Notion vs Evernote, what’s your pick?
Whether it’s jotting down meeting notes, reminders, or a quick ramen recipe your colleague gave you, notes 🗒️ are a part of your everyday life.
And taking notes is easy!
What isn’t is discovering an excellent note taking app that fits you just right. 😒
No worries. We got you.
We’ll help you pick the right note-taking app as we compare Notion vs Evernote and even highlight a great alternative to both.
The main difference between Notion and Evernote is that Evernote is a note-taking tool that allows users to keep their files organized in one tool, whereas Notion is an all-in-one project management tool that helps you keep your notes and work all in one space.
In this article, we’ll dive into all of the details that differentiate Notion and Evernote.
We hope you’re taking notes because the showdown begins now!
What is Notion?
Notion is a note-taking app with a fairly simple user interface. Apart from helping you take digital notes like an ordinary notes app, you can also do a bit of project and task management.
What is Evernote?
The Evernote app has been around forever and has constantly given newer note apps, like Apple Notes and Google Keep, a run for their money.
Why?
Not only is Evernote one of the top note taking apps, but it’s now also venturing into the task management world.
Your typical Evernote user uses the tool for various reasons, ranging from creating a daily note, a reminder, or even bullet journaling.
Essentially, you can do a lot with the app.
Notion vs Evernote
If you compare these two notes taking apps, you’ll sense a ton of similarities.
Notion and Evernote both let you take and organize notes, are compatible with Android and Apple devices (iPhone & iPad), offer templates, have web clipper. We can go on!
So the question is, how are they different?
Let’s find out.
Key Features
Notion
Let’s check out some of Notion’s key features:
Templates
Notion is a template wonderland.
It doesn’t matter if you’re searching for templates for engineers, project managers, designers, or startups.
Just name it, and chances are there exist several Notion templates for it.
And the exciting bit is that you can even create your own template and share it with others on the Notion app.
Code blocks
Create a code block in your notes with Notion’s unique formatting options to include programming codes like JavaScript.
You can even use code blocks to share codes with other developers or maintain your own code snippet library.
Boards
Another functionality that makes Notion very popular is their boards. These can function as Kanban boards that help you move your tasks or items through the progress stages.
Real-time collaboration
Working on some project notes with your work buddy?
No problem.
Using Notion’s real-time collaboration feature to easily work alongside your team members. You can even see your colleagues’ avatars or profile pictures next to the item they’re working on.
And when it comes to the number of people who can view or edit the same database or page at the same time…
Impressive.
Evernote
Let’s check out some of Evernote’s key features:
Web Clipper
We’re not going to lie, Evernote’s web clipper is its most appealing feature.
Yes, it’s purpose is to take screen captures of online content like a blog post or news article. Fairly standard stuff, we know.
But guess what?
You can take screenshots with the web clipper without any clumps of ads and headlines.
Say farewell to those embarrassing targeted ads you’ve been getting off late!
Text search in PDFs & documents
Need to look for text within PDFs, scanned documents, Office docs, or even images?
Maybe you’re looking for a particular phrase or even just a word.
That’s when you turn to Evernote. This note taking tool will dive deep to find any text you want by scanning images, handwritten notes, PDFs, and more.
Remember, it’s just a text search, so you can’t make Evernote find Waldo for you!
Unless, of course, there’s an image or document with a caption titled ‘Waldo’ underneath it. 😉
Document scanning
Dig that paperless life? Just use Evernote’s document scanning feature.
Scan a business card, warranty document, or even that restaurant check 🧾 that you often forget to include in your budget notes.
You can access these documents from wherever and whenever you need them.
No need to search for things in the file room, office drawer, or the pockets of the pants you wore last Friday!
Audio notes
Let’s say you’re in a meeting, trying to focus on the discussion and take notes simultaneously.
But it’s hard to multitask.
So you find yourself drifting off and forgetting the key points.
Ever faced that?
Well, for you, my friend, this is a blessing.
Audio notes = No pen, no paper, no sticky notes, no typing!
All you need to do is record it on Evernote.
The app will record the meeting or brainstorming session while you focus on what’s being discussed instead of trying to make a quick note of every detail.
Not sure if Evernote notes are for you? Check out these Evernote alternative options.
Storage
Sufficient storage is a necessity.
After all, without a place to keep all your notes, what’s the point of even making them?
Notion
Notion excels here.
None of their plans have a storage limit, except their team plan trials.
But they do have a file upload limit.
Evernote
Evernote, on the other hand, has a storage limit of 60MB uploads per month for their basic plan.
For more storage, you will have to pay up a ton of money.
File size
The file size is vital.
And when a tool offers you the right note-taking features but not enough room for detail, we can’t help but say…
Does Notion or Evernote disappoint like that?
Notion
Notion has a 5MB file size limit on their free plan. That’s very little compared to other options in the market.
However, if you need more, you either have to upgrade to their paid plan or delete items to make space. One option takes your money, and the other wastes your time.
Evernote
Evernote is a bit more generous in this case. The app lets you include notes with a note size of up to 25MB for free.
But is it enough for you?
If your notes just contain plain text, then sure.
But including images and other multimedia?
It’s going to be a tight fit!
Pricing
Pricing is often what makes or breaks a deal.
In this case, Notion lifts the trophy because their prices are quite affordable.
As for Evernote’s pricing… well, see for yourself:
Notion
Notion offers three pricing options:
- Personal plan (free): device syncs, sharing up to five guests, and unlimited pages
- Personal pro ($4/month): unlimited guests and unlimited file uploads, and version history
- Team ($8/user per month): unlimited team members, advanced permissions, and collaborative workspace
Evernote
Evernote offers three pricing option:
- Basic (free): rich formatting, web clipper, and sync up to two devices
- Premium ($7.99/month): PDF annotations, offline notes, and create custom templates
- Business ($14.99/user per month): team activity history, collaboration in shared spaces, and team management
Integration
Integrations enhance your productivity and increase convenience.
For example, when you integrate a notes app with a project or task management tool, it helps you streamline your workflow by creating tasks and reminders from those notes.
The main difference between Notion and Evernote is their integration abilities. Evernote integrates with the majority of common tools such as Gmail, whereas Notion lacks most essential integrations.
Notion
Integration is sadly Notion’s biggest weakness.
You may have to rely on Zapier or Automate for your integrations because it lacks direct integrations with most other tools like Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, and Zoom.
This can be annoying because there are so many better alternatives that don’t need help to integrate with your preferred apps.
Evernote
Evernote is leaps and bounds ahead when it comes to integrations.
You can conveniently integrate some of the most popular tools with Evernote, such as:
- Gmail
- Google Drive
- Salesforce
- Slack
- Outlook
Search
When you have a few notes, it’s no worry. But when you have unlimited storage and write thousands of notes, you can’t rely on manually finding what you need!
That’s when the search 🔍 feature comes in handy.
Notion
In Notion, you can search notes using the quick find functionality. To do so, you must type in the keywords you’re looking for.
After that, you can sort your search as per your preference.
Some of the sorting options include:
- Created: news first
- Created: oldest first
- Best matches
Evernote
Evernote is a bit more advanced with its search functionality. There are many ways to find things quickly on this productivity app:
- Use the descriptive search and type in something like ‘notes with images’ or ‘notes with budgets’
- Search things in a specific notebook by typing notebook:*insert name of the notebook*
- Create a saved search for quick finds instead of using the search bar again and again
So who is the winner of this Evernote vs Notion showdown?
If you need a pocket-friendly option, Notion is the right app. It has most of Evernote’s features at a far more friendly pricing point.
However, if you want a tool that’s highly focused on note-taking with advanced searches, organization, and features like audio notes and document scanning, Evernote should do it.
But let’s take a step back and compare them one last time.
You’ve got two tools that offer similar functionalities.
However, Notion is a bit stingy with the storage and has no offline mode.
On the other hand, Evernote makes you pay top dollar just for its basic note-taking features. 💵
Neither is ideal, right?
Panic setting in? Thinking about the endless research you’ll have to do to find a better alternative?
Take a deep breath because the solution is right here.
Notion vs Evernote on Reddit
We took to Reddit to see where people land on Evernote vs Notion. When you search Notion vs Evernote on Reddit, many users agree that Notion has a wider and more useful selection of features:
“Notion does everything I wish Evernote did with its organization and layout of notes. It’s also much better at collaboration. My business uses it for our entire strategic planning across the core team.”
Other Reddit users note that Evernote is the better option if you’re looking for a digital filing cabinet:
“Evernote is still the better digital filing cabinet for universal archive and that has a place in a personal workflow.”
What is the Best Note-taking App?
The best app is the one that’ll fit you or your organization’s needs efficiently.
And that app is ClickUp.
ClickUp is one of the world’s highest-rated project management tool.
It’s a project management tool that’s much more affordable than Evernote and has better note-taking features than Notion.
Here are some of its key features that are sure to impress you:
1. Jot down notes with Notepad
You can create as many notes as you want using ClickUp’s Notepad.
There’s no limiting your ideas.
ClickUp’s Rich Text Editing gives you the ability to add headers, italic font, numeric lists, code snippets and more.
But here’s the coolest of cool features of our Notepad:
You can convert any of your notes into actionable tasks.
All you have to do is:
- Click on + within a note or on the note options
- Choose a List to make adjustments
And that’s it. Your note is now a task that you and your team can work on!
2. Create knowledge bases with Docs
Sometimes notes don’t suffice.
That’s when you can turn to ClickUp’s Docs.
It’s where you go to create a knowledge base or wiki section. Share it with anyone you like, both privately and publicly, using a sharing link.
You can also protect your Docs from unwanted edits by simply turning on the Protect this page option and add context for your audience.
Your Docs can even be indexed by Google and other search engines.
In Docs, you can add as many pages as you want.
You can even create pages inside an existing page (parent page) by “nesting” them.
To make your work easy, ClickUp lets you also create Doc Templates. This way, you can save time instead of remaking the same Docs repeatedly.
And you can ensure your Doc has the perfect look and style with these formatting features:
- Doc Style: choose the style that best represents your document and work—Knowledge-based style, Classic, or Blog style
- Cover Image: add a cover image from the gallery, your desktop, a link, or the Unsplash library
- Subtitle: add a subtitle to include context for extra clarity for your audience
Don’t you go looking for annotation apps either, because ClickUp has PDF annotation too!
3. Transform thoughts into actions with Mind Maps
Let your creative side shine because ClickUp has a place for your ideas with Mind Maps.
Create and organize projects, tasks, and concepts right here using the tasks mode. Or use the Blank mode to brainstorm without any connection with tasks.
But hey, this is not where our awesomeness ends. 😎
Here is a quick glimpse at some of the most exciting features by us:
- Markdown support: make texts bold, italic, unlined, etc. using just your keyboard
- Multi-platform support: you can use ClickUp’s mobile app (iOS & Android), desktop app (Windows, Linux & Mac), and web app
- Streamlined importing: quickly add your data from any app such as Trello, Asana, Basecamp, and more
- Integrations: directly integrate with tons of apps like Evernote, Google Assistant, Slack, etc.
- Embed view: embed other apps like Google Sheets, Youtube, etc. in ClickUp using a simple URL
- Native Time Tracking: start and stop the native timer to track the durations of tasks
- Filter and Search: quickly find what you need with advanced filters and keyword searches
- Automations: create combinations of Triggers and Actions to automate your work
- Google Drive: integrate with Google Drive to create a Google Doc, Sheets, Slides, etc. without leaving ClickUp
Want to see how ClickUp stacks up against other note tools? Check out the 10 best note-taking apps including Notion and Roam!
ClickUp: King of Notes!
There’s no question that Notion and Evernote are some of the most well-known apps for standard note taking.
But they have limitations.
Whether it’s the pricing or limited storage, it’s a tough choice to make.
What you actually need is a tool that offers everything Evernote and Notion can and more.
Luckily, that’s exactly where ClickUp comes in.
It’s the ultimate productivity tool that can be your project manager, notes taker, task tracker, document manager, reminders tool, and so much more.
Sound like a complete package?
Then get ClickUp for free today and make note-taking easy, fun, and meaningful.
Related articles:
- Evernote vs. OneNote
- OneNote vs. Notion
- OnenNote Alternatives
- Evernote vs. Bear
- Evernote vs. Google Docs
- Notion vs. Obsidian
- Notion vs. Coda
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