8 Best Notion Alternatives for Note Taking

Choosing a note-taking app is difficult because there are several things you should consider before selecting an app. Note-taking apps are designed to help you increase your productivity, keep track of your priorities, and organize your work. While there are a variety of apps out there, the most popular is Notion. It offers you a lot of features and helps you increase your productivity and structure your work.

But what if you want something that helps you more with knowledge management, that can help you build your second brain, or you want something that’s specific to your use case, something you don’t have to set up first, and that’s super easy to use? In this blog, we’ll introduce you to 8 Notion alternatives that take a different approach than Notion and can help you meet your specific needs.

We will not only talk about the Notion alternatives but also tell you the pros and cons of each app and which one is the perfect app for you. If you are interested in the topic and want to take your creativity and productivity to the next level, these eight Notion alternatives will let you do so.

Before you pick the best Notion alternative for your requirement, it’s important to understand what “TYPE” of note-taker you are. There are three major types – The Architect, The Gardener, and The Librarian. We have explained these in detail at the end of the article. You can click here to check it out if you want to understand your type.

Best Notion Alternatives

We’ll present you with the eight best alternatives to Notion you can choose to maximize your note-taking potential. We will list the pros and cons of all these apps and also tell you which app falls into which category of Notion so that you can decide accordingly.

AnyType – Best Notion alternative that works offline

Highlights:

• Anytype, like Notion, is a free workspace app emphasizing all-in-one functionality.
• Unlike Notion, Anytype allows offline work, a significant advantage.
• Anytype offers unlimited storage and uploads, with robust encryption for data security.
• Anytype provides more default templates compared to Notion, covering a wide range of needs.
• Notion requires purchasing or finding templates, while Anytype offers them by default.
• Anytype includes pre-installed templates for various tasks, such as action plans.
• Notion organizes notes linearly, while Anytype utilizes a graph-based approach similar to Obsidian, linking notes via connections and web links.

Anytype is one of the best Notion alternatives if you consider yourself an Architect type of Notetaker; while it has the functionality of linking notes in the form of a graph, it is not the best for people who are Gardener type of Notetakers.

Pros:

• It offers the same features as Notion
• It has a mobile app for both Android and iOS
• It works offline.
• Great for productivity management
• It is free as of now
• It’s ideal for advanced users
• And best for people who are Architect type of Note Takers.

Cons:

• The app is still in the alpha phase, so there might still be stability issues.
• We don’t know how long it will remain free of charge.

Obsidian – The most secure Notion alternative

Highlights:

• Obsidian serves as a notable alternative to Notion, particularly catering to Gardener note-takers.
• It prioritizes user control over data, storing it locally on the computer for enhanced security, unlike Notion which relies on web services like Amazon servers.
• Obsidian excels in notes and data visualization, departing from Notion’s linear notes approach to link notes and generate charts from topics and subtopics.
• Obsidian Publish stands out as a feature enabling users to publish their Obsidian content as a web journal, albeit at a cost, a functionality absent in Notion.

While Notion takes a more project management and task management approach with all the features you can think of, Obsidian is for people who want to take their personal knowledge management to the next level with notes.

Pros:

• Better for people who are Gardener type of Note Takers
• Has a mobile app for both iOS and Android
• Stores all data locally
• Obsidian Publish is great
• You only have to pay if you want to use it for commercial purposes.
• Has a proper iPad app

Cons:

• Obsidian is not as good as Notion or Anytype when it comes to project management.
• Knowledge Graph feature might be overwhelming for new users at first.

Related Read: The Best Way to Move Notes from Notion to Obsidian

RemNote – Best Notion alternative for students

RemNote is a great app for students who are also Gardener-type note-makers. Let me explain: As a student, your note-taking process is divided into 2 parts:

• One part is where you need to take quick notes or write something down, or you just use the app for regular lessons, such as writing down notes for each lesson.
• The second part is where you already have your notes prepared and need to organize and study them.

RemNote is an app that makes the second part much easier. While you can do the whole process of taking notes in a single app, Rem Note makes the whole process of organizing and studying much easier because it uses the concept of organized flashcards.

Organized flashcards are flashcards with individual contexts, meaning each flashcard is connected to your notes in a larger picture.

RemNote can also help you remember things more easily by using references and linking them to your old notes. While this all looks a bit complicated at first glance, keep in mind that RemNote is designed to combine Aunky’s functionality with Notion’s workspace. This makes it useful for students and an alternative to Notion.

Pros:

• Creates flashcards for better knowledge management.
• Probably the best app for students.
• Available on both mobile platforms, iOS and Android.
• Works great offline
• Has a proper iPad app

Cons:

• You have to buy the Pro version for the full feature set.
• Not particularly useful for you if you’re not a student.

Evernote – Oldest and biggest Notion alternative

Highlights:

• Evernote, established in 2004, predates Notion and stands as its earliest competitor, pioneering modern note-taking.
• With a massive user base peaking at 220 million, Evernote is a significant player in the note-taking market.
• It caters well to Librarian-style note-takers, facilitating quick aggregation of information from diverse sources and offering a dependable platform for knowledge management.
• Evernote presents a different approach compared to Notion, specializing in efficient information gathering and reliable knowledge organization.

If you want to know how Notion and Evernote compare in terms of features and functionality, you can read our article about Evernote vs Notion.

Pros:

• Better search function than the competition.
• Available for both mobile platforms, iOS and Android.
• Better knowledge management for personal use.
• Easier to use than other platforms.
• Has its own iPad app.

Cons:

• The free version is very limited.
• Not the best choice for productivity management.

Evernote is one of the oldest Notion alternatives that many people still use and prefer over Notion.

OneNote – Easiest and simplest Notion alternative

Highlights:

• OneNote presents a user-friendly and straightforward alternative to Notion, particularly appealing to newcomers in the note-taking realm.
• Unlike Notion’s feature-rich interface, OneNote operates on a notebook basis, allowing users to add sections to their notebooks for organization.
• While OneNote lacks the extensive features of other alternatives, it shines in simplicity, making it ideal for those entering the world of note-taking.
• It’s recommended for individuals embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem, offering seamless integration with other Microsoft apps and services.

This app also falls into the library note-taking category, but since it’s not as feature-rich, we prefer that you stick with Evernote if you are a Librarian note-taker.

Pros:

• Extremely simple to use.
• It’s free, and you don’t have to buy Microsoft Office plans.
• Has a proper iPad app.
• It is available for both mobile platforms, iOS and Android.

Cons:

• Productivity management is simply not possible.
• Very limited functionality for pro users.
• It cannot be used professionally.

Loop – Latest from Microsoft with AI goodness on top

Microsoft recently published its answer to Notion. While Notion is equipped with additional AI functions, Loop follows the same approach but adds Microsoft’s flavor of AI, Microsoft Copilot.

Highlights:

• Unlike Notion’s standalone AI functions, Loop leverages Microsoft Copilot, offering seamless integration with Microsoft services.
• Loop appeals particularly to beginners in the note-taking realm, especially those categorized as Architect note-takers.
• Copilot AI aids in effortless organization and structuring of notes, resembling Notion’s formatting style.
• Loop excels in simplicity and user-friendliness, making it suitable for both novice and experienced note-takers seeking an alternative to their current apps.

Pros:

• Integrates very well with Microsoft services.
• Copilot will be helpful for beginners.
• Formatting options are similar to Notion.
• Access to Copilot makes the app much smarter than other apps when it comes to synchronizing your tasks.
• The app is available for Android, iOS and Windows platforms.

Cons:

• The app is only available for Windows and not for MAC. You can use Loop components on macOS via Outlook.
• The app works great within the Microsoft ecosystem, but only if you are outside of it.
• To use Loop, you need a Microsoft account.
• Since the app is new, it might be missing some important features compared to more mature platforms like Notion.

Notability – For those who love handwritten notes

Highlights:

• Notability distinguishes itself from other note-taking apps by catering to a unique target audience rather than fitting into traditional note-taker categories.
• As a Notion alternative, Notability offers handwritten notes as its primary mode of input, setting it apart from typing-based applications.
• The app’s emphasis on handwritten notes adds a personal touch to the note-taking process, making it a distinct and special experience for users.
• Despite its unconventional approach, Notability serves as a compelling alternative to Notion, appealing to those who prefer handwritten notes for their personal or professional use.

If you’re looking for a tool to manage personal recognitions, Notablity might be the best option for you. If you want to know more about Notability, then you should take a look at our article about the best iPad writing apps.

Pros:

• Great app for personal knowledge management.
• You’ll have a great experience using the app on your iPhone and iPad together.
• Synchronization features are great.
• Comes with useful features like annotating PDFs and a wide selection of page options.
• Supports both Apple Pencil and regular typing.

Cons:

• Not available for Android.
• Works best when you use it with a combination of iPad and Apple Pencil.

Notability is a great alternative to Notion if you’re studying or just want to improve your knowledge management, and handwritten notes are your forte.

Google Keep / Apple Notes – Best for occasional users

Highlights:

• Two closely related apps, although not direct alternatives to Notion, warrant inclusion in discussions about note-taking due to their excellent functionality.
• Particularly suitable for users who sporadically take notes, both apps perform admirably and are considered among the best note-taking options for occasional users.
• Featuring an ecosystem of companion apps, these platforms are ideal for individuals who don’t neatly fit into specific note-taker categories and take notes infrequently.
• Despite not aligning precisely with Notion’s feature set, these apps offer robust note-taking capabilities and are highly recommended for users with occasional note-taking needs.

If you want to know more about the features that the Apple Notes app offers, you can find our article on the 20 best Apple Notes Tips and Tricks.

Pros:

• Works well in the Apple ecosystem.
• Great for privacy and security.
• Has many useful features like scanning PDFs and documents.
• Extremely reliable to use.

Cons:

• Only works on Apple devices.
• You can collaborate only with people who use Apple devices.
• Lack of integration with other apps.

When it comes to Google Keep, you can’t forget that it’s easier to use and offers a great UI that’s easy to use and understand. The collaboration features are handy but not as advanced as Notion or other apps on the list.

Pros:

• Easy to use and very quick to get up and running.
• Works great in Google’s ecosystem of apps.
• Offers all the important features of a note-taking app.

Cons:

• There is no desktop app.
• Text formatting is not possible.
• Integration with other apps is not available.

How to pick the best Notion alternative

Even though Notion takes more of a “jack of all trades” approach with its project management, knowledge management, task management, and database management features, it’s not perfect in all areas, but most people only use it as a productivity management tool that’s just one part of note-taking. And with so many features, it can be a nightmare for beginners just getting started with Notion. Some of these Notion alternatives try to take a similar approach to Notion, but they might be perfect for advanced Notion users because they simply have more to offer compared to Notion.

Before you decide on the perfect Notion Alternative note-taking app, you need to be clear about what your needs are and what category you fall into so you can choose accordingly. There are a total of 3 categories that we will discuss in this blog: The Architect, The Gardener, and The Librarian. This may sound absurd to you, but these categories were developed by Tiago Forte, author of the famous book Building a Second Brain, and will help you find the perfect Notion Alternative for you. Let’s understand what each category means and how it will help you make your decision.

The Architect

Many who take notes want to take a structured approach where they organize every aspect of their notes and customize things to take full advantage of the app’s features. They take the app’s functionality, customization, and aesthetics very seriously. If you belong to this category, you’re always trying to create the ultimate productivity system that perfectly suits your needs.

Apps like Notion, Coda, and AnyType fall into this category, and both Any Type and Coda are great Notion alternatives.

The Gardener

If you are someone who focuses more on the creative aspect of things than on productivity, you focus more on cultivating new ideas and trying to combine things to create something new and different. Suppose you are one of those people who love to break new ground. Then you fall into the category of Gardener; you are someone who deals with knowledge management while taking notes.

Apps like Obsidian, Rem Note, and Rom Research are the perfect Notion alternatives for you.

The Librarian

When you are constantly gathering new knowledge, you categorize it and love to gather information and combine it with the new data you have collected. You love to take a structured approach, but instead of adapting and structuring everything like a gardener, you take a different approach by digging into a topic. You take full advantage of the note-taking process. You like to research and love to share your knowledge with the world – my friend, you really belong to the category of librarians.

Apps like Evernote are your best bet because it is the best app to gather information from any source. It is available on all platforms, which makes it a perfect Notion alternative.

Choose Your Best Notion Alternative

These are some great Notion alternatives you should try. Also, choosing the right note-taking app is important to maximize productivity, so make sure you’re clear on what kind of notes you’re taking and then choose only the app that suits you. Most of these apps are free for personal use. We recommend sticking with the free version if you’re interested in personal knowledge management.

Each Notion alternative featured in this blog offers at least one thing that makes it better for you. While Notion takes a “jack of all trades” approach,” all of these Notion alternatives try to take a different approach because they are designed for people who fall into different categories of note-taking. All of the Notion alternatives have a feature that is specific to you and beat Notion in that particular category.