A couple of years ago, I hit a wall.
I was juggling way too many tools one for notes, one for to-do lists, another for calendars, and a few more for project management. My browser had more tabs than I could count, and the constant context switching was frying my brain. That’s when I stumbled across the Evernote vs Notion debate.
At first, I thought it was just another productivity rabbit hole. But once I started using both, it wasn’t just about features it became personal. Here’s what happened, what I learned, and why I ended up using one more than the other.
I Started With Evernote… and It Felt Familiar
I’ll admit it Evernote felt like home at first. The clean user interface and that simple notebook stacks system felt like organizing a digital journal. I could highlight text, use bold, italic, and underline for emphasis, and the drag-and-drop formatting made it easy to shuffle things around.
I also loved using tags and the pinned notes feature it kept the chaos somewhat manageable.
But…
One annoying issue crept in fast. The mobile app was sluggish. Every time I opened it, I was bombarded with pop-ups nudging me toward their paid plans. Not to mention, the free plan only allowed one device at a time. In today’s world, that’s basically useless.
I Tried the Audio Notes (Cool, But Flawed)
Recording audio notes sounded like a dream. I thought, “This will save me during meetings!” But it took several minutes to transcribe even short recordings. Once, Evernote somehow transcribed everything in Chinese no joke. Their AI assistant tried to help with translation, but it felt like a patch, not a feature.
Project Management? Meh…
While Evernote technically offers project and task management tools, they’re painfully limited. I created a project tracker, tried adding due dates, comments, and to-do lists, but it just didn’t click. It was more of a glorified note bin than a workflow tool.
Yes, it has an in-built calendar and a web clipper (which I still love), but the lack of templates, the limited AI features, and that hefty price tag made me reconsider everything.
Then I Gave Notion a Shot (And Everything Changed)
Switching to Notion was like walking into a minimalist Japanese apartment after living in a cluttered dorm. The minimal design, subtle typography, and white space gave me peace. But the real magic? The block system.
Each content block in Notion feels like a LEGO piece. You can build anything: a kanban board, a wiki, even a personal CRM. I started with a simple to-do list using one of their templates (they have over 20,000, by the way), and within days I had full-fledged pages for everything from YouTube scripts to money plans and admin info.
I Still Love These Notion Features
- The sidebar makes navigating between pages effortless
- You can embed YouTube videos, Google Docs, Maps, Miro, and more
- Calendar integration with Google Calendar works seamlessly
- The AI writing assistant feels like having a mini-ChatGPT in the app
- Tags, due dates, and real-time collaboration just work
And the best part? I’ve been on the free plan for over two years, and it still hasn’t limited me.
But… Notion Has Its Own Setbacks
I won’t sugarcoat it Notion’s lack of offline mode is frustrating. I travel a lot, and not being able to access my notes on a flight or in low-signal areas is a dealbreaker sometimes. Also, there’s no option to password protect pages, which makes me worry when I’m storing sensitive data.
Integration Showdown: Evernote vs Notion
Both tools offer Zapier integration, which unlocks access to 7,000+ third-party apps. But Notion also integrates with ClickUp, Jira, Dropbox, and Asana, giving it a modern edge. Evernote has solid options too like Salesforce, Slack, and Microsoft Teams but Notion just felt more aligned with my workflow.
Let’s Talk Pricing (Spoiler: Evernote Feels Overpriced)
- Evernote’s free plan gives you just 50 notes, and you’re forced to upgrade soon after
- The Personal plan is $129.99/year, while the Professional tier costs $169.99/year
- Their Teams plan hits a whopping $249.99/user annually
Meanwhile, Notion’s Plus plan is €9.50/month, and even their Business plan is only €14/month. For what you get dashboards, analytics, automation, file uploads, and more it feels like a steal.
So… Which One Is Better?
For me, Notion wins hands down.
It’s more than a note-taking app it’s a complete productivity workspace that centralizes notes, tasks, projects, knowledge hubs, and even emails soon. The flexible structure, visual workflows, and endless customization mean it grows with you.
Evernote still has its strengths especially in search functionality, web clipping, and a more traditional note-taking experience. But its limited task management features, slow mobile experience, and expensive pricing plans made it hard to stick with.
What I Learned From Using Both
- A tool that works for one person might not work for a team
- Customization beats pre-set limitations
- Clean UI matters, but flexibility matters more
- You don’t need ten tools one that does it all well is enough
I’d Love to Hear from You
Have you used both Evernote and Notion? Which one do you prefer and why? Drop a comment or shoot me a message. I’m always up for discussing productivity setups.
Whether you’re building your second brain or just trying to keep up with tasks, choosing the right tool can make or break your flow. Hopefully, my experience helps you make a decision that actually sticks.
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