Best 7 Notion Alternatives In 2026 | 100+ Personally Tested Tools

There are 500+ Notion alternatives out there. The question is, which one should you try?

Over the last year, I spent 500+ hours testing more than 100 productivity tools from note-taking apps to project management tools and AI note-takers.

Instead of giving you another massive list, I broke down what people actually use Notion for and picked the best alternative for each use case.

Let’s dive in!

Best Notion alternatives in 2026 (Quick Picks)

Comparing the top Notion alternatives

In-Depth Look at the Best Notion Alternatives for 2026

How xTiles performed in my daily workflow

xTiles feels like a middle ground between Notion and Miro. You can organize notes, tasks, and projects in one workspace, but instead of building mostly page-based systems, xTiles lets you arrange information visually using tiles and boards.

The biggest difference I noticed compared with Notion was how quickly I could build a useful workspace.

Unlike Notion, xTiles has significantly fewer features, but that also means there’s less to learn. I could start creating visual boards and organizing my notes without spending much time figuring out databases, properties, or how everything should connect.

At the same time, xTiles gives you plenty of flexibility in how information is arranged visually. I could place notes, tasks, images, and other information next to each other on the same board, which felt closer to working on a visual canvas than a traditional note-taking app.

However, don’t expect Xtiles to have such extensive note-taking capabilities as Anytype or even Notion. Xtiles is not the app that you will use to create complex knowledge management centers, visualize relations, and more.

If we compare it to Notion, Xtiles has significantly fewer use cases and can’t compete with Notion’s feature set, at least not yet. But if we consider only note-taking and collaboration, Xtiles can be an ideal Notion alternative. It also earned the first place on my list of best OneNote alternatives.

🟢 Pick xTiles if: You prefer a simple, visual way to organize notes, ideas, and projects without Notion’s complexity.

🔴 Skip xTiles if: You need advanced databases, automation, deep customization, or complex project management features.

Strengths vs. trade-offs

Pricing structure

• Free – $0: Best for individuals trying xTiles
• Plus – $12.42/user/month (billed annually): Best for most regular users.
• Pro – $24.92/user/month (billed annually): Best for power users and teams
• Enterprise – Custom pricing: Best for larger teams

Xtiles vs Notion

I compared xTiles and Notion across four areas that mattered most in my testing: ease of use and learning curve, note-taking capabilities, features and flexibility, and pricing and value.

🔎 Read my full Xtiles Review: Is It The Best Notion Alternative In 2026?

How Superhuman Docs performed in my daily workflow

Superhuman Docs surprised me with how much control it gives you over databases, formulas, and workflows. Its wide range of views and customization options also makes it capable of managing multiple projects.

Superhuman Docs blends documents, spreadsheets, and apps into a single flexible workspace known for powerful formulas and automation features.

It has many templates for specific use cases, so you can speed up the document creation process. Also, I appreciated that it has powerful note-taking capabilities.

During my review, I discovered that Superhuman Docs is a powerful alternative for building custom pages, with robust database and formula capabilities.

Compared with Notion, it gives you more flexibility to build advanced workflows around your data. I particularly liked how you can combine databases, formulas, and automation to create highly customized systems.

The trade-off is that this extra flexibility isn’t necessary for everyone. If you mainly want to write notes, create simple databases, and organize a personal workspace, Notion feels more straightforward.

Superhuman Docs also lacks a dedicated Windows desktop app, which is a meaningful limitation if you want a desktop-first or offline workflow.

After using both, I’d choose Superhuman Docs for database-heavy workflows and automation, while I’d stick with Notion for a simpler, more balanced all-in-one workspace.

🟢 Pick Superhuman Docs if: You want more powerful databases, formulas, and automation than Notion offers.

🔴 Skip Superhuman Docs if: You want a simpler workspace or need a dedicated Windows desktop app.

Strengths vs. trade-offs

Pricing structure

• Free – €0: Best for individuals trying Superhuman Docs.
• Pro – €12/Doc Maker/month (billed annually): Best for most regular users.
• Business – €33/Doc Maker/month (billed annually): Best for teams that need advanced databases and unlimited automation.
• Enterprise – Custom pricing: Best for larger organizations that need advanced security, governance, and admin controls.

Superhuman Docs vs Notion

I compared Superhuman Docs and Notion across four key areas: databases and automation, note-taking capabilities, learning curve, and pricing and team scalability.

🔎 Read my full Coda.io Review: Here’s What Surprised Me! (2026)

How Obsidian performed in my daily workflow

Obsidian is one of the most powerful note-taking apps on the market. Thanks to the plugins, it offers a wide range of customization options compared to many note-taking apps.

As a notes app, I think it is definitely among the best. It helps you organize and visualize your notes in ways other apps cannot. You can also access all the core features in the free version, which I really appreciated.

In terms of learning curve, Obsidian has a longer learning curve than OneNote, Evernote, or Google Keep (even Notion, I think). However, it’s far easier to learn than Anytype while offering similar powerful capabilities.

Obsidian is a great Notion alternative for personal use thanks to its extensive free plan. While I know developer teams use it, Obsidian lacks advanced collaboration features.

🟢 Pick Obsidian if: You want a powerful, highly customizable app for building a connected personal knowledge base or second brain.

🔴 Skip Obsidian if: You want a short learning curve or need strong built-in collaboration features for teams.

Strengths vs. trade-offs

Pricing structure

• Free – $0: Best for most individual users.
• Sync – $4/user/month (billed annually): Best for using Obsidian across multiple devices.
• Publish – $8/site/month (billed annually): Best for publishing your notes online.
• Catalyst – $25 one-time: Best for users who want to support Obsidian and get early access to new features.
• Commercial – $50/user/year: Best for businesses that want to support Obsidian’s development.

Obsidian vs Notion

I compared Obsidian and Notion across four key areas: note-taking capabilities, customization, collaboration features, and pricing and value.

How Fellow performed in my daily workflow

If Notion’s AI Meeting Notes feel too limited, Fellow is the alternative I’d choose. After testing numerous AI note-takers, Fellow became my default and I’ve now used it for more than two years.

In my experience, Fellow delivers 95%+ transcription accuracy and automatically creates summaries, decisions, and action items. More importantly, it goes beyond Notion with meeting agendas, templates, a meeting library, permission controls, and bot or botless recording.

The trade-off is that Fellow isn’t a complete Notion replacement. I’d choose it specifically if you want to upgrade from Notion’s basic AI meeting notes to a dedicated meeting platform.

🟢 Pick Fellow if: You want more advanced AI meeting notes and meeting management than Notion offers.

🔴 Skip Fellow if: You prefer keeping your meeting notes inside your existing Notion workspace.

Strengths vs. trade-offs

Pricing structure

• Free – $0: Best for trying Fellow before upgrading.
• Team – $7/user/month (billed annually): Best for small teams.
• Business – $15/user/month (billed annually): Best for growing teams that need unlimited recordings and transcription.
• Enterprise – $25/user/month (billed annually): Best for larger organizations that need advanced security and governance.
• Solo – $19/month (billed annually): Best for individual professionals who want Fellow’s advanced features

Fellow vs Notion

I compared Fellow and Notion across four areas: AI meeting notes, collaboration features, pricing and value, and overall feature scope.

Fellow is not a full Notion replacement—I’d consider it specifically if you want to move beyond Notion’s limited AI meeting notes and use a more advanced, dedicated meeting tool.

🔎 Read my full review: Fellow AI Review: My Thoughts After 2 Years Using This AI Meeting Note Taker

How Anytype performed in my daily workflow

I am not going to lie; Anytype is a complex app and requires a significant investment. Even after helping more than 20,000 people learn to use Anytype, I can’t say I completely know this note-taking app.

Anytype introduces an object-based approach to note-taking, and while it offers real-time collaboration, it is currently better for personal use.

It also stands out from Notion with its local-first approach, offline access, and focus on privacy and data ownership.

However, this flexibility comes with one of the steepest learning curves I’ve experienced among note-taking apps. It also has fewer collaboration, automation, and project management capabilities than Notion.

🟢 Pick Anytype if: You want more privacy and control over your data, or a more advanced system for building a connected personal knowledge base.

🔴 Skip Anytype if: You want Notion’s easier learning curve, stronger collaboration, or a more versatile all-in-one workspace.

Strengths vs. trade-offs

Pricing structure

• Free – $0: Best for most individuals who mainly want private notes and a personal knowledge base.
• Plus – $4/month (billed annually): Best for regular users who need more remote storage.
• Pro – $8/month (billed annually): Best for power users with larger files and more storage needs.
• Ultra – $16/month (billed annually): Best for heavy users who need significantly more remote storage.

Anytype vs Notion

I compared Anytype and Notion across four key areas: advanced note-taking capabilities, collaboration features, pricing and value, and learning curve. Anytype stands out for advanced note-taking and value, while Notion is easier to learn and offers stronger collaboration features.

🔎 Read my full Anytype Review: The Best Note-Taking App In 2026?

How ClickUp performed in my daily workflow

I used ClickUp daily for 3 months to manage real workflows, and I found it to be one of the most feature-rich project management apps. It effectively combines project management, note-taking, AI note-taking, and collaboration into one platform.

And during my ClickUp review, I found that it combines these tools with high flexibility, making it a well-rounded choice for more complex project management workflows.

That said, this flexibility comes with a learning curve. It takes time to fully understand how everything works, and I experienced occasional performance issues, for example, when we used the whiteboards with my team.

The mobile app also feels less polished compared to the desktop version.

🟢 Pick ClickUp if: You’re outgrowing Notion’s project management capabilities and need more advanced views, task management, resource planning, automation, and team collaboration.

🔴 Stick with Notion if: You prioritize note-taking, knowledge management, simplicity, and don’t need advanced project management features.

Strengths vs. trade-offs

Pricing options

• Free Forever – $0: Best for individuals and very small teams that want to manage projects and tasks for free.
• Unlimited – $7/user/month: Best for small teams that need unlimited storage, integrations, folders, spaces, and more.
• Business – $12/user/month: Best for medium-sized teams that need more advanced features such as timesheets and workload management.
• Enterprise – Custom pricing: Best for larger organizations that need enterprise-level security and administration.
• AI features – Separate add-on: ClickUp Brain, AI Notetaker, Super Agents, and other AI features are separate from the base plans.

ClickUp vs Notion

I compared ClickUp and Notion across four key areas: project management features, collaboration, pricing and value, and learning curve. ClickUp stands out for complex project management and collaboration, while Notion offers better value and is easier to learn.

🔎 Read my full review: My Honest ClickUp Review After Using It For +3 Months (2026)

How AppFlowy performed in my daily workflow

I had a positive experience with AppFlowy. It was easy to navigate its pages and find the key features.

AppFlowy offers a straightforward solution for organizing tasks and projects. It is particularly useful for small teams thanks to its pricing structure.

I particularly found the auto-fill option outstanding during review, which uses AI to turn databases into actionable insights.

When it comes to the AI capabilities, AppFlowy supports top-tier models (GPT, Claude) for generating drafts, expanding on topics, and extracting insights. However, you can access these for internet-based workflows.

If you prioritize 100% data privacy and want to work offline, AppFlowy’s Local AI feature (LAI) supports open-weight models, but you can run them through third-party apps.

🟢 Pick AppFlowy if: You want an open-source Notion alternative with offline access, self-hosting, and more control over your data.

🔴 Stick with Notion if: You need a more mature all-in-one workspace with advanced integrations, automation, and team workflows.

Strengths vs. trade-offs

Pricing options

• Personal – $0: Best for individuals using AppFlowy for personal productivity.
• Pro – $16/member/month (billed annually): Best for professionals and teams that need advanced collaboration, project management, AI, and unlimited storage.
• Self-hosted Free – $0: Best for individuals who want to self-host AppFlowy.
• Self-hosted One – $6/month (billed annually): Best for individuals who want more features in a self-hosted setup.
• Self-hosted Team – $10/seat/month (billed annually): Best for teams that want a self-hosted workspace.
• Self-hosted Enterprise – Custom pricing: Best for larger organizations needing advanced security, deployment, and administration.

AppFlowy vs Notion

I compared AppFlowy and Notion across four key areas: project management features, collaboration, pricing and value, and learning curve.

Summary: Best Notion alternatives in 2026

Notion is still one of the most versatile productivity apps I’ve tested, so I don’t think there is one alternative that is simply better than Notion at everything.

Instead, the right alternative depends on what you want to improve. I’d choose xTiles for visual note-taking, Superhuman Docs for advanced databases and automation, Obsidian for building a second brain, Fellow for more advanced AI meeting notes, Anytype for privacy-focused note-taking, ClickUp for complex project management, and AppFlowy if you want an open-source alternative.

I’ve personally tested each of these tools, and I’ll continue updating this list as their features, pricing, and overall experience change.

How We Selected The Best Notion Alternatives

Notion is one of the most versatile productivity tools, but it isn’t the perfect fit for everyone. Some users need stronger project management features, better offline support, more privacy, or more advanced note-taking features.

While we use standardized testing frameworks for categories like project management and note-taking apps, we cannot compare apples to oranges.

That’s why the scores you see throughout this article come from category-specific testing frameworks and reflect how well each tool performs within its intended category and use case.

Therefore, I selected these Notion alternatives based on the following criteria:

Why you can trust our reviews

At thebusinessdive.com, our team tests, reviews, and compares hundreds of productivity apps every year — from project management tools to note-taking apps. We dive deep into real-world use cases to help you find the right tools that actually improve your workflow, not just add noise.

Our mission? No fluff, no shortcuts—just honest, hands-on insights from productivity pros.

Discover how we stay transparent, read our review methodology, and let us know about any tools we missed.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best Notion alternatives?

There isn’t one productivity app I’d consider better than Notion across every use case. However, several alternatives outperform it in specific areas.

For example, ClickUp is stronger for complex project management, Obsidian for connected personal knowledge management, and Superhuman Docs for advanced databases and automation. The best option depends on why you want to replace Notion.

Is there anything better than Notion?

Notion has undoubtedly become one of the most popular productivity tools. However, there are some capable Notion alternatives that have similar features with even more advanced features.

Related article:

• 7 Best Note-Taking Apps For 2026 | +2 Years Personal Testing

What is better, Notion or Xtiles?

Both Notion and Xtiles are great productivity tools. xTiles is ideal for people who want a simpler, more visual way to organize notes, ideas, and lightweight projects. Although it does not have as many collaboration features as Notion, Xtiles is a cost-effective solution for teams.

If you are looking for a more versatile app that you can use for note-taking, project, task, and database management, Notion is a better alternative. It has a minimalist design with robust collaboration features.

Is Obsidian better than Notion?

Overall, Obsidian is a more powerful app than Notion for personal note-taking. While it is a complex app with a long learning curve, it offers many possibilities to organize your notes and brainstorm ideas. And most importantly, you can do it safely.

Nonetheless, if you are looking for an app for note-taking, project, task management, or team collaboration, Notion is a way better tool than Obsidian. Obsidian is simply not ideal for team collaboration or managing projects within a team.

Related article: Notion Vs Obsidian: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)

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