What is Notion? My Complete Review

If you've ever found yourself overwhelmed by scattered information and a never-ending to-do list, Notion might just be your solution. Described as a single space for thinking, writing, and planning, it's a versatile knowledge management tool that seems caters to all of your needs.

In this review I will break down exactly what Notion is, including how much costs, a detailed overview, as well as five features I love and three things you should be aware of before you get started.

At its core, Notion combines the functionalities of note-taking apps, project management tools, and databases, providing a unified space for organising thoughts, tasks, and projects.

From Notion’s website ‘Notion is a single space where you can think, write, and plan. Capture thoughts, manage projects, or even run an entire company — and do it exactly the way you want.’

Key Features:

• Blocks and Pages: Notion operates on a block-based system, allowing users to create content in small, manageable blocks. These blocks can be anything from text to images, databases, and more. Pages serve as the foundation, allowing you to create as many pages as you need.

• Flexibility: One of Notion's standout features is its adaptability. Whether you're a student taking notes, a solopreneur managing your business, or a team collaborating on a document, Notion accommodates various needs. I personally use it for everything, from content planning to tracking my language learning; it's pretty awesome how many areas of your life it can expand to.

• Databases: Notion goes beyond traditional note-taking with its powerful database feature. Users can create databases for tasks, projects, or even personal knowledge management. These databases can be customised to suit specific requirements - my personal favourite is storing my business colour palette in a ‘board’ database; it allows me to store all my colours and HEX codes in one place, and with the preview feature, I can see the colours next to each other!

• Collaboration: Collaboration is at the heart of Notion. Multiple users can work on the same document simultaneously, making it a valuable tool for teams. Comments, mentions, and real-time updates. You can even build workbooks, surveys, and sign-up pages in Notion, which you can easily share with clients, keeping all the data in a single application!

Five Things I Love about Notion:

Versatility: Notion lets me create pages and lists for EVERYTHING—managing personal to-do lists, jotting down ideas, and organising my business content. It's become the go-to place for all my thoughts and ideas, I use it everyday and even have the App on my phone!

Databases: We've all used spreadsheets, but Notion's databases take organising data to the next level. The design allows you to create different properties and tags for each entry, making it a breeze to differentiate and keep track of every number, client, and idea. You can use filters and views to subcategorise your data in any way you want.

Simplicity: Notion is more than a white page filled with text. I can create subpages and drop-down toggle lists to hide information I don’t need to see, keeping my screen simple and clean.

Cost-Effective Solo Use: Notion is FREE to use. While some features like collaboration have limitations, it's a game-changer for solo business owners who can use it at no cost.

Integrations: Notion has some really cool integrations, from pulling in Survey entries to Whiteboards to creating automations with other apps, these options really make it a central knowledge powerhouse for my workflow.

Three Things I Think Can Be Improved:

• My first impression was the lack of customisability. With only three fonts available and the ability to select just one for the entire page, I felt a bit restricted. As someone who loves playing with fonts and creating an aesthetic vibe (yes, I was that person who wrote their school notes with 15 different colours and doodles all over the page), I was disappointed. However, after months of learning and experimenting with codes, columns, and images, I've mastered Notion. As you can see in my templates, it has evolved from a simple white page with one font to an entire personalised space. I understand that not everyone has the time to delve into these 'advanced' features. So, unless you're passionate about designing in Notion, you might miss out on fully utilising its customisable potential. Remember, you can always purchase my templates and save hours of learning, instantly transforming your Notion page into an aesthetic masterpiece!

• Image Size Consistency - From what I have experiences, Notion struggles with perfectly sizing images to match each other. When you drag and drop two images next to each other, it's challenging to get them to be precisely the same size (I'm talking one millimeter). You either have to accept it or screenshot them together externally and insert them as 'one' image.

• Time consuming to get in ‘Perfect’ - While Notion is an amazing tool once set up, achieving perfection is time-consuming. Learning, designing, and implementing a proper system requires an investment of time. To get the most out of Notion, you need to dedicate time to create a system that works for you and suits your needs; otherwise, it becomes that area you never quite invested in, and its full potential is never quite met. The good news? I specialise in this – follow along for my tips and tricks, or if you want to save the hassle, I can even do this for you! Check out my creation packages here.

Quick Overview of the Pricing Plans

Free Plan

• There are no restrictions on how much content you can add to Notion without a paid subscription. Add as many pages and as much content as you like!
• You can upload files up to 5MB each.
• Invite up to 10 guests.
• API access is included

Plus Plan

• Includes everything in the Free Plan, including unlimited storage and API access.
• You can invite as many members as you want (billed per member).
• You can invite up to 100 guests.
• You can upload files larger than 5MB. No limit on file uploads.

Business Plan

Includes everything in the Plus Plan and you'll also be able to:

• You can invite up to 250 guests.
• Manage employee access at scale with SAML SSO.
• Create private teamspaces to add additional permissions and security for limited projects or groups.

Enterprise Plan

Get all the same features as the Business Plan Plus:

• You can invite up to 250 guests (you can customise this limit via a sales contract).
• Advanced security settings to prevent team members from sharing workspace content externally.
• Get an overview of workspace activity with audit log.

These are the key points of each plan; for a comprehensive overview of everything included in the plans, please visit their pricing page https://www.notion.so/help/upgrade-or-downgrade-your-plan

Conclusion

In conclusion, Notion is a versatile and powerful tool that adapts to the diverse needs of its users. Its combination of note-taking, project management, and collaboration features makes it a valuable asset for individuals and teams alike. As you explore Notion, remember that its true strength lies in its ability to mold itself to your workflow, providing a personalised and efficient digital workspace.