The Best Alternatives to Notion in 2024
- ClickUp: Best for customization
- monday.com: Best for startups with limited budgets
- Asana: Best for multiple project views
- Zoho Projects: Best for existing Zoho users
- Smartsheet: Best for workflow automation
- Airtable: Best for data-driven companies
- Teamwork: Best for client-facing service providers
- Wrike: Best for artificial intelligence (AI) features
Best Overall
ClickUp
4.9
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Starting price
Free; $7 per user, per month
(billed annually)
Free trial
None
Agile features
Kanban-style boards, sprint templates and burndown charts
On ClickUp's Website
Free; $7 per user, per month
(billed annually)
None
Kanban-style boards, sprint templates and burndown charts
Editor's Take
ClickUp project management and productivity software combines collaboration, project tracking and reporting features to automate your workflows. Calendar syncs, real-time editing, in-app recording and project tracking view options, such as Kanban boards and Gantt charts, which Notion lacks, help ClickUp stand out as a versatile project management tool. But apart from being an all-in-one workflow tool, ClickUp allows you to customize your workspace with preferred themes, colors and fonts, a feature still finding its way on Notion.
This project management tool also offers advanced security features, including two-factor authentication (2FA), another feature missing in Notion. You can also chat with your team members in real time, so there’s no need to integrate with a real-time chat app. Then, ClickUp offers its users more than 90 features while Notion’s premium users get around 30. It also allows more integrations than Notion. However, similar to Notion, it comes with a steep learning curve thanks to its many features.
Pricing:
There are different ClickUp pricing plans available to cater to specific business needs. Its free forever plan allows any number of users and tasks and you’ll get 100 MB of storage. It also includes real-time chat and 2FA, which Notion lacks. Other ClickUp annual paid plans are:
- Unlimited Plan: $7 per member, per month
- Business Plan: $12 per member, per month
There’s also an Enterprise plan with quoted options. You can customize the plan for any type or size of business.
Learn more: Read our full ClickUp review.
Who should use it:
ClickUp is suitable for businesses that want to have all their workflow automation in one place.
Pros & Cons
- Highly customizable
- Plenty automation features
- Over 1,000 integrations
- Data imports are easier
- Commitment-free monthly plans are available
- Steep learning curve
- Limited time-tracking feature
- Not all ClickUp views are available on the mobile app
Best for Startups With Limited Budgets
monday.com
4.9
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Starting price
Free; $8 per user, per month
(billed annually)
Free trial
14 days
Agile features
Kanban-style boards and Scrum templates
On monday.com's Website
Free; $8 per user, per month
(billed annually)
14 days
Kanban-style boards and Scrum templates
Editor's Take
monday.com is a cloud-based project management platform with an intuitive yet customizable platform that helps automate workflows and manage several project phases in one place. Its flexibility allows you to use it for several tasks, including project management, software development, customer relationship management (CRM) and human resources (HR). You can plan your projects, set deadlines and assign tasks and resources and monitor the progress metrics of each project further. Users can also share ideas and collaborate on projects using the conversation panel.
monday.com has a library of templates to get you started and its reporting tools will show you how your projects are performing and help you identify risks in good time. Unlike Notion, this project management tool has an intuitive spreadsheet-like interface that is easy to navigate, even for first-time users. It also conducts webinars to give you insight into new and complex features so your team gets the most out of it. Also, you’ll get multiple view options, including the project management staple Gantt charts, which show you the entire project―from timelines to dependencies and ownership―at a glance.
Pricing:
monday.com’s pricing depends on the number of seats you need. monday.com’s free plan comes with unlimited boards and over 200 templates. For larger teams, you can choose any of the following plans:
- Basic Plan: $8 per user, per month
- Standard Plan: $10 per user, per month
- Pro Plan: $16 per user, per month
- Enterprise Plan: Custom quoted
The above pricing is shown on an annual basis, but month-to-month plans are also available.
Learn more: Read our full monday.com review.
Who should use it:
monday.com is suitable for various industries and businesses, especially those that want a tool that offers enough flexibility and streamlines their project workflows.
Pros & Cons
- Ready-to-use templates on its free version
- Modern, intuitive and visual dashboard
- Customizable automation without coding knowledge
- Smooth integration with several third-party apps
- Limited reporting and integration
- Even paid plans require at least three users
- No time tracking on lower tiers
- Can’t assign comments to team members
Best for Multiple Project Views
Asana
4.6
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Starting price
Free; $10.99 per month
(billed annually)
Free trial
30 days
Agile features
Kanban-style boards, portfolios (epics) and custom fields
Learn More
Read Forbes' Review
Free; $10.99 per month
(billed annually)
30 days
Kanban-style boards, portfolios (epics) and custom fields
Editor's Take
This cloud-based software makes it easy for project managers to organize their teams, set and track deadlines, streamline productivity and handle general project collaborations, such as file sharing, calendar sharing and milestone tracking. Asana offers multiple format views, such as calendar views, Kanban-style cards, workload overviews and Gantt charts, a feature missing in Notion. With Notion, you can gain a bird’s-eye view and a granular view of your projects and switch between multiple views.
But what makes it stand out is the unlimited storage and ability to look up records and exchange messages on the platform, another feature missing in Notion. Asana also supports various automated processes and allows you to integrate with third apps you’ll need to make your team more efficient. You can also assign tasks to team members, splice projects into subtasks, set deadlines, approve or reject tasks and change requests and receive notifications at each completion stage. That makes it easy for your team members to cascade into projects quickly and gives you progress reports so nothing slips through the crack.
Asana’s interface is also more intuitive and access to the Asana Academy makes navigating the platform easier without hassle. You’ll also enjoy security features, such as SAML 2.0, single sign-on (SSO) and 2FA that are not on Notion.
Pricing:
Asana’s pricing plans include Basic, Premium, Business and Enterprise editions. The Basic plan is free and works well for small teams, allowing up to 15 teams. You’ll also access unlimited storage, and you can create as many tasks as you want and message team members on the platform. Other plans are:
- Asana Premium: $10.99 per month
- Asana Business: $24.99 per user, per month (ideal for medium-sized businesses)
- Asana Enterprise: Custom quoted
Learn more: Read our full Asana review.
Who should use it:
Asana project management software is appropriate for teams that want to coordinate their projects seamlessly and try out project management features on a robust free platform.
Pros & Cons
- Available on iOS and Android devices
- Built-in messaging enabled
- Robust free plan
- Private and comment-only feature protects sensitive data
- Templates available for repeated processes
- It’s quite pricey
- Doesn’t allow you to set multiple task assignees
- No phone support
Best for Existing Zoho Users
Zoho Projects
4.6
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Starting price
Free; $5 per month
(billed annually)
Free trial
10 days
Agile features
Milestones and Kanban-style boards
Free; $5 per month
(billed annually)
10 days
Milestones and Kanban-style boards
Editor's Take
Zoho Projects allows you to create as many projects as necessary for task management and workflow automation. You can also create subtasks and task dependencies to make projects easier to complete. Unlike Notion, Zoho Projects has a built-in messaging feature for individual and group conversations. Also, its higher tiers afford users more customization, allow you to set workflow rules and monitor the progress of multiple projects.
Besides being flexible, allowing your teams to customize the platform to their specific needs, Zoho Projects integrates with the Zoho ecosystem, so you can keep using other Zoho products, such as the Zoho CRM. You’ll also get a smooth integration with third-party apps necessary to make the project management software more viable for your teams.
On top of that, Zoho Projects provides users with features, such as the Gantt charts, which give project managers a big-picture of tasks and dependencies. It also tracks milestones and deadlines, which you can’t do on the Notion software.
Pricing:
Zoho Projects offers different plans for various types of users. Smaller businesses can try Zoho’s free version and create up to two projects, but they can only bring three users on board. Zoho’s paid packages are as follows:
- Premium plan: $4 per user, per month
- Enterprise plan: $9 per user, per month
The above pricing is shown on an annual basis. However, monthly plans are also available for those who do not wish to commit to a full year.
Who should use it:
Zoho Projects is one of the best Notion alternatives for small and midsized businesses (SMBs) that already use Zoho products and prefer to stick to the Zoho ecosystem.
Pros & Cons
- Affordable paid plans
- Lots of customization options
- Built-in messaging
- No user strength required
- Smooth integration with Zoho
- Limited customer support
- Limited third-party app integration
- Storage space is also limited
Best for Workflow Automation
Smartsheet
4.5
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Starting price
Free; $7 per month
(billed annually)
Free trial
30 days
Agile features
Kanban-style board and portfolio management
On Smartsheet's Website
Free; $7 per month
(billed annually)
30 days
Kanban-style board and portfolio management
Editor's Take
This best Notion alternative works as a collaboration tool that enables you to plan and monitor project progress. The project management tool has an array of templates you can customize to suit various project needs, from managing simple to-do lists to automating complex enterprise-level projects. Smartsheet packs all the features you’ll need for digital asset management, organization, work collaboration and content review in one place.
Smartsheet makes it easy for you to build and share customized calendars, analyze and summarize large datasets, create and allocate budget resources and manage resources for project tracking. With real-time commenting and reporting and advanced automated workflows, you can take the steps required for timely project completion.
Users can customize their timeline views to show details, such as time and duration, task dependencies and milestones, thanks to a feature similar to Gantt charts, which Notion lacks. You can be sure of secure project data, with advanced security features, such as AES 256-bit addressed encryption, SSO and 2FA, another missing feature on Notion.
Pricing:
Smartsheet pricing plans include both free and paid. Its forever-free plan allows two editors and two project sheets. You’ll also get 100 automation, three viewing options and 500 MB storage capacity.
- Pro: $7 per user, per month
- Business: $25 per user, per month
- Enterprise: Pricing available upon request
Pricing is shown on an annual basis, but monthly plans are also available at a higher cost.
Learn more: Read our full Smartsheet review.
Who should use it:
Smartsheet provides users with advanced workflow automation alongside robust analytics and reporting. So, if that’s what you’re looking for, even without coding knowledge, it’s a great option.
Pros & Cons
- Flexible and highly customizable
- Robust data protection and compliance
- Low-code workflow automation
- Powerful analytics and reporting tools
- Requires add-ons for time tracking and resource management
- Pages sometimes won’t update in real time
Best for data-driven Companies
Airtable
4.2
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Starting price
Free; $20 per month
(billed annually)
Free Trial
None
Agile features
Scrum templates, Kanban-style board and custom fields
Learn More
Read Forbes' Review
Free; $20 per month
(billed annually)
None
Scrum templates, Kanban-style board and custom fields
Editor's Take
Airtable is the best free project management software for tracking data. It combines the flexibility of spreadsheets with the power of databases, allowing you to create simple and complex databases within multiple tables on Airtable. You can also filter and organize data to make it easy to visualize all your projects and share the details with collaborating team members. Airtable also allows users to switch between multiple views, such as Calendar, Spreadsheet, Gantt charts and Gallery, which displays imagery alongside data for better visual recognition.
This best Notion alternative also has an in-built time tracking feature—something you won’t find natively installed on Airtable. Users attest that the project management tool is highly customizable. Plus, it enables smooth integration with various third-party apps for CRM, events, communication, bookmarking and more, enhancing its functionality and streamlining your workflow.
Pricing:
Airtable offers different pricing plans. Its free plan is good for those trying out the software. Users get basic offerings, including unlimited bases, comment and read-only users, five editors and 2 GB of storage.
- Team: $20 per seat, per month, for those seeking extra capabilities
- Business: $45 per seat, per month, for those that want Airtable to power their most important processes with even more capacity
- Enterprise Scale: Custom quoted for businesses that want a highly customizable and scalable work platform with advanced interface controls, professional services and security.
Learn more: Read our full Airtable review.
Who should use it:
Airtable is suitable for businesses already familiar with Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets for project management and seek advanced features.
Pros & Cons
- Easy-to-use templates for various project types
- Visually appealing and user-friendly interface
- Real-time collaboration and communication
- Smooth integration with third-party apps
- Prices are quite high
- Limited internal communication features
Best for Client-facing Service Providers
Teamwork.com
4.4
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Starting price
Free; $5.99 per month
(billed annually)
Free trial
30 days
Agile features
Intake form builder, Kanban-style board and project templates
Learn More
Read Forbes' Review
Free; $5.99 per month
(billed annually)
30 days
Intake form builder, Kanban-style board and project templates
Editor's Take
Teamwork.com allows you to create automated workflows without coding knowledge. Unlike Notion, which tends to be overwhelming, Teamwork.com is simple. Also, it has native invoicing, budget tracking and time tracking features, helping you create and monitor different stages of work. Clients can view your task lists and milestones and comment on project deliverables. That way, you can make necessary adjustments when needed.
This project management platform provides other services through the Teamwork Desk, Teamwork Chat and Teamwork CRM and it integrates with several other apps your teams need to complete given projects. Teamwork.com also has security features lacking in Notion. So you can be sure that your data stays organized and safe. You’ll also get a 30-day free trial period to test its premium features.
Pricing:
Teamwork.com offers free and paid versions. Its forever free plan, suitable for small teams just getting started, offers basic project management and client-facing features to five users and it enables integrations. The pricing plans are:
- Starter: $5.99 per, user per month (three minimum users)
- Deliver: $9.99 per user, per month (three minimum users)
- Grow: $19.99 per user, per month (five minimum users)
- Scale: Custom quoted plan for enhanced project management features
These prices are based on annual billing. For those that want less of a commitment, month-to-month plans are also available.
Learn more: Read our full Teamwork.com review.
Who should use it:
Because it can add client users and keep track of invoices on the platform, small and midsized agencies and small businesses handling several client projects will love this Notion alternative.
Pros & Cons
- Free 30-day trial on paid plans
- Abundant storage on paid plans
- Enhanced customization
- Easy-to-use automation
- Built-in time tracking, task templates, custom fields and automation
- Limited integrations allowed
- Quite pricey
- Limited security features in lower tiers
- Slower run time with more projects
Best for AI Features
Wrike
4.4
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Starting price
Free; $9.80 per user month
(billed annually)
Free trial
14 days
Agile features
Kanban-style board, request forms, folder system and templates
Learn More
Read Forbes' Review
Free; $9.80 per user month
(billed annually)
14 days
Kanban-style board, request forms, folder system and templates
Editor's Take
Wrike enables its users with robust real-time collaboration on a highly customizable platform. The platform combines collaboration and work management features with project management functionality to make it easier to create and track projects, tasks, schedules and other processes in your organization pipeline in one place. However, Wrike stands out for its commitment to workflow automation through its strong AI assistance. The Notion alternative helps automate processes and actions, making it easy for you to create tasks and subtasks from comments and documents and predict and manage project risks.
Wrike also streamlines collaborations and enables digital asset creation and management conversations. Managers and team members can exchange tasks, content and ideas through the messaging platform you can access from anywhere. However, note that if you’re looking for more resource management tools, custom templates or advanced project management features, such as task approval, you’ll need to subscribe to one of Wrike’s higher tiers. Also, the paid plans have user minimum requirements, and you won’t find advanced reporting or the best security on lower plans.
Pricing:
Wrike’s pricing is straightforward. No minimum user or long-term commitment is required. Unlike Notion, the free plan, which is most suitable for teams getting started with project management, won’t limit the number of users allowed on an account. See the other plans below:
- Team: $9.80 per user, per month
- Business: $24.80 per user, per month
- Enterprise: Contact for quote
- Pinnacle: Contact for quote for teams with complex work needs
Learn more: Read our full Wrike review.
Who should use it:
Wrike suits teams looking for a powerful project management tool with work collaboration features and advanced analytics tools that can help manage complex projects. Also, since its higher tiers come with user limits and added costs, Wrike is more suitable for professional businesses with bigger budgets.
Pros & Cons
- No user minimum on its free plan
- Unlimited projects on the free plan
- Custom fields and workflows on all paid accounts
- Lots of AI-assisted features
- Collaboration with external parties
- No real-time reports or time tracking on lower plans
- It gets pricey with necessary add-ons
Compare Notion Competitors
The table below shows how Notion compares to its alternatives in rating, pricing, features and the chance to try out its premium features.
Company | Company - Logo | Forbes Advisor Rating | Forbes Advisor Rating | Starting Price (Annual Billing) | Free trial | Agile features | Learn More CTA text | Learn more CTA below text | LEARN MORE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Notion | ![]() | 4.4 | ![]() | $8 per user, per month | Custom fields and Kanban-style board | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | ||
ClickUp | ![]() | 4.9 | ![]() | Free; $7 per user, per month (billed annually) | None | Kanban-style boards, sprint templates and burndown charts | Learn More | On ClickUp's Website | |
monday.com | ![]() | 4.9 | ![]() | Free; $8 per user, per month (billed annually) | 14 days | Kanban-style boards and Scrum templates | Learn More | On monday.com's Website | |
Asana | 4.6 | ![]() | Free; $10.99 per month (billed annually) | 30 days | Kanban-style boards, portfolios (epics) and custom fields | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | ||
Zoho Projects | ![]() | 4.6 | ![]() | Free; $5 per month (billed annually) | 10 days | Milestones and Kanban-style boards | View More | ||
Smartsheet | ![]() | 4.5 | ![]() | Free; $7 per month (billed annually) | 30 days | Kanban-style board and portfolio management | Learn More | On Smartsheet's Website | |
Airtable | ![]() | 4.2 | ![]() | Free; $20 per month (billed annually) | None | Scrum templates, Kanban-style board and custom fields | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | |
Teamwork.com | ![]() | 4.4 | ![]() | Free; $5.99 per month (billed annually) | 30 days | Intake form builder, Kanban-style board and project templates | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | |
Wrike | ![]() | 4.4 | ![]() | Free; $9.80 per user month (billed annually) | 14 days | Kanban-style board, request forms, folder system and templates | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review |
Learn More:
- Notion Vs. Asana
- ClickUp Vs. Notion
- Airtable Vs. Notion
What To Look for in a Notion Alternative
Your project management system can make or break your projects, so look out for a few things before choosing one. For instance, go for a system with specific features required to complete your projects. That can include collaboration tools, task management features and a customizable drag-and-drop interface. Notion has basic task management features, but if you need more robust features and flexibility on a platform that’s easy to navigate, you should consider a Notion alternative.
Also, evaluate the software customization and integration to determine if they can meet your needs as they arise. For instance, while Notion integrates with several apps, it doesn’t with popular apps, such as Google Calendar, slowing down the scheduling aspect of project management. Your chosen project management platform should also be easy to understand and navigate and should provide a knowledge base that shows project managers and team members how to implement software’s features, especially the new ones.
Then, look for access to quality customer support for general inquiries or glitch reports. Finally, the software should be affordable. Notion offers a free plan and paid plans starting at $8, but if you’re low on budget or do not want to pay for more users, you can consider alternatives, such as Asana with more robust free plans, ClickUp with no minimum user accounts and Zoho Projects, which costs as low as $4 per month.
Featured Partners
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1
monday.com
Free version available
Yes
Starting price
From $8 monthly per user
Integrations
Zoom, LinkedIn, Adobe, Salesforce and more
2
HubSpot
Free version available
Yes
Free demo
Available
Integrations
Google Contacts, Mailchimp, Xero, Aircall, Airtable and more
3
Smartsheet
Free version available
Yes, for one user and two editors
Starting price
$7 per user per month
Integrations
Google Drive, Slack, Tableau, Miro, Zapier and more
4
ClickUp
Free version available
Yes, for unlimited members
Starting price
$7 per month
Integrations
Slack, Microsoft Outlook, HubSpot, Salesforce, Timely, Google Drive and more
Is Notion the Best Project Management Software?
Notion is a project hub that allows you to do a bit of everything, from planning projects to building workflows, scheduling and sharing multiple content forms, including texts, images, PDFs, links and videos. For users that include Andrea Nero, the CEO of Nero Strategies Group, Notion is a one-stop shop for everything business related. Nero revealed that before she started using Notion, she had to combine Trello with note apps, such as Evernote, GoodNotes and the Notes app, while she used Asana to monitor project timelines. But now, Notion gets her work done.
Ultimately, your team’s unique needs, budget and work style will determine whether or not Notion is the best option for you.
Notion Pros & Cons
Here are the common pros and cons of Notion.
Pros
- Powerful note-taking capabilities
- An array of features for managing projects
- Unique productivity features, such as habit tracking
- Customization options
- Forever free plan
- Low-cost premium plans
Cons
- Lacks advanced project management features
- Limited integrations allowed
- Poor security features
- Keeping multiple projects gets tedious
When To Choose a Competitor Over Notion
Many Notion users agree the project management tool has distinct downsides despite its versatility. Below are a few reasons to go for any of the best Notion alternatives:
- When you require dedicated project management tools
- If you seek effective collaboration, such as real-time collaboration on the same platform
- If you want to access artificial intelligence features without paying extra
- If you’re particular about using an intuitive interface that’s highly navigable
- When you require viewing options, such as Gantt charts
- When you want a native time-tracking feature on your project management tool
- If you use Google Calendar for scheduling and prefer to stay on your platform to add or edit event details
- If you require data protection through security features, such as 2FA
Notion Cost
Notion has four pricing plans. Its free version is suitable for simple project management. It provides a collaborative workspace that integrates with Slack, GitHub and others. You can monitor your projects, receive basic analytics and access weeklong content history. Notion also allows users to invite up to 10 guests on one account. Other Notion plans are:
- Plus: $8 per user, per month (when billed annually) for smaller teams
- Business: $15 per user, per month (when billed annually) for those that want to work with plenty of teams and tools
It provides custom-quoted Enterprise plan to those seeking advanced controls and support on project management.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What's better than Notion?
Your needs determine which Notion alternative is better than Notion. If you need a better free version, go for monday.com or Asana. Wrike is better if you want the best Gantt chart software, as Notion doesn’t offer that. If you run a client-based business, Teamwork is better.
Is there a free alternative to Notion?
All of the recommended best Notion alternatives offer free versions. But their offerings are limited, so you’ll need to consider your needs. You can also hop on free trials to check if their premium features accommodate project management methodologies. However, remember that Notion, ClickUp and Airtable won’t allow you to try their premium features for free.
What are sites similar to Notion called?
Many software platforms offering similar services to Notion are called project management or task management tools. A few of them are dedicated to project management while most of them offer CRM and other marketing and communication features.
Is Notion better than ClickUp?
If you’re looking for more features, view options and enhanced customization or security, ClickUp is a better option. However, ClickUp has a steep learning curve and a limited time tracking feature, similar to how Notion has. Also, you won’t find advanced time tracking features or granular time estimates on lower plans. Still, it’s better than Notion, which doesn’t have abuilt-in time tracking feature.
Is Notion better than Asana?
When it comes to native automation functionality or more robust project management features, such as workflows and automation rules, Notion is better than Asana. But if you’re looking for better file storage or creative collaboration and want to centralize your projects, you’re better off with Asana. So, it depends on your exact needs.
Is Notion better than monday.com?
Notion shines in its prebuilt templates and robust databases, while monday.com offers a full-fledged project management platform that is intuitive and has readily accessible automation, filter search, built-in reporting and advanced features to track progress, time, and budgets. So, your specific needs determine which of them is better for you. For instance, consider whether or not to handle Notion’s steep learning curve and lack of critical project management features or bear monday.com’s complex pricing structure or its inability to provide wiki functionality.