on the platform.

• Seamless sync: Access notes across all Google devices.

• Search functionality: Keeps users efficient and productive. No more paging through notes for that one piece of missing information.

Pros

• Helps with collaboration by allowing users to be added to the notes.

• Uses colors to segment notes (by project, scope, or deadline), which is an easy way to stay organized.

• Associates images with notes easily for quick, single-location reference.

• Provides simple note-sharing among team members.

Cons

• The size of the note can’t be adjusted, and there’s a character limit.

• No ability to add video notes.

• Lacks integrations. Only integrates with Google Apps.

Pricing options

Google Keep is free and doesn’t have a premium version. Users do need a Google account to use the app.

7. Workflowy

Workflowy is a notebook where each page can hold an infinite amount of information. This scope makes it simple to organize thoughts and plans. Make the most of your knowledge management efforts by opting for Workflowy.

Features

This straightforward tool offers several valuable features that make it a smart option.

• Drag-and-drop: Save time and increase efficiency.

• Global search: Never lose another file.

• Kanban boards: Take control over tasks and information.

• Infinite nesting: Collaborate and be creative naturally.

Pros

• The easy-to-use interface helps beginners ramp up quickly.

• Can be used with iOS or Android.

• Create live copies of anything within the platform.

• Share permissions to set who sees what within the software.

Cons

• Lacks advanced customization options that could hinder usability.

• Doesn’t perform as well on mobile browsers as some of the other options on this list.

• Doesn’t offer a way to highlight deadlines.

Pricing options

Workflowy has two pricing plans to choose from. The first one is Basic, which is free forever and can work for users who don't mind the plan's limits. The second one, Workflowy Pro, is $4.08 per month.

8. Microsoft OneNote

An intuitive software to take meeting notes, Microsoft OneNote is a one-stop-shop digital notebook where users can organize all types of data. It’s chock-full of features that appeal to many types of users and serve lots of purposes.

Features

Some of the best features Microsoft OneNote offers are:

• Quick Notes: A place to store notes, thoughts, and any other information you need to refer back to later.

• Quick Access Toolbar: Find what you’re looking for without wasting time digging through all the software’s features.

• Custom Tags: Separate and group pieces of information to create an organized storage format.

• Collaboration tool: View and share ideas.

Pros

• Easily revise notes with the software’s different types of annotations and highlighting features.

• Seamlessly integrates with all other Microsoft products.

• Encrypts notes for greater security.

• Records audio notes and adds online videos.

Cons

• Lacks task management features.

• Attaching individual pages can be difficult.

• Using the mobile app isn’t as seamless as the desktop version.

Pricing options

Microsoft OneNote is free, which is a big plus for agencies that are closely watching their budgets but still want a valuable solution to note-taking.

9. Zapier

If users want an all-in-one tool that automates tasks, streamlines productivity, and increases team collaboration, Zapier should be on their shortlist of apps.

Features

• Multi-step zaps: Automate several tasks at once.

• Super-admin permissions: Proactively see and address issues before they blow up into big problems.

• Transfer: Move bulk data on demand.

• Tables: Save, edit, and access data needed to run zaps.

Pros

• Scales onboarding with apps and teams to save the trouble of implementing and using new software.

• Builds visual workflows with the drag-and-drop feature without writing code.

• Keeps your data secure with multiple security measures.

• Seamlessly integrates with popular apps like Slack, Airtable, Trello, Asana, ClickUp, and hundreds more.

Cons

• The free trial option doesn’t include enough features.

• Instructional details are lacking. Additional information and video tutorials would be helpful.

• Pricing isn’t competitive as an agency scales and needs access to more functionality.

Pricing options

Zapier offers five plans, including a Free Forever option. The paid plans start at $19.99 per month, all the way up to the Company plan at $799 per month.

Does your agency maintain a knowledge base that functions as your team's single source of truth? Learn how to use Teamwork.com's knowledge base feature to add notes you need your team members to see.

Ramp up your note-taking with Teamwork.com

Agencies shouldn’t automatically opt for Notion before looking at all the alternatives. Other software systems may offer greater customization, a more intuitive user interface, more helpful features, and a better price point. The choice comes down to the features most important and beneficial to your agency.

Teamwork.com provides users with a way to seamlessly manage users, projects, and clients while collaborating with co-workers and staying on top of tasks. Pre-built templates, a handy drag-and-drop feature, and a robust note-taking tool give users what they need to stay in control and focused on their highest-priority tasks.

We're built with agencies in mind and offer powerful note-taking capabilities along with other features that will tighten up efficiency and squeak more productivity (and billing!) out of every minute.

See more of what Teamwork.com can do for your business now — get started now for free, view our comprehensive pricing plans, or book a demo today.

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