I finally understand why people leave Notion

Published 8 minutes ago

Parth, a seasoned tech writer, wields the keyboard (or pen) with finesse to unravel the intricacies of both Windows and Mac operating systems. He has covered evergreen content on mobile devices and computers for multiple publications over the last six years. You can find his work on AndroidPolice, GuidingTech and TechWiser. Whether it’s demystifying system updates, deciphering error codes, or exploring hidden features, Parth’s prose guides readers through the binary maze. When not immersed in tech jargon, you’ll find him sipping chai, pondering the next software review, and occasionally indulging in a friendly debate about mechanical keyboards.

The promise of Notion is exciting: one workspace to rule them all. But after years of staring at loading icons an…

Published 8 minutes ago

The promise of Notion is exciting: one workspace to rule them all. But after years of staring at loading icons and struggling to find a simple note buried under five layers of databases, the ‘All-in-One’ dream has officially broken for me.

I used to defend the lag and complexity as the price of power, but I have hit a breaking point. I finally understand why people are fleeing to leaner, faster alternatives — and why doing everything often means doing nothing particularly well.

Is Notion still the best productivity app?

Notion’s flexibility keeps it ahead of the pack

Notion mobile apps are average

They leave a lot to be desired

While Notion looks like a masterpiece on a 32-inch monitor, the experience completely falls apart the moment you step away from your desk. Although the company has used several native components in its mobile apps, the overall look and feel is still poor.

Notion’s mobile apps basically mimic the desktop app and shrink it into a mobile interface. Opening complex databases with dozens of columns and large Kanban boards takes ages at times.

The friction didn’t stop at the loading speed, though. It was the layout. On my desktop, my ‘Life Dashboard’ was a symphony of columns, linked databases, and beautiful widgets. However, it was a nightmare on the phone.

To find a simple checkbox, I had to flick my thumb past my ‘Daily Intentions,’ past a gallery of ‘Inspirational Quotes,’ and go through three massive database views.

The maintenance tax

Notion requires constant gardening

I used to justify the hours I spent in Notion by saying it was setting me up for success. I thought that if I could just build the perfect system, my work would eventually start doing itself. But after a few months, I noticed a pattern: I was spending a major chunk of my morning just managing the app.

The problem with Notion’s flexibility is that it’s never really finished. Because you can tweak everything, you feel like you should. I would sit down to start a project, notice that a database property was slightly out of date, and spend the next twenty minutes fixing a filter or adjusting a view.

I started calling this the maintenance tax. It’s the time you have to pay just to keep your workspace functional. I was becoming an expert at organizing my work, but I wasn’t actually getting more work done.

Isn’t ideal for quick notes

Good luck catching those quick thoughts

The biggest problem I ran into was that Notion isn’t really designed for speed of thought. It’s designed for the structure of thought. That difference sounds small until you are actually trying to use it for quick notes.

On my desktop, it usually felt like too much friction for a simple idea. If I had a random thought while working, I would have to find the Notion window, wait for it to come to the front, and then decide where the note actually belonged.

By the time I navigated to the right sub-page or clicked New, the original thought had usually lost its spark. I found myself opening a basic text editor or even a physical note just because I couldn’t be bothered with the process of a Notion block.

As I mentioned before, the mobile apps don’t inspire confidence as well. I often ended up just using Keep Notes for jotting down quick notes. Eventually, I realized I was avoiding my own second brain because it was too much work to talk to it.

I finally had to admit that while Notion is a great place to store a finished project, it’s a frustrating place to catch a fleeting idea.

Besides, Notion stores user data on its cloud. I have often seen privacy-focused folks avoiding Notion just because they can’t store their data offline or on a cloud service of their choice.

There are even some open-source ones

It’s clear that the productivity market has shifted towards specialized tools that prioritize speed and deep focus. Apps like Obsidian and Logseq have become powerhouses for people who care about data ownership and fast, local-first performance.

Apps like Tana, Capacities, and Anytype are pushing the boundaries of how we organize information, focusing on nodes and objects.

If Notion’s databases felt too manual, tools like ClickUp or Monday.com are proving that dedicated project management features — like built-in time tracking and native automations.

Microsoft Loop is another robust productivity tool for those living in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. I stopped trying to force my tasks into a note-taker and my notes into databases.

The ugly truth about Notion productivity

The all-in-one workspace is a beautiful dream, but for many of us, it’s a logistical nightmare. Maybe you love tinkering, and if so, keep building. But if you are feeling that familiar sense of ‘Notion burnout,’ this is your sign that it’s okay to walk away.

After all, you don’t need a perfect system to do great work; you just need a system that stays out of your way. Besides, there is no shortage of Notion alternatives out there. You can always pick a capable one based on your usage and preferences.