The modern lifestyle can often leave us feeling as if we’re stuck in a chaotic whirlwind of information and deadlines. The information age, and the realities of the internet’s influence over our work schedule, is a struggle that we all face. Regardless of industry or skill set.
It’s for this reason that a large variety of comprehensive workspace programs have been rising in popularity as of late. Everything from Trello, Evernote, OneNote, Google Calendar, the list goes on.
For many of us, we’ll know at least one of these. Yet in the world of workspace programs, there is very little innovation. Many are not managing to provide more than what a simple journal and calendar can offer us.
Yet there has been one new innovation in the workspace program sphere that has been making a name for itself. Notion, an extensive program that has tailored itself to provide complete support for the busy modern professional and much more.
It’s for this reason that we’ve decided to sit down and take a more comprehensive look at Notion. Everything from what it is, what it can offer you, what it’s capable of, and much more.
Read on to see our review of this new intuitive breakthrough in the workspace world!
What is Notion?
Notion is a workspace and organizational tool built on a simple foundational philosophy. With so much information out there, scattered across so many different programs, Notion strives to bring all of that information to a single, easy-to-use space.
The program is designed for teams as small as one person, to full companies of thousands of people. With features and applications that can be scaled up and down to meet your personal needs.
Notion can cover everything from novel planning, project management, to company-wide organization, and much more. With so much flexibility under the hood of Notion, it’s hard to find something it isn’t applicable to.
The team behind Notion believes that bringing all of the work, and knowledge, into one central space will enable you, and your team, to work more effectively and clearly on their goals. It’s with this principle at its core, Notion manages to bring order to the chaos of endless information.
What is Notion Used For?
Notion is a program absolutely bursting with functionality. The sheer number of applications that Notion can meet is impressive. Yet it’s important to note that the program is designed to offer only what you need.
At the core of Notion’s functionality is flexibility. It wants to offer you the tools you require, so let’s take a closer look at what Notion can be used for.
Notes and Writing
Notion comes with a comprehensive and extensive writing suite. Complete with a wide range of fonts, and functionality that you’d expect from a mainstream word processor.
On top of this, Notion also allows you to organize your writing and notes into easy-to-use documents and folders. Providing unparalleled organization for writing projects big and small. It can be used to plan a novel, keep a journal, or track working notes with ease.
The nature of how you utilize Notion’s notes and writing is up to you. You’ll be hard pressed to find a creative, or professional writing application that Notion can’t offer support for. As well as all of the professional formatting tools you’ve come to expect from other mainstream processors.
Task Management
Notion is well suited to tracking your personal business or creative tasks. With an extensive calendar, note keeping, and goal focused list tools. Notion manages to keep your tasks at your fingertips with ease.
The workspace tool provides a variety of methods to keep track of tasks. From simple checklists, to company wide goal tracking, everything is there for you to keep a strong handle on the task at hand.
Project Management
Notion is set up in a way that you can scale up, or scale down, the scope of the program’s view of a project. No matter if you’re tracking a personal project, or keeping tabs on a company wide endeavour, the program will allow you to see in real time as others are actively working on these projects.
Due to the simplistic, yet expansive nature of the workspace program. You’re always in control of the space you create, which is a core fundamental building block that has been deeply baked into Notions very essence.
Building Databases
Notion is fully capable, due to its extensive information focused design, to keep track of and build databases with ease. Everything from simple company information tracking, to incredibly complex information complexes designed to sell information as a commodity.
The workspace is highly adaptable, meaning you are free to adapt your own personal database needs to the program. No matter the nature of the information you’re looking to gather, foster, or cultivate, Notion has all the tools you need to make it happen.
And make it happen with ease, organization, and efficiency.
And Much More!
Due to the extensive nature of Notion, it would be impossible to list every application that the program is well suited to. However, some of the most common creative, professional, and personal applications of Notion include:
- Habit Tracking
- Creating a life Wiki
- Resume building
- Gamification of work, and work spaces
- Meal planning
- Journaling
- Novel planning and writing
- Productivity tracking
- Project roadmaps
- Group projects
How Does Notion Work?
This question may lead you to believe there is a hidden complexity to Notion. The truth couldn’t be more the opposite. Notion is designed with simplicity and usability at its core. Taking direct inspiration from programs such as Google Docs, Evernote, Trello, OneNote, and Todoist.
If you’ve used any of these programs, then you already have all of the understanding you require to take full advantage of Notion. The workspace program is primarily designed with a block system at its core. Not unlike many website building programs, such as the WordPress suites, employed today.
Each block has a variety of applications, and it’s here that the toolkit of Notion (which we will cover soon) comes into play. Each block can be made to include:
- Text
- Images
- Videos
- Bullet Points
- Code
- Check Lists
- Task and Project Tracking
- Announcements
- And much more!
Yet whilst the block system is the core building block of Notion, there are other machinations at work within the workspace program. Sitting outside of this system is a simple to use folder system
Much akin to a folder network you’d build in your home PC, Notion allows you to build this network into a single program. Allowing you to create a database that you can easily navigate, without trudging through a complex company or personal web of folders you’ve set up.
Anything outside of these two primary areas of Notion is an easy-to-understand toolkit that any person that has basic computer skills will quickly pick up.
So, don’t place too much weight onto the question “How does Notion work?” and instead focus more on the question “How can I make Notion work for me, my team, or my company?”
Features of Notion
Let’s take a step back for a moment and get a closer look at the core features that make up Notion.
Multiple User Functionality
Notion is built to allow multiple people to use the program at the same time. All built on top of a Kanban board interface. This enables an entire team to work on the workspace at the same time.
This is easy to set up, and resembles many of the same multi-user functions that are used in programs such as Google docs. Shared through program links.
Wide Integration Support
Notion is designed to be used with a wide range of current tools to streamline your workflow. It supports integration with a ton of email, website, and workflow tools. Such as Typeform, the Google Calendar app, and Google drive. Just to name a few.
This means no matter the type of tools you are already using in your business, Notion is able to integrate them into a single easy-to-use workspace.
Extensive Note Taking
One of the core features of Notion is the note taking, and word processer functionality built into the core of the program. You can add a list, plain text, videos, sound, code snippets – it’s all up to you.
All of this makes creating a database, project document, or company task management a breeze. With rich text formatting, your team will be able to leave comments, edit in real time, craft detailed notes and reports, and have a full understanding of the task ahead of them.
Task and Project Tracking
You can quickly and easily use Notion to create tasks and projects for your team. Each task being stored on the Kanban styled workspace board. You can easily move these tasks around, link processes together, and track progress over many different projects with ease.
You can take a step further and create a folder network for your tasks and projects. Enabling notifications to keep you informed on the progress of certain tasks, and keep your team informed about the progress of other projects with a few simple clicks.
Templates
To streamline your processes and workflow as effectively as possible, Notion provides a wide range of templates for you to use. This allows you to quickly create a range of task specific pages within a few seconds.
For example: You can easily create a template for a database, providing a great starting point for your team to build on. Or create a template for a blog article within seconds, allowing your team to get to work in a moment’s notice.
The Block System
The core of Notion is set up to utilize a block system, as discussed before. These blocks are the backbone of all of Notions toolkit, and allow you to mould your workspace with ease.
Every block comes with drag & drop functionality, and comes with its own unique permission set. Meaning you can create blocks that are only editable by certain team members, or create blocks that only leadership roles can track and edit.
What is all the Hype with Notion?
In the world of workspace programs, Notion has been making a name for itself as of late. More and more businesses are turning to Notion to remedy their workspace needs, and the hype is beginning to build.
Yet what is behind that hype? Many workspace programs are already common within corporate settings, and deeply baked into professional culture. So, what exactly is setting Notion apart?
The answer is two-fold. Firstly, Notion is designed from the ground up to require very little previous knowledge to use. Everything from the user interface, to its core features, are all straight forward and simple to use. Cutting down the training required before use, allowing teams to get to work more quickly.
Secondly: Notion is significantly more optimized and extensive than most other workspace programs on the market. Whilst some may have specific features that set them apart, Notion is able to provide a complete package to users. Whilst also allowing full integration of many other previously established workspace systems.
These two elements combined create the overwhelmingly positive response that Notion is receiving online, and why people are turning to the program on mass. No doubt as time goes on, and more teams continue to work from home, this hype will continue to grow in size.
Notion Pros (What I Like)
- Can important data from others apps with ease
- Support for a wide range of 3rd party programs
- Simple usability, with complexity in its application
- Endless customization, allowing you to shape Notion into the tool you want to use
- Can be used by multiple people with the click of a button
- The application is an excellent organizational tool
- The block system is simple, quick, and effective
- Requires no prior knowledge of other workspace tools
- The user interface is a breeze to navigate
Notion Cons (What I Don’t Like)
- Notion is hard to integrate into your workflow if every team member isn’t using it
- Can be a little overwhelming and confusing at first, despite its usability
- The mobile apps can be slow to load
- Options are limited for customizing views, or organizing content
- Not all templates are equal. Some are very limited for their applications
- The web clipper functionality can sometimes be frustrating and hard to use
- Without the right design choices for your workspace, Notion can become disorganized and confusing
Notion Integrations
As Notion is designed to be a complete workspace application, it has made an incredible effort to support a wide range of integrations at its core. The program currently supports over two hundred different integrations.
Everything from tracking Gmail within the workspace, to sending and receiving Slack messages can be supported within Notion. You can add, contact, or update into Salesforce, Trello, Google Docs, and even directly import Office content
Notion also supports, but is not limited to, the following:
- Gmail
- Slack
- Mailchimp
- Salesforce
- AWeber
- HubSpot
- GetResponse
- Office 365
- Zoho Mail
- LivePerson
- Microsoft Dynamics
- ClickFunnels
- ConvertKit
- Drip
- Google Hangouts
- Zoho CRM
- Active Campaign
- And much more! See the full list here.
Who is Notion For?
This question does have an answer, rooted in the people who most often use Notion. However, it’s important that we take a moment to phrase this a little differently.
Who is a workspace for? The answer is almost anyone looking to do work. That is what Notion is at its core. A comprehensive, extensive, easy-to-use workspace. So, whilst there are people who will gravitate towards Notion more, the truth is that anybody looking to create a digital workspace will find great value in Notion.
That being said, the program is marketed towards certain groups more specifically. These include, but are not limited to:
- Students
- Agencies
- Designers
- Researchers
- Engineers
- HR Firms
- Copywriters
- Marketers
- Coaches
- Authors
- Company Management
- Office Workers
Is It Easy-To-Use?
The short answer is yes. Although there is a nuance to this answer. Notion is designed in a way that the complexity of your workspace is at your own making. This means that you are free to make Notion as easy, or as difficult, as you choose to make it.
Just like all workspaces, they are crafted around the personal needs of those who utilize them. However, let’s take a moment to look at the core building blocks that make up Notion.
Everything from the block system, the word processor, the integration functionality, to the folder system, is all designed with a strict usability in mind. All of these systems are moulded off pre-existing norms that any computer literate person will grasp easily.
The complexity of Notion is in your control, just as everything else is within the program. However, when you strip away the personal utilization of the program, and look only at the bones, the result is an extremely simple and effective tool that takes very little effort to pick up and use.
Is Notion Any Good?
The workspace industry is an extensive one, with many large players having their own personal programs out there. Everyone from Google, Microsoft, Apple, and much more have created workspace programs. Each of them having their benefits and disadvantages.
Compared to these big players, the question “Is Notion Any Good?” is somewhat a misguided one. Notion has not built itself to compare to these giants, nor has it created a platform that innovates on these workspace ideas.
Instead, Notion has created a single space for your work. Allowing you to utilize all workspace programs and applications in a single place.
In this respect, Notion does very well. It succeeds in offering you exactly what it sets out to do, and brings the complex web of applications we all use to one central location. Due to the hyper competitive nature of these other tech giants, this isn’t something they can offer.
However, Notion is not hindered by the same drawbacks of competition as Microsoft, Google, or Apple. Instead, they can make use of every tool on the market, and bring it all in front of you.
That, without a doubt, makes Notion incredibly good at what it does.
How Much Does Notion Cost?
Notion is a premium program that has tiered pricing plans. Each tier is designed to meet the requirements of specific groups that use Notion. Due to its wide flexibility, it makes sense that Notion has set itself up in this fashion.
Let’s take a closer look at the pricing plans for Notion, which are split into two key categories:
For Individuals
For individual users, there are two plans available. A free personal plan, costing you nothing and providing the core features of Notion. As well as a Personal Pro plan costing you $4 per month, providing you with complete access to all of Notion’s features.
For individuals looking to use Notion, it makes sense to begin with the free personal plan. Get your feet wet with the program, and see if it works for you. From there, you will be able to make an educated choice on if the Personal Pro plan is right for you.
For Teams & Businesses
For teams and businesses, there are also two plans available. A Team plan, costing $8 per month per user. Providing you with all of the features that a small team would require to make use of Notion.
As well as an Enterprise plan, which has no listed cost. However, the Enterprise plan comes with a free trial, and we can assume that rates for this plan are quoted to your business on a case-by-case basis. Tied directly to your company’s utilization of the program.
This plan is the most extensive of the two, and tailored more specifically to full company integration. In this respect, it’s easy to see which category your team or business will fall into when it comes to picking a business plan for Notion.
Standard vs Pro vs Team Upgrade
When it comes down to selecting which plan is right for you, there are a few factors to consider. Each plan is designed to meet the demands of certain personal and professional utilization.
For example: The standard personal plan, which costs nothing, will provide you with:
- Unlimited pages & blocks
- Share with up to 5 guests
- Sync access across devices
- Content API
- All basic features of Notion
This will be well suited to an individual that isn’t looking for a very extensive workspace. Especially if you’re not looking to work with a team. However, if Notion becomes your primary workspace application, then you may want to take advantage of the Personal Pro upgrade.
The Personal Pro plan include:
- Everything in the Personal Plan, plus
- Unlimited file uploads
- Unlimited guests
- Version history access
Now you have all of the tools a personal workspace could ever need. However, what about the Team upgrade? What sets the team plan apart from the others?
The Team Notion plan includes:
- Everything in Personal Pro, plus
- Unlimited team members
- Collaborative workspace functionality
- Advanced permissions
- Extensive admin tools
This is tailored towards a professional team, looking to work together. If you’re a small company, or a dedicated passion project team, then this is exactly the workspace you’re looking for. Providing the ability to work together on the same workspace, and a range of useful admin tools as well.
Benefits of Notion Pro and Team Upgrade
The benefits of Notion Personal Pro, and Notion Team is in the name. The pricing structure is set up to reflect that fact.
The Personal Pro plan will offer all of the tools required to make the most out of Notion as an individual. If you’re looking to build a comprehensive workspace as a single person, then Notion Personal Pro is the right plan for you.
The Personal Pro plan will not limit you with file uploads, and allows you to share your workspace with as many people you want. It also provides access to Notion version history to keep control over compatibility with your personal hardware.
The Team upgrade is a plan tailored towards using Notion in a team environment. It enables you to take advantage of Notion’s collaborative functionality, as well as: Providing admin tools and advanced permissions for management roles to utilize at their discretion.
If you’re looking to create a company foundational workspace using Notion, then the Team upgrade is what you’re looking for. Enabling you to make the most out of Notion’s extensive collaborative ability. As well as track your tasks and projects with ease.
How to Make Money with Notion
There are many effective methods to making money with Notion. For many creative professionals, Notion is a gateway to a range of methods that utilize your skills to create a commodity that is in high demand.
The reason for this is simple: Notion is used by some of the largest companies, and most passionate creative individuals on the planet. Yet those people do not have the time or resources to always make the most out of the platform.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular ways you can turn your subscription to Notion into a valuable revenue stream:
Selling Courses
If you have a desirable skill set, and are looking to sell that knowledge. Notion is well equipped to provide a platform for you to both: Create a course, and sell it to others.
This can take many forms, and will depend heavily on the skill set that you possess. However, a good example is in the professional copywriting sphere. If you’re a professional copywriter, and wish to create a classroom styled course within Notion, it couldn’t be simpler.
Once your course is set up, you can invite others to work through the course alongside you. The users who wish to engage in your work only need the free personal plan of Notion, so you won’t be asking for any investment into Notion from their end.
Then you can work, in real-time, through the content of your course with your students. You can have students leave work for you to review, and set out a classroom style task list for members to complete.
All of this is a valuable commodity, that many would jump at the opportunity to take part in. It’s not limited to professional copywriting either. Practically any skills that can be taught in a classroom can be taught within Notion.
Creating Templates
At the very core of Notion is a large range of templates. These are used for almost everything within the program, and create an extremely simple usability to the platform. However, the provided templates from Notion, whilst great, will not cover every need from the consumer.
This is where you come in. If you have the skills to create powerful and useful templates for Notion, then you’ve just struck a gold mine. Templates are in high demand, and many professional niches are in desperate need of more high-quality template options.
Take some time to look into the world of Notion templates, and pick a niche. Work on creating a specific template for areas that currently have few options. Companies will not hesitate to spend good money on high-quality templates, and it’s an easy way to make some money. Even full time.
Sell Your Notion Skills Directly
Whilst Notion is an incredibly useful tool, not everybody knows how to use it. This is especially true from a management position. For a lot of companies using Notion, they often hire an expert to properly manage their Notion workspace.
This role is much akin to a network administrator. Who fills the gap in computer knowledge required to make the back end of a business network function. A company often requires the same kind of support to better organize and utilize Notion for their company side application.
As a Notion administrator, you’ll be in charge of the backend of a companies Notion workspace. This means you’ll organize the internal structure, optimize how the company is using Notion’s features, and streamline how their teams operate within the program.
Sales Pages
Sales pages are a style of template that can be used in Notion to optimize a company’s sales strategies. However, unlike just creating a template, sales pages will require you to have access to two key areas of knowledge: An understanding about sales and information about the company.
If you have a skill set that matches up to this, and are comfortable working in Notion, then you’re well equipped for this line of revenue. Sales pages within Notion often used embedded CTA buttons, live chat feeds, sales graphs, and embedded trading projections.
These pages link into the wider scope of the company. Actively pulling from information that is being shared between the teams to better optimize their profit protentional.
Out of all of the methods listed here, sales pages are both the hardest, and the most profitable.
Manage a Wiki
When people hear “Wiki” they think of the massively popular online Wikipedia, a free resource we’ve all used at some point. However, few people realize that Wikis are a widely used information matrix employed by a large range of professional industries.
If you have experience creating and managing Wikis, then you won’t have to try hard to find an industry looking for your skills. Many companies are in desperate need of people to better organize their internal Wikis, or the Wikis of many large fandoms and business circles.
Notion is incredibly useful at creating Wikis, and is already used by some of the largest on the internet. With Notion, you’ll quickly be able to sort through large quantities of information, and create order from the chaos
Notion Reviews
Notion Testimonials
Is Notion Right for You? Is it Worth it?
This question needs to be answered from two key perspectives. The individual, and the business. As these two groups will come to the conclusion that they need a workspace program for different reasons.
The Individual
For professional or creative individuals, Notion is a powerful workspace tool for organization. If you are in desperate need of better organization, and need to better have a grasp on the wide web of programs at your disposal, then Notion is right for you.
It is absolutely worth spending the price of a coffee per month to have access to this tool. As having a more organized digital workspace will lead to better productively, and highly quality of work.
The Business
Whilst benefiting from all of the same aspects that the individual will, a businesses’ choice to use Notion will come with a few different factors. The most prominent one being: Internal organization.
If you are in a management position and find it difficult to keep track of your team, then Notion is absolutely right for you. Allowing you to keep a wide gaze over the internal workings of your company with ease.
It also improves productivity for your individual users as well. Promoting a cleaner, and straight forward team environment. Your employees don’t need to be looking through multiple different programs to keep track of their work.
Instead, everything will be in front of them. Simple. Streamlined. Productive.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About Notion Answered
Can I collaborate with other people in Notion?
Yes. If you have the Team package, you’ll be able to use the collaborative functionality of Notion.
Is Notion Great for Project Management?
Absolutely. Notion allows you to quickly and easily keep track of your projects. Both personal and companywide.
Will Notion make me more productive?
Having a better organized workspace has been linked to high productivity. That’s a fact. Notion won’t force you to become more productive, but it will provide the space where you can take advantage of your potential.
Is Notion good to write a novel or a research paper?
Absolutely. Both novels and research papers require a lot of planning and research. Notion is a perfect space to organize that information, and make the best use of it.
Does Notion have a chat function?
No.
Does Notion have a mobile app?
Yes, Notion has an app for both iOS and Android phones.
Does Notion have a desktop app?
Yes, you can download a standalone desktop app for both Mac and Windows.
What is the Notion Web clipper?
The Notion web clipper is a browser extension that allows you to save websites to save websites directly in Notion. It is similar to a bookmark.
You can find the Notion Web Clipper for Chrome here.
Is the User Interface (UI) User-Friendly and Easy-to-Use?
Yes. Notion is incredibly easy-to-use. Requiring only basic computer skills to begin using.
How is Notion’s Support?
Notion works with some of the biggest companies in the world. As a result, their support is attentive, responsive, and always ready to help.
Who created Notion?
Notion was created in 2015 by Ivan Zhao and Simon Last.
Does Notion Have a Money Back Guarantee?
Notion does not provide direct refunds. However, if a team member has dropped, and you’ve paid for their access, Notion will often refund you a credit to your account.
What are Notion credits?
Notion credits are awarded for testing out new features. You can go to the “Earn Credit” tab in the Settings & Members menu within Notion. These credits can be spent on high-tier plans, or providing access to new team members.
Is Notion offered in other languages?
Currently at this time, no. However, the Notion team does have plans for different language packs in the future.
Is Notion Free?
Yes. The Personal plan is, and always will be, free.
Is Notion Safe?
Yes.
Is Notion Legit?
Absolutely. Notion has been developed by a team of industry professionals, and is an absolutely legit and honest business and product.
Where Can I Get Notion at a Discount?
Does Notion have an Affiliates program?
Is Notion a Pyramid Scheme?
No. There are no elements whatsoever within Notion that even remotely resemble a Pyramid scheme.
Notion Twitter
Notion has an active account on Twitter with almost 38,000 tweets so far. You can find here:
Where can I find Notion templates?
How Can I create my own Notion templates?
Are There Any Notion Alternatives?
YYYYY vs Notion: Which One Is Better?
I have questions about Notion, but not listed here. How do I ask?
How do I use notion templates?
Can you sell notion templates?
Why every student should use notion in 2020?
How do you duplicate a notion template?
How do I import a notion template?
Does notion cost money?
How do I share my notion template?
How do I edit a notion template?
Have a look at our Notion “vs” software review here:
