What Is Notion?
Notion has become one of the most talked-about productivity apps in recent years, promising to replace your notes app, project manager, wiki, and database all in one place. But does it live up to the hype? We spent several weeks using Notion across personal and professional workflows to give you an honest picture.
Key Features
- Flexible pages and blocks: Everything in Notion is a block — text, images, to-do items, code snippets, embeds. You can arrange them freely on any page.
- Databases: Notion's database views (table, board, calendar, gallery, list, timeline) are genuinely powerful. You can filter, sort, and link databases to each other.
- Templates: A vast template library covers everything from meeting notes to content calendars and habit trackers.
- Collaboration: Real-time editing, comments, mentions, and page sharing make it suitable for teams.
- Notion AI: An optional AI add-on can summarise notes, draft text, and answer questions about your workspace.
Performance & Usability
Notion's web app is polished and responsive. The mobile apps (iOS and Android) have improved significantly but still lag behind the desktop experience — complex databases in particular can feel sluggish on phones. The learning curve is real: new users often feel overwhelmed by the blank canvas and endless possibilities.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | Personal use, small projects |
| Plus | ~$10/month | Freelancers & power users |
| Business | ~$15/month per member | Growing teams |
| Enterprise | Custom | Large organisations |
What Notion Does Well
- Incredible flexibility — build almost any workflow you can imagine.
- Strong template ecosystem from the community.
- Linked databases reduce duplication across projects.
- Clean, distraction-free writing environment.
Where Notion Falls Short
- Offline mode is limited and unreliable.
- Mobile experience isn't on par with the desktop version.
- Can become disorganised quickly without a clear system.
- Notion AI costs extra on top of your existing plan.
Verdict
Notion remains one of the most versatile productivity apps available today. It's best suited for individuals and teams who enjoy building customised workflows and don't mind a learning investment. If you want something ready to use out of the box, simpler alternatives like Obsidian or Apple Notes may serve you better. But for sheer flexibility and power, Notion is hard to beat.
Rating: 4.2 / 5