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Notion vs. GoodNotes – Which Tool Is Better For Taking Notes?

The variety of note-taking apps can become overwhelming. Many of the available tools offer similar features and you, as a user, often have a hard time choosing. Notion and GoodNotes are two of these apps that are mentioned again and again.

Yet they actually appeal to completely different target groups. So, what is the difference between Notion and GoodNotes and in which situations is it better to use which tool? I’ll show you in this post.

First, the quick answer:

GoodNotes, as a digital notepad, is ideal for using with the Apple Pencil and editing PDFs. Notion is based on a block system and is ideal for linking individual notes, creating databases, and team collaboration.

Of course, there are more distinctions and details. I’ll show you these in the course of the post. Let’s go

Who does the comparison matter to, and why?

For a good workflow and your own productivity , it is incredibly important to be familiar with your own programs. There’s no point in switching back and forth between different apps just to maybe find that one little feature you’re looking for after all.

For those who use note-taking programs in the case of school, university, or in work environment, it’s important to be organized and always have the right tools at hand.

That’s why choosing a note-taking app is so important, because it will be with you for many months or years. If you’re always jumping from one to another, it interrupts your work and can lead to data loss.

Comparing different programs is incredibly important and you should also take enough time to test as many as possible and find the right one for yourself.

Many note-taking tools are also compatible with each other or let you export data. This way, you won’t lose anything you’ve already tried in another app. Make lists of what you like about an app or what you might be missing. Making such lists directly in a program is also a fun exercise.

What is GoodNotes ?

good notes notion

GoodNotes is a program designed specifically for Apple users. This point is certainly already decisive for some whether they can or want to use this app at all.

The reason is that GoodNotes is specifically specialized for writing on the iPad. The app is also available for Mac and iPhone, but the iPad is where GoodNotes really comes into its own.

After GoodNotes was known exclusively as an app for Apple devices for a long time, it will probably soon be available for Windows and Android as well. This was announced by the developers in 2022.

GoodNotes acts as a digital notepad for handwritten notes. It emulates the feel of a normal conventional notepad, but without real paper. If you like to write your notes by hand and want to embellish them, GoodNotes is worth a look.

In addition, GoodNotes is ideal for editing PDFs that are used in an academic setting. The workflow with GoodNotes is fast and precise if you are used to writing by hand.

What is Notion ?

good notes notion

Notion is a purely digital program for note-taking, organization, productivity, and more. The tool does not yet support input with tablet pens, like the Apple Pencil. Therefore, the operation is designed for a keyboard and mouse.

It is available for all common operating systems, both desktop and smartphone. Notion offers structured handling of notes and databases and is very flexible in use.

In addition, links can be made here within Notion itself, but also to other platforms. Notion is especially suitable for large overviews and people who are faster at the keyboard. In addition, it is also available for Android and Windows.

GoodNotes vs. Notion – A detailed comparison

Functionality.

There is not a great selection of tools in GoodNotes. You can create multiple notebooks and fill them with your written notes. This works best with an iPad and an Apple Pencil. Here, the program simulates the feel of a traditional notepad – just without the paper.

good notes notion

Several digital pens are available for writing, from simple strokes to highlighters and selection tools. Text, tables and diagrams can also be inserted, but only in the rudimentary form here. The focus is on input with a pen.

One of the best features of Good Notes is the lasso. With the help of the lasso, which can be found at the top of the toolbar, it is possible to cut and move areas freehand . Additionally, the lasso offers options such as capturing only handwriting or only images.

There are also various templates according to which a notebook can be created. First and foremost, this includes the makeup of the digital paper. This can be selected according to your preference.

Notion, on the other hand, relies on a block system . Everything is entered via keystrokes, nothing can be handwritten. The blocks are nevertheless versatile and offer many application possibilities. First of all, there are normal text blocks in which you can simply write.

good notes notion

Lists can also be created easily. But Notion’s blocks go far beyond that, offering among other things the integration of images, calendars, tables and entire databases. These are the heart of Notion and can organize large amounts of data.

Working with PDFs

There is also a big difference when working with PDFs. These can be imported into Notion, but not edited. GoodNotes, on the other hand, is designed to work with PDFs and even write on them.

More about PDFs in Notion

If you have textbooks or worksheets for school or university, for example, you can edit them directly in GoodNotes. This is a great advantage for the Apple program.

Share notes and collaborate

Both programs also offer functions to share and edit one’s own notes with others. Here, however, Notion is again ahead , as it can be used specifically for Can be used for teams , even in the area of corporate structures.

In GoodNotes, note sheets can be shared and edited at the same time, but the functionalities are still limited to the handwritten input of the individual participants. In a school setting, this can still be quite sufficient.

User friendliness

In terms of usability, GoodNotes can convince . If you have an iPad and a stylus, you will quickly and easily find your way around this program. It works like a normal notepad, there are no functions that are not self-explanatory.

Writing is easy and PDF editing is extremely sophisticated. In addition, the notes can be viewed on the iPhone and Mac and edited as well. The only drawback is the exclusion of Android and Windows, which may cause complications. (In the future, however, this will probably no longer be a problem)

Notion, on the other hand, is a very powerful tool but also takes time to learn. Text and image blocks are easily understood, and even creating new pages and subpages is no problem.

Still, Notion offers a lot that only becomes obvious with prolonged use . Linking and databases can be used effectively, but must be set up first.

The learning curve with Notion is much steeper, but once the basic features are known, it offers much more than GoodNotes ever can. It can also be linked to any popular platform, allowing for a better workflow.

Price-wise, there are big differences between the two apps.

GoodNotes is free , but it only lets you create three notebooks. It also lacks some essential features, including handwriting recognition and importing documents via email. I’m sure most users won’t get far with three notebooks either. The good thing is that there is only one way to purchase GoodNotes.

A one-time purchase currently costs $8.99 . Once these are paid, you have GoodNotes forever and without further costs.

good notes notion

Notion, on the other hand, is already complete in its free form (Free Plan) and actually offers all the features that are available in the paid models. Notion itself says that the tool should remain free forever for personal use.

The subscriptions are intended for people who want to use Notion in teams, especially in terms of corporate structures. Here, there is the Plus Plan ($8 per month) and the Business Plan ($15 per month) . For private use, however, the Free Plan is perfectly sufficient.

good notes notion

Click here if you want to learn more about the differences between the Plus and Business Plan from Notion want to know.

GoodNotes vs. Notion – When is which tool the better choice?

The choice between GoodNotes and Notion is purely personal taste . For those who like to take handwritten notes but don’t always want to waste endless notebooks, GoodNotes is the right choice. It’s environmentally friendly and easy to carry around.

For iPad users, this app is excellent and is a breeze to use. If you often handle PDFs and use them in an academic setting, you’ll get your money’s worth with GoodNotes. In addition, it has been scientifically proven that we remember handwritten notes better .

Advantages GoodNotes

Notion, on the other hand, is designed to work with the keyboard. So, if you prefer typing and typing faster, you should rather take a look at Notion. Moreover, it is the only choice of the two tools for Android and Windows users (as of Spring 2023).

Notion is for those who want to go beyond normal note-taking . The learning curve is steep, but once you master Notion, it’s an incredibly versatile tool.

Notes can be organized and classified with precision . In addition, Notion’s databases are arguably one of its best features.

Notion can also be linked to many other services, including Google Drive, Dropbox, and other websites. For those who use large amounts of data and like order, Notion is the better choice.

Advantages Notion

If you want to know more about the capabilities of Notion for Teams, you should check out this post: Notion for Teams: the Perfect All-In-One Tool? (Pros & Cons)

Notion AND GoodNotes? Are the tools compatible?

Notion and GoodNotes can indeed be combined , but only in one direction. Since Notion offers the ability to embed other websites, so does GoodNotes.

Share the link for a specific note in GoodNotes and then paste it into Notion. This way you can retrieve that particular note in Notion and get a preview.

The notes can only be viewed this way, but not directly edited. Better integration of the two tools is unfortunately not possible, but at least there is a way to link the two.

Two tools with a different focus

Notion and GoodNotes have been developed for two very different target groups. While GoodNotes focuses on handwritten notes with the iPad, Notion is for complex notes and databases.

Here you have to decide for yourself which program fits better to your own needs. Functionally, there is little overlap, except that you can record your thoughts in both tools. In which way you want to do that is purely up to you.

I hope I was able to help you decide with this post. Both tools are smart in their own way and help you work more productively.

Study smart, not hard 🎓

About The Author

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GoodNotes vs Notion

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GoodNotes has 53 reviews and a rating of 4.57 / 5 stars vs Notion which has 2110 reviews and a rating of 4.73 / 5 stars. Compare the similarities and differences between software options with real user reviews focused on features, ease of use, customer service, and value for money.

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Reviews are generated by real users. When reviewing a product, users are asked to assess the product’s overall quality, which includes assigning specific ratings for ease of use, value for money, customer support, and functionality.

  • The ability to hand write directly on PDFs with Pencil is helpful, and the different options for writing are great.
  • Both the document creation and user interface are very well designed. Its easy to bookmark pages and refer back to it if you lose track of the writing.
  • After 1 hour of use, the pen sensibility gets low. Some commands (like adding a photo) requires too many steps so it gets tiring and boring.
  • The only complaint I have with this software is that things that are hyperlinked in pdfs don't stay hyperlinked once I import it into Goodnotes.
  • Large online community with lots of creative ideas on how to get the best out of this software.
  • Love the endless customizations that you can do with this product. Create a template for literally anything and organize it however you like.
  • It can be pretty slow to start up, and navigation has a lot of lag on mid-tier devices. Building and changing layouts can be difficult, and the offline functionality is sometimes limited.
  • The only thing that is difficult to navigate with Notion is that it's sometimes hard to start new templates because there are so many options to choose from.

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Notion vs. GoodNotes

Home » Blog » Notion vs. GoodNotes

Notion and GoodNotes are two popular note-taking apps that are often compared to each other. While both apps have their unique strengths, they serve different purposes and cater to different types of users.

GoodNotes is a digital notepad that is ideal for taking handwritten notes using the Apple Pencil and editing PDFs. It offers a variety of pen and highlighter tools, paper templates, and organization features. GoodNotes is particularly useful for students and professionals who prefer to take notes by hand and need to annotate documents.

On the other hand, Notion is a productivity app that is based on a block system. It allows users to create databases, link individual notes, and collaborate with teams. Notion is suitable for users who need to manage complex projects, workflows, and tasks. It also offers a range of templates and integrations with other apps.

Overview of Notion

Notion is a versatile note-taking and collaboration tool that offers a wide range of features to help users organize their work and collaborate with others. It is based on a block system, which allows users to create custom pages with different types of content, such as text, images, videos, and more. Notion’s flexibility and customizability make it a popular choice for individuals, teams, and organizations looking for a comprehensive productivity tool.

Features of Notion

Notion offers a variety of features that can help users manage their tasks and projects more efficiently. Some of the key features of Notion include:

Customizable Pages: Notion allows users to create custom pages with different types of content, such as text, images, videos, and more. Users can also add custom fields and properties to their pages to help organize their content.

Templates: Notion offers a variety of templates for different types of content, such as meeting notes, project plans, and more. These templates can help users get started quickly and save time.

Database and Tables: Notion allows users to create databases and tables to store and organize their data. Users can add custom fields and properties to their databases to help categorize and filter their data.

Collaboration: Notion offers a variety of collaboration features, such as commenting, task assignment, and more. Users can also share their pages and databases with others to collaborate on projects.

Pros of Notion

Notion has several advantages that make it a popular choice for individuals and teams. Some of the pros of Notion include:

Customizability: Notion’s flexibility and customizability make it a versatile tool that can be adapted to different workflows and use cases.

Collaboration: Notion’s collaboration features make it easy for teams to work together on projects and share information.

Templates: Notion’s templates can help users get started quickly and save time.

Cons of Notion

Notion also has some drawbacks that users should be aware of. Some of the cons of Notion include:

Learning Curve: Notion’s wide range of features and customizability can make it challenging for new users to get started.

Pricing: Notion’s pricing can be a barrier for some users, especially for teams and organizations that need to purchase multiple licenses.

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Overview of GoodNotes

GoodNotes is a note-taking app that allows users to take handwritten notes, annotate PDFs, and organize their notes in a digital format. It is available for iOS and macOS devices and is popular among students, professionals, and creatives who prefer to take notes by hand.

Features of GoodNotes

GoodNotes offers a variety of features that make it a popular choice for note-taking. Some of its key features include:

  • Handwriting recognition: GoodNotes can recognize handwriting and convert it to text, making it easier to search and organize notes.
  • Annotation tools: Users can annotate PDFs and other documents with a variety of tools, including highlighters, text boxes, and shapes.
  • Customizable templates: GoodNotes offers a variety of customizable templates, including lined paper, graph paper, and music paper.
  • Organization tools: Users can organize their notes into folders and subfolders, and can easily search for specific notes using the app’s search function.
  • iCloud sync: GoodNotes automatically syncs notes across devices using iCloud, so users can access their notes from anywhere.

Pros of GoodNotes

GoodNotes has several advantages over other note-taking apps. Some of its pros include:

  • Handwriting recognition: GoodNotes’ handwriting recognition is highly accurate, making it easy to search for specific notes and convert handwriting to text.
  • Customizable templates: GoodNotes offers a wide variety of customizable templates, making it easy to create notes that are tailored to specific needs.
  • Annotation tools: GoodNotes’ annotation tools are powerful and easy to use, making it a great choice for students and professionals who need to mark up PDFs and other documents.
  • Organization tools: GoodNotes’ organization tools make it easy to keep notes organized and easy to find.

Cons of GoodNotes

While GoodNotes has many advantages, there are also some drawbacks to the app. Some of its cons include:

  • Limited platform support: GoodNotes is only available on iOS and macOS devices, which may be a dealbreaker for users who need to access their notes on other platforms.
  • Price: GoodNotes is relatively expensive compared to other note-taking apps, which may be a barrier for some users.
  • Limited collaboration tools: GoodNotes doesn’t offer many collaboration tools, which may be a drawback for users who need to work on notes with others.
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Comparative Analysis

When it comes to choosing between Notion and GoodNotes, there are several factors to consider. In this comparative analysis, we take a look at the user interface, functionality, and pricing of both note-taking apps.

User Interface Comparison

Notion has a clean and modern interface that is easy to navigate. Its block-based system allows users to organize their notes and tasks in a hierarchical manner, making it easy to find what they need quickly. GoodNotes, on the other hand, has a more traditional note-taking interface that mimics a paper notebook. While this may be more familiar to some users, it can be less intuitive for others.

Functionality Comparison

Notion offers a wide range of functionality, including the ability to create databases, project management tools, and team collaboration features. It also allows users to embed files, videos, and other media directly into their notes. GoodNotes, on the other hand, is primarily focused on handwriting and note-taking. It does offer some basic organization features, but it is not as robust as Notion in this regard.

Pricing Comparison

Notion offers a freemium model, with a free plan that includes basic functionality and a paid plan that unlocks more advanced features. The paid plan is priced at $4 per user per month. GoodNotes, on the other hand, is a one-time purchase that costs $7.99. This makes it a more affordable option for users who only need basic note-taking functionality.

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Notion Use Cases

Notion is a versatile tool that can be used for a wide range of purposes. It can be used for personal organization, project management, and even as a knowledge base for a team. Notion has a powerful database feature that allows users to create custom databases to store information such as customer data, product information, and more. Notion is also great for creating content calendars, to-do lists, and reminders. With its powerful search functionality, users can easily find the information they need.

One of the most popular use cases for Notion is as a note-taking app. Notion allows users to take notes in a variety of formats, including text, images, and even audio recordings. Users can also organize their notes using tags, folders, and databases. Notion also has a built-in web clipper that allows users to save articles and web pages directly to their Notion workspace.

GoodNotes Use Cases

GoodNotes is a note-taking app that is specifically designed for use with the Apple Pencil. It is a great tool for taking handwritten notes, sketching, and annotating documents. GoodNotes has a variety of templates that users can use to create different types of notes, including lined paper, graph paper, and music paper. GoodNotes also has a powerful search functionality that allows users to find specific notes quickly.

GoodNotes is also great for digital planners and journals. Users can create custom planners and journals using GoodNotes’ templates and then use the app to fill them in. GoodNotes also has a feature that allows users to import PDFs and then annotate them using the Apple Pencil.

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User Reviews

Notion user reviews.

Notion has received positive feedback from its users, with many praising its versatility and customization options. Users appreciate the ability to create databases, wikis, and notes all in one place, as well as the ability to collaborate with others on projects. Many users also appreciate the clean and modern design of the software.

One user on Slashdot notes that “Notion is the most flexible note-taking app I have ever used. It can be used for anything from project management to personal journaling.” Another user on Reddit notes that “Notion has become my go-to app for organizing my life. I love how I can customize it to fit my specific needs.”

However, some users have noted that Notion can be overwhelming at first, and that it can take some time to learn all of the software’s features. Additionally, some users have noted that the software can be slow to load, particularly when working with large databases.

GoodNotes User Reviews

GoodNotes has also received positive feedback from its users, particularly those who use the app for taking handwritten notes. Users appreciate the ability to use the Apple Pencil to take notes and highlight text, as well as the app’s ability to import and annotate PDFs.

One user on Reddit notes that “GoodNotes is the best app for taking handwritten notes on my iPad. It feels just like writing on paper.” Another user on Software Advice notes that “GoodNotes has completely replaced my paper notebooks. I love how I can organize my notes and easily search through them.”

However, some users have noted that GoodNotes can be expensive compared to other note-taking apps, and that the app’s organization features can be limited. Additionally, some users have noted that the app can be slow to load, particularly when working with large PDFs.

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GoodNotes vs Notion

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Notion is a tool for teams and companies that want a better way to manage knowledge, projects, documents, and collaboration. Individuals can also use the product for notes and organizing their lives.

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  • Annotations
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  • Ease of Use 4.3
  • Customer Service 4.4
  • Value for Money 4.6

"It’s a pretty good tool to write down notes and find them again 😊 For me it’s currently the best solution on the market compared to the competitors."

Voggenreiter Michael

Feb 03, 2023

"The interface is great, the personalization in notes is excellent, the price is right, and the handwriting is exquisite. Overall GoodNotes is a 10/10 product, highly recommended."

Concepción César

May 26, 2022

"Example set up a section in a daily planner and you just want to copy it to the next day with the same font, sizing etc. It was a little more difficult then it should have been."

Clark Cheyenne

Jan 18, 2023

"One thing I was uncomfortable with is that the shape tool in Goodnotes doesn't have pre-made shapes."

Kawamoto Yumi

Aug 20, 2022

"As someone with ADHD, Notion has been a lifesaver for me to create *custom* layouts and workflows that best fit how my brain operates."

Flores Vanessa

Dec 17, 2020

"The best thing about Notion is the fact that it's so collaborative and easy to use with a team. It's perfect to manage your team, but also to collaborate and share your ideas."

Guzzo Kelci

Nov 17, 2020

"Everything I dislike comes down to collaboration. I find the notifications inaccurate and setting up recurring reminders for project subtasks is a challenge."

Wechsler Leah

Apr 21, 2021

"Without recurring tasks and less task-oriented features it was a tough call to make. I wanted it to work so badly."

Ricks James

Apr 16, 2021

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How To Take Notes in Notion

Learn to take notes the right way.

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Are you looking for a place to easily take notes and organize them in the most efficient way possible?

Look no further than this article which will show you how to take notes in Notion.

Notion is one of the best note-taking applications for many reasons. It makes organizing and structuring your notes easy and seamless. 

It offers endless options for customization and also makes your notes visually appealing.

This article will walk you through the steps on how to efficiently take notes in Notion and set up your first note-taking workspace. You’ll also learn how to structure your notes, highlight important information, add comments, lists, images, and more.

Get ready to streamline your note-taking and maximize your productivity with Notion.

Table of Content

How to take notes in notion efficiently.

Let’s first start with the basics of setting up a page.

1. Setting Up a Page

Launch the Notion application. Head to the sidebar and click on the ‘+’ sign to create a new page.

How To Take Notes in Notion

Click on the option that says “Empty page with icon.” 

setting up a page in notion next step

Give a title to your note.

change cover icon in notion

Click on the icon and select any emoji or icon that you like.

selecting cover icon in notion

If you want, you can even keep a cover image. Hover over the title area and click on the “Cover image” option.

changing cover image in notion other step

A cover image will be added to your workspace.

cover image in notion

If you want to change it, hover over the cover image and click on the Change cover option. 

changing cover image in notion step 1

When you click it, a drop-down menu will appear on your screen.

chooosing cover image in notion

Scroll down until you find your desired cover image. If you want something really specific, click on the “Unsplash” option which has a wide variety of images.

type in search bar for cover image notion

Type the keyword of whatever you’re looking for, in the search bar. 

Suppose you searched “library”. You will see a range of options that match your search.

choosing cover image from unsplash in notion

Click on whichever image you prefer and it will be added as a cover image to your note.

note after adding cover image

You can even reposition the image by clicking on ‘Reposition.’ 

reposition cover image in notion

Now let’s come to the note-taking part.

2. Blocks and Formatting

Notion is a note-taking app that works using a system of blocks. Each piece of content in Notion, whether it’s a text, image, or file, is housed in its block.

This allows for a high degree of flexibility and customization in organizing and structuring your information. 

To add a block, click on the ‘+’  sign and it’ll open a menu that contains different blocks. You can scroll through the list and select the block of your choice to be added to the page.

setting up block in notion

To get started, click the + sign, and select the option that says Text: “Just start writing with plain text”.

plain text notion

Then type in (or copy-paste) your notes.

example note in Notion

By clicking the six-dotted icon, you get options to delete or duplicate a block, change the background or text colors, add lists or points, and much more.

six dotted menu in notion

Here are some of the main features that will help you in your note-taking:-

Background and Text Color

You can change the background color of both the block and the text. You can read our guide on how to change the background color to know more about the topic.

For changing the color of the text, simply click on the six-dotted icon and then click on the  ‘Color’ option from the menu. 

change text color in notion

If you want to change the font, click the three-dot menu in the top right corner of your page. 

Switch between small text and full-width as well as different font styles such as Default, Serif, and Mono. 

how to change font in notion 1

Switch between small text and full-width as well as different font styles such as Default, Serif, and Mono.

different font styles in notion

If you toggle the “Small text” option, your notes will look like this.

small text toggle in notion 1

If you toggle the “Full width” option, your notes will look like this.

full width toggle in notion

Headings are an important part of note-taking as they help with hierarchy, structuring, and navigation. 

To add a heading block, open the menu by clicking on the ‘+’ sign on a new line. 

title block in notion step 1

Scroll down and click on your preferred heading level; (Heading 1, Heading 2, or Heading 3) 

alternate heading block in notion

For the main heading, select Heading 1 and type in your heading.

title final block in notion

You can likewise, insert sub-titles in between your notes by following the same steps. Alt-click to add a block above.

select subheading notion

Select Heading 2 or Heading 3.

select sub heading in notion

Type in your sub-heading.

subheading in notion final

If you want to collaborate on note-taking, comments are a useful tool for editing. They can also be used to clarify or expand on the information in the main text of your notes.

To add comments to a block, click on the six-dotted icon and then click on the “Comment” option.

how to comment in notion step 1

Type your comment in the bar that appears.

comment box in notion

You can also add comments to a specific line of text by selecting it and then choosing the Comment option from the ribbon.

insert comment box in notion

 Same as above, type your comment in the bar that appears.

insert comment box in highlighted text in notion

You can also add page-level comments by hovering your mouse over the title of the page and clicking on the “Add comment” button. 

comment under title block in notion

You can view the comments on a page by clicking on the speech bubble icon.

speech bubble icon in notion 1

When you click the speech bubble icon, your comment will appear like this. You can add additional comments to the same block.

Comment box viewing in notion

You can edit a comment by hovering over your comment box till you see the three-dotted icon.

how to edit comment in notion step 1 1

When you click it, you will see a menu. Click on the “Edit comment” option.

how to edit comment in notion step 2 2

Toggles act as accordions and are helpful when you want to declutter your notes and want to hide content inside a heading. 

There are two types of toggles in Notion: simple toggles and heading toggles. The only difference is that simple toggles appear as normal text, whereas heading toggles come in three heading levels.

To add a toggle list, click the “+” icon.

For a Basic Toggle block:-

how to add toggle in notion step 1

Scroll down in the block list, and select the Toggle list under Basic blocks or Heading toggles under Advanced blocks. You can also type /toggle and select your desired toggle.

select toggle option in notion

It will appear like this.

toggle appears in notion

Type your main point in the block. For the hidden part, click on the triangle icon.

how to open toggle list in notion

Type the part of your content you want to keep hidden from view.

hidden part of toggle in notion

To see the hidden part, click the triangle icon again.

For the Advanced Toggle heading, click on the + sign and scroll down the menu till you see the Advanced Blocks section. Scroll down further and click on the toggle heading you need.

advanced block toggle in notion

3. Structuring Your Notes

Adding points and to-do lists.

Notion allows you to organize the content in bullet and numbered points as well as in a to-do list. 

To add either of the blocks, click the “+” icon on a new line and select your desired block under the Basic Blocks.

how to add to do list in notion step 1

Scroll down and click on “To-do list.”

click on to do list option in notion

The to-do list should look like this.

to do list final in notion

You can also convert your existing set of paragraphs into bulleted and numbered points or even a to-do list. Select all of the paragraphs you want to convert and then click the six-dotted icon.

how to make existing paragraph into bullet points in notion

This will bring up a menu where you can hover over “Turn into” and then choose your desired list block.

how to turn block into bullet list notion

Suppose you want your notes to appear as bullet points. If you select the “Bulleted list” option, then your notes will appear like this.

bullet list in notion final

If you want to highlight an important paragraph in your note, you can turn it into a quote. 

Click the six-dotted icon and choose the Quote block or type /quote and press the Enter key.

how to turn into quote in notion step 1

Select the “Turn into” option, then click on the “Quote” block from the menu.

quotes block in notion

The text should look like this.

how quote appears in notion

To change the background color of the Quote, see our guide on how to change the background color .

If you only want a specific part highlighted, copy-paste it into a new block and repeat the above steps to make it a Quote.

Similarly, if you want to differentiate some content from others, you can make use of the Divider block. To add it to the page, select it from the blocks menu or type “/divider”.

how to add divider in notion

Drag and Drop Tool

Notion makes use of different blocks to add content to a page. This makes it easy to rearrange content. 

To change the order of your paragraphs, move your cursor over the six-dotted icon of the block you want to move and click and drag it upwards or downwards.

how to turn into quote in notion step 1 1

Click and drag it upwards or downwards.

moving block upwards in notion

That is how you can change the sequence of the paragraphs.

rearranged block in notion

You can also make your paragraphs appear side by side. Click on the six-dotted icon and drag the block to the side.

drag the block to the side in notion

It will arrange the content in columns .

arrange the content in columns notion

If you want to know how to center-align the text in your notes, read our guide on how to center-align the text in Notion.

4. Embedding Media

One of the cool features of Notion is that it allows you to embed videos, images, files, and more into your workspace.

Did you know you could save a link as a visual bookmark?

 Click on the ‘+’ sign and scroll down the menu. Click on “Web bookmark.” 

select web bookmark in notion

Or, type /web and press the Enter key.

how to enter web bookmark in notion alternate method

After you click on “Web bookmark”, you will see a box appear on the screen.

web bookmark appears on screen in notion

Paste the link in the box. Then click on “Create bookmark.” 

web bookmark paste link in the

It should appear like this. 

web bookmark final

Notion also allows you to embed a video in your notes. 

Click on the ‘+’ sign, scroll down the menu, and then click on “Video.”

(Or type/video and press Enter).

how to embed video in notion

Paste the link of the video in the box and click on “Embed video.”

embed video paste link in the box notion

 You can now view the video from your Notion workspace itself. 

view embedded video in notion

To add images, click on the ‘+’ sign, scroll down the menu, then click on “Image.”

(Or type /image and press Enter).

select image option in notion

You can either upload an image from your desktop to your workspace.

upload file in notion

Or, you can upload an image from Unsplash. 

upload image from unsplash in notion

Type the keyword of whatever you’re looking for, in the search bar.  Suppose you searched “pen”. You will see a range of options that match your search.

unsplash image options in notion

Click on whichever image you prefer and it will be added as an image to your note.

pen image in notion

Under the free version of Notion, you can upload media files up to 5 MB. 

Click on the ‘+’ sign, scroll down the menu, then click on “File.”

(Or type /file and press Enter).

select file option in notion

There are two ways to add a file to your workspace; you can either upload it from your desktop or paste the link from other sources.

Click on the “Choose a file” option and upload the file from your desktop to your workspace.

upload file in notion 1

After you choose your file, it should appear like this in your workspace.

uploaded file in notion final

The Plus and Business plans remove the 5MB limit and allow you to upload an unlimited size of files.

5. Linking Other Pages From the Workspace

You can also add links to other pages within your Notion workspace. For this, either select the “Link to page” option in the menu that pops up when you click on the ‘+’ sign. Or type “/link to page” and press the Enter key.

link to page in notion step 1

A menu of all the pages in your Notion workspace will appear on the screen. Click on the page you need.

link to page in notion step 2

A link to that page will be created in your workspace.

link to page final step notion

If there’s a database you want to link in your notes, you can read our article on how to link databases in Notion.  

6. Add Sub Pages

You can add sub-pages within a note. 

To do this, head to the sidebar on the left side of your Notion workspace. Hover your cursor over the bar of your existing note and click on the + sign. 

how to add sub page in notion step 1

You will see this on your screen. 

how to add subpages in notion step 2

As shown in the screenshot, you can either press the Enter key to continue with an empty page or select one of the available templates.

adding subpages in notion step 3

Same as before, you can add an icon, and a cover image and format this page as you did the first one. This way, you can add as many pages as you need.

You can view the additional pages by clicking on the little arrow icon to the left of the note title in the sidebar.

how to view subpages notion step 1

When you click it, a menu of all the pages inside your note will appear on the sidebar.

how to view subpages in notion final step

That’s it about how to take notes in Notion and utilize it as a note-taking app.

Let’s now look at some of the best note-taking templates available for how to take notes in Notion.

7. Best Notion Note-Taking Templates

By this point, you probably want to get started with your note-taking. 

To get you started on your note-taking journey, here are three of the most user-friendly Notion note-taking templates.

These will make it easy for you to understand how to take notes in Notion efficiently. 

1. Thomas Frank’s Note-Taking Template

Notion notes first template ss 1

This template is one of the most popular ones out there. It incorporates features found in other note-taking apps into the Notion experience.

Key Features

  • Status Dashboard
  • Inline box table within the main dashboard that makes it easy for you to take notes even when you’re on the move. 
  • Notebook List
  • Sub-notebooks are accessible from the sidebar

Get Thomas Frank’s Note-Taking Template  

2. Ultimate Notebook System Template

Notion notes second template ss 1

This is the ideal template for students, as it includes numerous options to keep track of your learning.

  • Subjects database
  • Each notebook can be tagged for further organizing.
  • Databases for Terms, Concepts, Fun Words, Quotes, Flash Cards, and more.
  • Quick Navigation Bar

Get the Ultimate Notebook System Template

3. Class Notes Template

Notion notes third template

If you are a student, a reader, or a working professional who needs to jot down your meeting notes in one spot, then this is the template for you. 

This template allows you to capture and view all your notes in one place. 

  • Keep a record of what you’ve read.
  • Notes get automatically dated when you create them.
  • To add unlimited notes, bookmarks, images, videos, and even a table of contents, click on any item.
  • Label your notes with the course name and number.

Get the Class Notes Template

We hope this article will help you take your notes to the next level!

Wrapping Up:

In a nutshell, we have given you the basics on how to take notes in Notion and set up a note-taking workspace.

 Let us know in the comments below, which template you will use.

Don’t forget to have a look at some of the best Notion templates available.

Also, if you have any questions about how to take notes in Notion (or anything else), please leave a comment below. We’d love to answer your queries. 

Disclosure : Our content is reader-supported. This means if you click on some of our links, then we may earn a commission.

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As such, it’s always fun to see how other people use Notion because it’s never going to look exactly the same from person to person. With that in mind, I made a quick and cozy tour of my Notion setup that should have at least one thing that you haven’t thought to do with Notion before.

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GoodNotes recently updated its pricing structure to allow new users to get a better grasp of the app before fully committing to the $8 purchase price. Now, you can create your first 3 notebooks inside GoodNotes for free. This free version can go a long way, especially if you’re not a prolific note-taker but need something in a pinch.

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Is there a way to integrate GoodNotes (pages or notebooks) with Notion?

Please log in or register to add a comment.

good notes notion

There is no GoodNotes integration through the Notion API, that is something that only GoodNotes developers can make it happen.

But you can embed and see your GoodNotes documents in Notion following the next steps.

Select your notebook, click the dropdown and select Share Link, get the sharable link, toggle preview on web, click send link and copy the link. Paste that in a Notion embed block and done.

That way you will see an updated GoodNotes document inside your Notion page or workspace.

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hmb58 commented Mar 22, 2022

Thank you. I tried this last week and it's very erratic; I'm using Brave browser (?)

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polle commented Mar 22, 2022

You can try the Notion App to see if it works better, but unfortunately only GoodNotes can fix how the integration with Notion works, so maybe sending them a message would help.

For "a way to integrate GoodNotes (pages or notebooks) with Notion", the way I mentioned above is the only way for now.

pablocostantini commented Apr 11, 2023

Thank you very much, but I'm afraid it's not working in my case: it just appears a blank square. Any advice?

polle commented Apr 11, 2023

@pablocostantini I can't test as I don't use GoodNotes, but there are no other options until there is an official GoodNotes support in Notion.

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The 18 Best Notion Note-Taking Templates

Whether you’re taking notes for work , school, or personal development, Notion makes it easier than ever to organize, sort, and even automate your notes — all in one convenient place.

Already using Notion and want to spruce up your note-taking setup? Or just want to see what’s out there before switching to Notion? We’ve rounded up the very best Notion note-taking templates, including Cornell, Zettelkasten, simple notes, aesthetic notes, and more!

(And if you’re a student, don’t miss out on our round-up of the  best Notion templates for students , along with our favorite  Notion assignment trackers !)

Looking for more productivity tips and tools? Subscribe to The Flow — our quick, snappy, value-packed focus and recharge newsletter. Also, don’t miss our several other  Notion template round-ups and guides !

  • First Name First

Table of Contents

  • Premium Notion Note-Taking Templates

Free Notion Note-Taking Templates

Notion for note-taking faq, note-taking & digital notebook in all-in-one life os.

Whether you’re jotting down notes and ideas for your personal life, work, or school, the digital notebook section of the all-in-one Life OS template has you covered! Separate your digital notebooks by area, easily access them in a clean list view, and use the built-in Meeting Notes or Cornell note-taking templates to quickly populate headings and bullets in a single click. You can even tag notes with your contacts from the built-in CRM!

Template Available Here

Note-Taking & Digital Notebook in All-in-One Life OS

Note-Taking OS

From Cornell to boxing to outlining, Note-Taking OS comes with 5 note-taking layouts to help you find the structure that makes the most sense for your brain. From the template, just click your preferred method and jot down an idea, and it’ll be added to your database. Use tags and labels to keep your notes organized. Plus, this note-taking Notion template has a daily to-do list and a publishing calendar to help you stay on top of all your tasks!

Note-Taking OS Template for Notion

The Complete Notion Note-Taking Toolkit

With everything you need to start taking beautiful and effective notes in Notion, the Note-Taking Toolkit is built on the Cornell method to level up your note-taking game. This template includes drag-and-drop building blocks, LaTeX codes to colorfully decorate your notes, organized notebook collections, and 5 different template types depending on the notes you’re taking: lecture, book, journal, article, grey literature — plus a bonus review sheet template!

Notion Note-Taking Toolkit

Notion Zettelkasten Template for Advanced Note-Taking

Marketed as the best Zettelkasten template ever for Notion, this note-taking template is for serious knowledge workers. It can act as a second brain to process info and generate new ideas with more clarity. Incremental reading and writing tools are ideal for learning, writing, and creating content without feeling overwhelmed.

It’s a superb template for students and professionals, with quizzes and spaced repetition for internalizing information. With knowledge boards and quick Fleeting notes, this template takes your notes to the next level!

Related Post: How to Create Notion Flashcards: Tutorial & Free Templates

Notion Zettelkasten Template for Advanced Note-Taking

All-in-One Student OS with Cornell Note-Taking Template

Featuring 15+ templates in a centralized dashboard — including a fully integrated Cornell note-taking template — Student OS is the ultimate all-in-one workspace for everything you need for your academic career. Beyond planning your semester and tracking your deliverables, take notes for all your lectures and readings in one spot, and connect them to the Classes and Assignments databases.

Student OS with Cornell Note-Taking Template

Notes Manager

Searching for a no-frills Notion note-taking template? Notes Manager lets you quickly capture notes and sort them into categories like health, personal, finance, etc. Lifetime updates means Note Manager’s latest features are always accessible. It’s also an excellent template for Notion newbies, with lifetime support to help you get started.

Notion Notes Manager

Smart Notes – Notion Note-Taking Template

The ultimate note-taking template to help you collect knowledge and keep it top of mind, Smart Notes is great for students, knowledge workers, or any lifelong learners looking to take more effective notes!

Notion Student Note-Taking Template

Looking for a new note-taking system, but not sure about splashing cash on a paid product? Check out these free Notion note-taking templates!

Aesthetic Sticky Notes Dashboard

Aesthetic Sticky Notes Template for Notion

Cornell Notes Notion Template

Free Cornell Notes Notion Template

Simple Lecture Note-Taking Template for University & College

Template Available Here  |  Video Tutorial

Lecture Note-Taking Template for Notion

Weekly Team Meeting Note-Taking Template for Notion

Weekly Team Meeting Note-Taking Template for Notion

Notion Student’s Index – Notes Index Template

Notion Student’s Index – Notes Index Template

Basic Notion Meeting Notes Template

Notion Meeting Notes Template

Thomas Frank’s Note-Taking System

Thomas Frank’s Note-Taking System

Notion Team Meeting Blueprint Template

Notion Team Meeting Blueprint Template

Meeting Notes Manager

Meeting Notes Manager in Notion

Meeting Notes Dashboard

Free Notion Meeting Notes

Ali Abdaal’s Book Notes

Ali Abdaa Notion Book Notes Template

Still got Qs about using Notion to take notes? We’ve got answers!

Is Notion good for taking notes?

We can’t answer this question for you , since everyone has different needs and preferences. But we like taking notes in Notion (for both work and personal development) because it lets you do things other apps don’t, like:

  • embedding videos, websites, and other materials right next to your notes
  • connecting your notes to other Notion pages with backlinks and databases
  • making your notes aesthetic with widgets , dividers, covers , and icons
  • creating buttons and automations to save time when creating and editing pages
  • generating summaries with Notion AI

Ultimately, the best way to find out if Notion is the right note-taking app for you is to play around with it, test out some templates, and engage with the community to see how others are using Notion.

Are there any drawbacks to using Notion for note-taking?

Again, the answer to this depends on your needs and preferences, but there are a couple of considerations to keep in mind:

  • Notion doesn’t currently support a true offline mode. You won’t be able to open your Notion pages without an internet connection. If your internet drops out while you’re working on a page, any changes you make will sync once you go back online.
  • Notion occasionally experiences outages. Like any other cloud-based app, Notion goes down every now and then, which leaves users unable to access their notes and other Notion pages.

That said, we think the pros of using Notion for note-taking far outweigh the cons. (Speaking from experience here — the Gridfiti team uses Notion every day for work!)

Which Notion note-taking templates do you use the most? Do you have any other Notion note templates to recommend? Let us know in the comments below!

Gridfiti is supported by its audience – when you buy something using the retail links in our posts, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read more  about our affiliate disclaimer.

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How To Use Notion For Note Taking (Get Organized 2024)

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Notion has gained insane popularity in the past few years. Many agree that it's the most powerful, flexible, and enjoyable productivity app at the moment. However, since it has so many functionalities, some people find it hard to use, especially in the beginning.

If you want to start using Notion for your notes but don't know where to start or how to make the most out of Notion note-taking, continue reading. Learn the steps needed to turn Notion into a powerful note-taking machine and get to know about Notion Second Brain - a template built on the most efficient note-taking and organization methods.

Notion Second Brain

Notion Notes

Ready to experience what having Notion Notes feels like? As we mentioned before, Notion is not your regular notes app—it's much more powerful than that.

Is Notion good for taking notes?

Notion is a perfect app for notes. And here's why:

  • Efficient Tagging System: With Notion, you can quickly categorize and retrieve notes using a customizable tagging system. ‍
  • Dynamic Organization with Databases: With the help of Notion's databases, you can build a flexible and organized note structures. ‍
  • Cross-Device Accessibility: With Notion, you can access notes seamlessly from any device, promoting flexibility and real-time synchronization. ‍
  • Real-Time Collaboration: Work on your Notes with team member effortlessly using Notion's real-time features.
  • ‍ Versatile Multimedia Integration: In Notion, you can elevate your notes with multimedia elements like images and links.

Is Notion Notes free?

Yes! Notion is free to use for personal use. With the Notion free plan, you can also collaborate with others, unfortunately, there are block limits for that. However, that's more than enough to test out with your team. If you enjoy using Notion with your team, you can upgrade at any time.

And if you're using Notion on your own, you can use it unlimitedly.

Notion Notes Templates

If you want to start using Notion for notes in less than 5 minutes, we highly recommend skipping setting up Notion by yourself and just getting our Notion Note-taking template.

Free Notion Notes Template

I've created a simple-to-use and free Notion Notes Template to help you experience how having notes on Notion feels without spending too much time setting up the workspace. Use this Notion Notebook Manager to become more organized with your notes. Create, assign, and revisit your notes.

Template available here

Free Notion Notes Template

Advanced Notion Note-Taking System

Looking for a more powerful space for your notes in Notion? I highly recommend Notion Second Brain.

This all-in-one system helps you organize your entire life in one place, ensuring that no idea, task, or goal is lost. With the implemented P.A.R.A. method, your Notion Notes are organized in the most effective way possible.

Key Features:

  • More than 12 Notion templates inside one all-in-one system to organize your life and notes
  • Quickly capture all useful resources, projects, tasks, and notes on your daily basis, so nothing important slips away.

Advanced Notion Note-Taking System

Basics of Notion Notes

If you want to unlock the full potential of Notion notes, it's crucial to have a deep understanding of two key aspects: Notion databases and collaboration features.

Notion Databases for Note-Taking

Notion databases make note-taking more organized and flexible. Think of each entry in the database as a separate note. You can add different details like tags or dates to make your notes more helpful. What's cool is that you can connect notes to each other, making it easy to see relationships between ideas or tasks. It's like creating a web of information.

With databases, finding specific notes is a breeze. You can quickly filter and sort your notes, even if you have a lot of them. So, using Notion databases for note-taking is like having a customizable and easy-to-use system that fits your way of working, making your notes more organized and accessible.

Collaboration on Notion Notes

Collaborating on Notion Notes is one of the main reasons why you should start using Notion for your personal or business notes right now.

You can work together with your teammates in real-time, making it super easy to share ideas or get projects done. Mention your team members directly in the notes, leave comments, and see changes happening instantly. It's like everyone is working in the same place, even if you're miles apart.

Notion makes it easy to see who's working on what and allows you to add comments for quick discussions. Whether you're tackling a project together or brainstorming ideas, collaborating on Notion Notes transforms teamwork into a collaborative, hassle-free experience.

Notion Notes Setup

Once you download the Notion app, you can use it for your notes right away for free. However, if you want to feel the difference from your regular note-taking app, we recommend you spend time setting it up.

How to setup Notion for note-taking?

First, sign up for a Notion account, and once you're in, create a dedicated workspace - think of it as your digital notebook. Now, dive into organizing your thoughts:

1. Create a page: ‍

  • Establish a new page for your subject or project.
  • Use headers and sub-headers to create a clear structure. ‍

2. Do basic formatting:

  • Familiarize yourself with basic formatting tools like text styling, lists, and checkboxes.
  • Incorporate multimedia elements such as images and links to enhance your notes.

Notion notes setup

3. Create Notion databases:

  • Experiment with Notion's powerful databases for dynamic organization.
  • Add properties like tags and dates to create a more structured note-taking experience. ‍

4. Use tagging system: ‍

  • Implement a tagging system for easy categorization.
  • Utilize hashtags to quickly find and filter specific information within your notes. ‍

5. Get Notion app on different devices:

  • Sync your notes across devices seamlessly.
  • Access your workspace from your computer, tablet, or smartphone for flexibility.

6. Try collaboration features: ‍

  • Explore Notion's collaboration tools for team projects.
  • Mention team members, leave comments, and work collaboratively in real-time.

7.  Personalize your Notion Notes: ‍

  • Tailor Notion to fit your unique workflow and preferences.
  • Experiment with different features to discover what works best for your note-taking style.

Hope that helped! Want to level up your productivity? Check our list of the best Notion Productivity Templates .

Frequently asked questions

Can i write notes in notion.

Certainly! Notion provides a versatile platform where you can write, organize, and customize your notes. It's not just about plain text – you can also incorporate multimedia elements, create to-do lists, and structure your notes using headers and other formatting option

Pocket-lint

Best note-taking apps 2023

W hen a good idea strikes, what is the best way to capture it? You can scramble for a piece of paper or hope you'll remember it once you get home, but the best solution for keeping everything you need to remember at your fingertips is a note-taking app on your phone, tablet , or laptop. With the right app, you can write down or dictate notes across platforms , have them synced and ready to access anywhere, and have an easy way to find an important piece of information if you need to refer back to it later.

Microsoft OneNote

Google keep, goodnotes 6, which cloud storage service is right for you icloud vs google drive vs onedrive vs dropbox.

Note-taking apps can vary in quality, features, and price, but in our book, Microsoft OneNote is going to be the best for most people. It's free, supports a variety of different inputs, is completely searchable, and should be familiar enough to use for anyone who already uses another Microsoft productivity app. But simple note-taking isn't going to work for everyone, so if you're specifically interested in having a great search experience, want something more Google or Amazon-friendly , or simply want to focus on taking notes with a stylus , we've got you covered in the list below.

Our favorite note-taking apps

Covers all the basics

Microsoft OneNote crams most of the text-formatting prowess of Microsoft Word into a note-taking app that's equally capable of handling audio and handwritten text.

  • Totally usable for free
  • Supports handwriting input
  • Works across platforms
  • Works best with Microsoft's other apps

It never feels exciting to recommend a Microsoft app because of how well-known they are, but Microsoft OneNote has earned its place in the pantheon of simple, but powerful tools for collecting your thoughts. Its general interface and layout looks a lot like Microsoft Word, including the trademark "ribbon" of buttons for changing formatting and other settings.

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It can create notebooks with sections and individual note pages, with room for links and images like any other text editor. Where OneNote shines is handwritten input, with deep integration with Windows Ink if you're writing on a Surface Pro or other convertible laptop, and the option to convert handwritten notes into typed text.

You'll get all the features you need with a free Microsoft account and the ability to access the app across Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, but if you want more storage (a free account gets you 5GB) or access to AI-powered features that can help you solve math problems or summarize your notes, you'll need to spring for a personal or business Microsoft 365 account. They start at $6.99 per month, but you'll get access to the rest of Microsoft's productivity suite too, so it's more than worth it.

Notes, databases, wikis, and more

Notion is a solid note-taking tool, but with a little effort and a little extra money, it can transform into a database, wiki site, and even an AI companion for work.

  • Highly flexible use cases
  • Subscription gets you a custom domain
  • AI Q&A feature built on your data
  • Increasingly complex

You can use Notion as a simple note-taking and journaling tool and be more than happy, but the app is popular because of how flexible it is. Notion's system of "block" components makes it comparatively simple to spin up a database, to-do list, task tracker, or wiki, and link between them without needing to know any kind of programming skills. Plus, you can share anything you create in Notion with other people for collaboration and, because Notion pages are hosted online, it's very easy to convert them to a website.

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You get all of that for free, with unlimited pages and blocks, and the ability to bring in 10 collaborators. What makes Notion a fantastic premium note-taking tool is how it improves if you're willing to pay. Fork over a monthly fee of $8 per month or more, and you can remove the cap on file uploads (free accounts can only host 5MB), bring on even more collaborators, get custom domains for each Notion page, and create private pages for specific team members.

Notion is also experimenting with AI features that can generate text, automatically write meeting notes, create summaries, and answer questions about all the information stored in your Notion account for an additional monthly subscription.

Ridiculously easy to use

Google Keep is barebones, but hides a flexible text editor and reminder system that makes it a useful cross-platform note-taking app for anyone with a Google account.

  • Notes, to-dos, and reminders
  • Can convert notes into Google Docs
  • Supports Android, iOS, and the web
  • Not as fully-featured as other apps

Google Keep is stripped-down, but oh so reliable. You can access Google's free, collaborative note-taking and reminders app from the web, Android, and iOS. It's great for creating notes on the fly, writing out a shopping list, or setting down some to-dos and reminders for the day. Notes in Keep can be formatted and filled with links and images, but their real winning quality is how they interact with Google's other services.

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You can convert Keep notes into Google Docs , saving you time getting a draft ready to publish, and Keep is easily accessible from the sidebar in Gmail or Google Calendar in case you need to jot down a note or reminder while reviewing your email or schedule. Google doesn't charge money for Keep, but you do need to create a free Google account and notes stored in Keep count against your overall Google account storage, so you might want to upgrade at some point if you need more space.

The OG notes app

Evernote is one of the original note apps, and even though its price has changed, it still has some of the best search and document scanning features in the business.

  • Notes and files in one app
  • Support for handwritten notes
  • OCR search for finding information in PDFs and images
  • Free accounts are very limited
  • Great features like OCR cost money

Evernote was one of the first note-taking apps on the scene, and while it can do a lot of what the other note-taking apps on the list can do in terms of interlinking notes, nesting notes inside other notes, and supporting multiple kinds of content in an individual note, it's still best at what it's been doing from the beginning. Evernote is a bit like a storage app and a note-taking tool in one.

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You can jot down some thoughts, scan and upload a receipt, and search through a PDF all in the same place. The app still offers great OCR (optical character recognition) search for finding things inside of images and PDFs, and Evernote shines in linking disparate types of information together.

In the years since Evernote's launch and later sale to app developer Bending Spoons, it's also become more of a general productivity tool, with a dashboard of useful widgets to keep you on top of reminders, your calendar, and past notes. The only problem is that the free version of Evernote is fairly limited, and to get the best features, like OCR search and the ability to markup PDFs, you have to pay at least $14.99 per month or $129.99 per year.

Secure and highly-expandable

Obsidian looks intimidating, but only because it's a highly flexible note-taking, brainstorming, task tracking, and even publishing tool that stores information securely and locally.

  • Totally free for personal use
  • Hundreds of plugins
  • Graph and Canvas for visual notes
  • Syncing between apps costs money

Obsidian has most of the features of an Evernote or Notion, but without the need for an internet connection, because it stores all of your notes and data locally, rather than in the cloud. That keeps notes stored on Obsidian more secure – your information is never on anyone else's server – and easier to port to another app if you get tired of Obsidian's interface. That security doesn't come without a few drawbacks, though.

Obsidian can be as inscrutable to use as Notion, especially if you want to create a nesting doll of notes, charts, and lists. There's even a way to illustrate that complexity with the app's visual graph, which can illuminate how your notes are connected to each other with colored nodes. With hundreds of plugins and multiple ways to display information, there's definitely a lot you can do with Obsidian, but you'll likely have to watch several YouTube tutorials to do it.

You can use Obsidian for free for your personal note-taking, if you're a nonprofit, or you're a company of one, but for anyone else, Obsidian asks that you purchase a commercial license that costs $50 per year per user. On top of that, if you want to securely sync your notes between versions of the Obsidian app, you'll have to pay $8 per month, and if you want to publish directly from the app to the web, you'll need to pay an additional $8 per month (though you do get a custom domain and theme options).

Like an Apple app from another universe

Bear is an elegantly designed Mac, iPad, and iPhone app with a tagging system and Markdown support that makes creating and organizing notes easy.

  • Markdown text editing
  • Supports sketches with Apple Pencil
  • Tag system for organization
  • Only works with Apple devices

Apple's iPhones, iPads , and Macs all come with a built-in Notes app, but even though it's improved drastically over the years, you can still do one better. Bear is the way to go. As a note-taking tool, Bear is simple. It lets you write and edit text in Markdown (a markup language that lets you format text as you type) and it lets you tag each note so that you can organize all the things you write down. But if you want, you can nest notes under other notes, link between notes, and include sketches using the Apple Pencil. You can also lock notes, and use the apps search to look through notes, images, and files you've uploaded for a specific piece of text.

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Bear gives you a lot of what Evernote does, but in an elegantly designed app that feels right at home on Apple's devices, and at a much cheaper price. Bear can be used for free if you're comfortable only being able to export .TXT, Markdown, and TextBundle files or for $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year if you want all the export options (including ePub), OCR search, iCloud syncing, and lots of theme options. $30 a year isn't as good as free, but if you value design and a seamless experience, it's hard to beat Bear.

The killer app for the Apple Pencil

Goodnotes 6 works across devices to collect handwriting and typed text in the same note, and particularly handy AI-powered search and spell check features on iOS and iPadOS devices.

  • Handwriting and typed notes in the same document
  • AI features for spell check, search, and study guides
  • Edit and annotate PDFs
  • Some features exclusive to Apple devices
  • Pricing is confusing

Goodnotes 6 is designed with handwriting in mind first-and-foremost and works seamlessly with Apple Pencil . You can combine sketches and handwritten text seamlessly alongside typed text in the same note, edit and annotate PDFs, and move and resize images and text, but most of Goodnotes 6's flagship features concern stylus input, specifically on the iPad. With AI, Goodnotes 6 can correct handwritten spelling mistakes, automatically solve math problems, and search through handwritten notes on the iPad. You can even record and sync audio to your notes live and listen back to them with a tap.

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While those flashy features are currently specific to the iPad, the bread-and-butter sketching and writing Goodnotes 6 is capable of working across Windows, Android, iPadOS, iOS, and macOS. Unfortunately, a free account only gets you three notebooks, so to really take advantage of what the app is capable of you'll have to pay $9.99 per year, but if you feel like you thoughts flow easiest when you're writing them down by hand, there really isn't a better digital experience you can get than Goodnotes 6.

The bottom line: What is the best note-taking app?

If you're in the market for a new note-taking app, the best option for most people is going to be Microsoft OneNote. You can use the app entirely for free if you're just jotting down text, it plays nice with styluses and handwritten notes, and it works across all the major platforms. For a more premium option, paying for a Notion account gets you all sorts of niceties, like no cap on the size of files you can upload and a custom domain name on top of the app's flexible system for organizing information. And if you privilege price and simplicity above all else, Google Keep works like a charm just about anywhere.

Microsoft OneNote crams most of the text-formatting prowess of Microsoft Word into a note-taking app thats equally capable of handling audio and handwritten text.

How we picked the best note-taking apps

As writers covering consumer technology and entertainment on the daily, Pocket-lint has more than our fair share of experience collecting our thoughts and organizing information before we actually sit down and write an article. I primarily drew from that experience building this guide. I've tried dozens of note-taking tools throughout my career as a student and then a writer, and upended my digital life more than once by trying out a new system for storing information. This list reflects what I think matters in a good note-taking app.

Note-taking apps should be simple to use, especially if all you care about is creating visually pleasing text. They should ideally have a free option, so you can try them without committing, and be accessible on more than one device, so you can jot down a quick thought on the go. And lastly, they should offer a way to sort and search through the notes you create. Everything else is gravy, and luckily for readers of this guide, we found several note-taking apps with excellent extra features, like support for handwritten notes, linking between notes, tables, databases, AI, and more.

Is it worth paying for a note-taking app?

That's going to depend on you, what kind of notes you take, and how many notes you think you'll take, but in general I'd say yes. Think about it this way. We pay for other digital tools in our lives, whether they're a photo editing app or an online storage service. Why shouldn't you pay for a note-taking app that will likely improve over time?

The good news is, if all you plan on doing is typing notes, you can get pretty far with a free account from Microsoft OneNote, Notion, or Google Keep before you run into any kind of storage issue. It's only when you start uploading files that storage gets eaten up more quickly, and even then, if you have a Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace account through school or your employer, you might not have to worry about the issues anyway. Give a note-taking app a try and see if it's worth paying for. You might be surprised at how you feel.

How important is OCR?

OCR or Optical Character Recognition is the technology that lets an app's search engine recognize text in a file, image, or piece of handwriting and not just the note format of a given note-taking app. It's a handy tool if you know you have to juggle lots of different PDFs in your day-to-day life, but not a necessity for most people. That being said, once you rely on it, you might find it pretty darn useful, especially for digging up a hard-to-find scanned receipt.

Best note-taking apps 2023

Productivity

What is Notion?

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use notion..

Hero image for Notion app tips with the Notion logo on a gray background

Everyone has their reasons for being drawn to Notion. For me, it's the aesthetics of it all—from cute animations in its demo videos to a sleek interface, Notion checks all the visual boxes. For most other humans who don't share the same inane reason, the real appeal lies in its nearly perfect blend of customizable and functional. 

Here, I'll walk you through the basics of how to use Notion, so you can get the most out of it. 

Table of contents : 

What is Notion?  

How to use Notion at a glance  

How to manage your Notion sidebar

How to share pages and collaborate in Notion  

How to use databases in Notion  

What is Notion? 

Notion is, at the core, a note-taking app. But really, there's no one category that accurately captures everything Notion can do. Because if you know how to use the app's basic building blocks, it functions as so much more than just a place to jot down your thoughts—it becomes more of an all-in-one workspace.

Notion provides a single space for organizing everything from lead data to to-do lists to company wikis, allowing you to turn it into a CRM , a project management tool , and with the help of Notion AI , a writing partner.

Example of a blog calendar database in Notion.

Want to know how Notion stacks up against other note-taking apps ? Here's a roundup of our app showdowns: Notion vs. OneNote , Notion vs. Evernote , Roam vs. Notion , and Coda vs. Notion . Or review all our picks for the best Notion alternatives .

How to use Notion at a glance

Notion sidebar with the add a page button highlighted.

Or click Templates and choose from over 10,000 templates to help you kickstart your work.  

Example of a to-do list Notion template.

For even more Notion templates, plus tips on how to get the most out of each one, check out these Zapier articles: 

How to use Notion as a to-do list

How to create a recipe book in Notion

How to stay organized with a Notion note-taking template

How to create a reading list in Notion

How to track business goals and projects in Notion

To add content to your page, such as text, images, and videos, you need to add a block. Blocks are the way you build anything in Notion. There are five basic building block categories (and over 500 block types): 

Text blocks

Inline blocks, media blocks.

Embed blocks

Database blocks

A text block is the most basic of basic building blocks, and it's exactly what it sounds like. It includes body text, headings, bulleted lists, toggles (collapsible text boxes), and callouts. 

To add text in Notion, click anywhere on the page and start typing. 

Need to style your text? Here are all the ways you can format your text in Notion: 

Slash commands : Enter the Turn into slash command at the beginning of a text block: /turn [format] . For example, /turn heading 1 or /turn quote . If you forget what formatting options are available to you, no problem—once you start typing /turn , a dropdown will automatically appear with your options.

Keyboard shortcuts : Highlight the text you want to format and use your keyboard shortcut . 

Markdown : Use Markdown while typing or at the beginning of a new block to apply common formatting styles, such as bold, italics, and bulleted lists. 

Block menu : Let's say you want to fill your text block in with color. Click the six-dot menu icon next to your text block, and select Color . The block menu will also give you access to many of the same actions you can take using slash commands or keyboard shortcuts. 

Expanded block menu in Notion.

Text block floating toolbar : Highlight the text you want to edit, and choose an option from the floating toolbar that appears. 

Text block floating toolbar in Notion.

Inline blocks allow you to display blocks of content, including dates, mentions, emoji, and mathematical equations, within another block. 

If you want to mention a person, page, or date, enter @ , and select from the dropdown that appears.   

Expanded dropdown of inline block options in Notion: date, people, and page mentions.

To add an emoji, enter a colon ( : ) immediately followed by the name of the emoji.

And to add a mathematical symbol or equation, enter /inline , click Inline equation , and enter the symbol or equation you want to insert.

Media blocks are for images, files, video, and audio—all of which you can interact with directly from your Notion page. 

The easiest way to add a media file is to drag and drop it directly onto your Notion page. Alternatively, you can use the slash command for the media file you want to upload (for example, /file or /video ). Hover over any media file, and a floating toolbar will appear with shortcuts to commonly used tools, such as Comment , Caption , and Download . 

Image on a Notion page with the image's floating toolbar highlighted.

Embed blocks 

Embed blocks contain content pulled in from another website. For example, a driving route saved in Google Maps or a YouTube video. 

Example of a Google Maps embed in a Notion page.

There are countless things you can embed within Notion—from Loom and Zoom recordings to files stored in the cloud . To embed content onto your page, use your slash command (for example /map or /youtube ), or enter /embed and scroll through the available options. 

Database blocks 

Put simply, database blocks are collections of pages in Notion. You can visualize your database as a table, board, list, timeline, calendar, or gallery. Each layout contains all the same features—the only difference is how your information is displayed.

Since databases are arguably the most powerful feature in Notion, I'll do a more in-depth review on how to use databases later on. 

How to rearrange blocks in Notion 

Notion makes it really easy to rearrange content. 

Select the block you want to move. Or highlight multiple blocks to move them as a group.

Click the block menu icon. If you highlighted multiple blocks, you can click any block menu within your selection. 

Drag and drop your selection to a new spot. Note: As you drag, a thin blue bar will appear to indicate where the block will exist once you let go of your cursor. A horizontal bar means your content will go above or below surrounding content; a vertical bar means it'll go next to surrounding content in a column layout. 

How to manage your Notion sidebar 

Notion pages live within Teamspaces (more on that in a bit), Shared , or your own Private space—all of which are accessible via your sidebar. Note: Depending on your workspace structure, you may see one or all of these sections. 

Example of pages in a Notion sidebar grouped into teamspaces and private spaces.

Every top-level page can host an infinite number of subpages. And while you could easily navigate to a subpage from the sidebar, Notion provides another useful option: it automatically populates the names of the subpages in your top-level page. This is great if you want to scan through a list of subpages without the distraction of other irrelevant pages. 

Notion sidebar with an expanded view of a top-level page and its subpages.

Subpages are great for organization, but having too many nested pages can make finding documents cumbersome. If you regularly find yourself clicking through four or five layers of pages to access what you need, that's a sign you may need to simplify your structure. Check out our tips for how to organize files and folders . 

Need easy access to a specific page? Add it to your favorites. 

Open the page you want to add to your favorites. 

Click the Add to favorites icon, which looks like a star, at the top of the page.

Notion page with the add to favorites icon highlighted.

A new Favorites section will appear at the top of your sidebar with your starred pages. Note: If you starred a top-level page, all of its subpages will automatically appear in your Favorites as well. 

List of pages grouped in the favorites section of the Notion sidebar.

How to share pages and collaborate in Notion 

There are three main ways to share pages and collaborate in Notion: 

Share individual pages with others  

Publish pages to the web  

Share pages in teamspaces

How to share individual pages with others 

Open the page you want to share. 

Click Share at the top of the page. 

Enter the name or email address of the person you want to share the page with. 

Notion page with the share option selected.

By default, anyone you share the page with can edit and share with others. To change this, click the dropdown next to Full access , and select the right permissions. 

Expanded permissions dropdown in Notion's page sharing popup.

Click Invite . 

Alternatively, you can share a link to your page. 

Click Copy link , and share it as you normally would. 

Once you share the page, it'll automatically populate in a new Shared section in both of your sidebars. 

List of shared pages grouped in the shared section of the Notion sidebar.

How to publish pages to the web

Let's say you want to turn all your journal entries into a public blog. Or maybe you've crafted a portfolio that you want to share with anyone with internet access. 

Open the page you want to publish. 

Click Share at the top of the page.

Click the Publish tab. 

Click Publish . Note: Your page (and any of its subpages) will go live immediately. 

Click settings to change the domain name, which will be followed by .notion.site . For example, jess-travels.notion.site . 

If you want your page to be searchable on the web, click the toggle next to Search engine indexing . Update all other permission settings as needed. 

Notion page publishing settings.

That's it. Now you have a fully navigable and searchable website . 

At any point, you can click Unpublish to remove it from the web. 

If you have more questions about publishing your Notion page to the web, check out this FAQ from Notion . 

How to share pages in teamspaces 

Depending on your Notion workspace, you may or may not already be part of a teamspace (collaborative workspaces). Before you can automatically create and share pages with members of a teamspace, and vice versa, you need to create or join a teamspace. 

How to create a new teamspace 

Click the New teamspace icon, which looks like a plus sign ( + ) next to Teamspaces . 

Notion sidebar with the new teamspace icon highlighted.

In the popup that appears, enter your teamspace name, add a description (optional), and choose who can see and join your space. Note: If you set your teamspace to Closed , anyone will be able to see that the teamspace exists, but they won't be able to view the pages inside of it.  

Popup in Notion to add the details of a new teamspace, including the teamspace name, description, and member permissions.

Click Create teamspace . 

Now you have a dedicated space in Notion for your team to create and share pages. 

Notion sidebar with an example of a teamspace and its pages in the teamspaces section.

How to join a teamspace

Click the ellipsis ( ... ) next to Teamspaces , and then select Browse teamspaces . 

Notion sidebar with the ellipsis next to teamspaces selected and the browse teamspaces dropdown in the dropdown highlighted.

Scroll through the available spaces in the More teamspaces section. Or, if you know the name of the space you want to join, enter it in the search bar. 

List of teamspaces in the Notion sidebar.

Depending on the teamspace settings, you can click Join to join the space directly, or click Request to ask the teamspace owner to let you in.

Every space you join will immediately appear under Your teamspaces in the sidebar. You'll also have access to all the pages and subpages of that space. 

List of teamspaces grouped under your teamspaces and more teamspaces in the Notion sidebar.

How to manage members in teamspaces

Let's say someone has requested to join your closed teamspace. A notification will appear in your Notion inbox where you can approve or deny the request. 

Click Updates in the sidebar to access your inbox. 

In the request notification, click Approve or Decline . 

Notion inbox with a request for someone to join a teamspace.

If you want to add or remove members from your teamspace, or manage member permissions, click the ellipsis ( ... ) next to the teamspace name, and then select Teamspace settings . 

How to manage teamspace settings in Notion.

Here's a high-level overview of the settings you can modify: 

General : This lets you change the teamspace name, icon, and description. 

Members : This lets you add and remove members, and manage how they interact with the pages in your teamspace ( can view , can comment , or full access ).

Security : This lets you limit who can invite other members and change the teamspace sidebar. 

Notion teamspace settings.

How to use databases in Notion 

Databases in Notion make it easy to store, organize, and visualize information. You can think of each database entry as one of the basic building blocks we reviewed earlier. For example, an image can be an entry. So can an entire page. 

Before we get into creating a database, however, it's important to understand all the ways you can visualize your data: 

Table : This gives you a high-level overview of all the content in your database. 

List : This is a good option for listing a collection of pages, such as journal entries or meeting notes. 

Calendar : This displays your pages as cards in a calendar. 

Timeline : This displays your pages on an infinitely scrolling horizontal line, which is helpful for presenting workflows that involve date ranges or multiple consecutive steps, like a product launch. 

Gallery : This is the most visual option, giving you a preview of the content within each data. 

Board : This is a Kanban board . It groups your content by category—for example: In progress , Review , and Done —making it a great option for task management.  

How to create a database in Notion 

You can create a database as its own page or inline with other content on an existing page. The setup is more or less the same either way. 

Open a new or existing page in Notion. 

Enter the slash command /database to create a new database, and select Database - Inline or Database - Full page . By default, Notion will display an inline database as a table, but you can easily change this.  

Notion page with an expanded dropdown of the database slash command visible.

Give your database a name and add your entries. 

Example of a database with a table view in Notion.

Need to edit an entry? If you created a table view, hover over the entry name in the first column (or "property"), and click Open . It'll open as its own page, which you can then edit. 

For all other layouts, just click the card, and it'll open as its own page. 

How to create different database views in Notion

Let's say you created your initial database in a table view, but now you want to visualize the same entries in a board view. 

Hover over your database until a floating menu appears above it. 

Click the Edit view layout icon, which looks like an ellipsis ( ... ), and then select Layout . 

Expanded dropdown of the edit view layout option in a Notion database.

Choose your desired layout. Notion will also give you a real-time preview of the layout as you click through your layout options. 

Database layout options in Notion.

It's worth mentioning, though, that changing the layout this way means the calendar view will replace the original table view. 

If you want to create multiple views that you can easily toggle between, add a new view instead. 

Hover over your database until a floating menu appears above it.

Click the plus icon ( + ) next to your board name. 

Select the datasource you want to link to. This should be the same datasource you used in your initial database view. Note: Linked databases aren't duplicates—they're another view of the same underlying data. 

How to select a data source for a new database view in Notion.

Change the layout, as needed. 

That's it. And there's no limit to how many views of layouts you can create within one database. 

Automate Notion 

Notion offers plenty of features and customization to turn it into the perfect information hub. But first, you have to get that information into Notion.

When you connect Notion with Zapier , you can automatically send data from other apps to your Notion workspace and vice versa. For example, you can add new calendar events or items in your read-it-later app to databases in Notion. Learn more about how to automate Notion , or get started with one of these workflows.

Add new Google Calendar events to databases in Notion

Google Calendar logo

Add new Microsoft Outlook calendar events to Notion databases

Microsoft Outlook logo

Store new Pocket items in databases in Notion

Pocket logo

To get started with a Zap template—what we call our pre-made workflows—just click on the button. It only takes a few minutes to set up. You can read more about setting up Zaps here .

Related reading : 

How to use Notion to organize your life

Creative ways to use Notion for your business

Strategies for a powerful Notion workspace

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Jessica Lau

Jessica Lau is a senior content specialist at Zapier. Outside of writing, she likes to snuggle her dogs, and provide unsolicited podcast and book recommendations.

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Improve your productivity automatically. Use Zapier to get your apps working together.

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Download Goodnotes for Windows

Notes, reimagined. fall in love with handwriting again on goodnotes for windows. $6.99 per year, with a 1-week free trial..

The UI of Goodnotes for Android with the note of dandelions

Introducing your new favorite note-taking app for Windows

Windows Surface Pro X

Coming soon: sync your notes across all platforms

Experience the freedom of handwriting.

An example of GoodNotes

Write equations, mind maps, and diagrams on a blank canvas. Edit your ink after you’ve noted it down.

An example of GoodNotes

50+ notes templates to inspire every use case

Multiple GoodNotes Templates

From blank paper to graph paper, dotted paper, Cornell notes, and more. Just start writing.

Easily collaborate on any device.

The UI of Goodnotes for Windows with the note of DNA

Share a link to your notes to invite others to view, edit, and comment.

Try it out and tell us what you think., features coming soon…, exciting things are in the works., sync your library with the ios app, spellcheck that catches spelling mistakes, word complete that finishes your words for you, a marketplace to explore and download new stickers, paper templates, and planners, notes reimagined, download goodnotes and try for free. unlock all features for just $6.99 a year., can i sync my android notes to windows.

Yes! Your account for Goodnotes for Android and Windows will be the same. So, if you also have a Windows device, sign into your Goodnotes account and you’ll be able to access the same notes.

Can I sync the Goodnotes documents from my iPad to the Windows app?

Not yet, but it’s coming soon!

In the mean time, here’s a way to share notebooks from Goodnotes 5 to Windows Android, or Web:

  • Make sure “Use iCloud" is enabled in in Goodnotes 5 on iOS/iPadOS/macOS.
  • Open a document that you want to share in Goodnotes 5 on iOS/iPadOS/macOS.
  • Tap the Share icon in the navigation bar > Enable Share Link to Collaborate.
  • Tap on Sharing Settings and make sure "Open Document on Web" is enabled (available in the full version only).
  • Tap Send Link to share it.

IMAGES

  1. 3 Methods for Notion Note-Taking (and which one is Best)

    good notes notion

  2. 5+ Notion Note-Taking & Meeting Notes Templates

    good notes notion

  3. Is Notion Notes the Best Note-Taking App?

    good notes notion

  4. Cornell Notes Notion Template

    good notes notion

  5. 5 Ways Students Can Use Notion (For Studying and More)

    good notes notion

  6. The Ultimate Note-Taking Template for Notion

    good notes notion

VIDEO

  1. Easy move your notes

  2. Notion Second Brain Template

  3. study vlog: taking notes, notion, making ppt and reading

  4. Notion 2.32: Video Release Note

  5. Go Check Out Obsidian for Taking Notes

COMMENTS

  1. Goodnotes vs Notion : r/GoodNotes

    r/GoodNotes • 2 yr. ago Comfortable-Worker28 Goodnotes vs Notion Can we compare the two? I've only tried notion btw 7 16 Sort by: Add a Comment topazi • 2 yr. ago If you care about handwriting Goodnotes is the only way to go. I would not be able to complete math assignments on Notion like I do on GN.

  2. How to embed Goodnotes documents in Notion : r/Notion

    On the Goodnotes home screen (the one that shows all your notebook covers), select the notebook you want to see in Notion and click the dropdown arrow next to the document title. Click Share link. Toggle Get shareable link and let Goodnotes do its thing. Then, toggle Preview on web. Click send link to copy the link or open it in your browser.

  3. How to Integrate Notion with Goodnotes

    Notion and Goodnotes are two popular productivity tools that can be used together to create a seamless note-taking experience. Notion is a powerful all-in-one workspace that allows users to organize their thoughts, tasks, and projects in a single place.

  4. Notion vs. GoodNotes

    First, the quick answer: GoodNotes, as a digital notepad, is ideal for using with the Apple Pencil and editing PDFs. Notion is based on a block system and is ideal for linking individual notes, creating databases, and team collaboration. Of course, there are more distinctions and details. I'll show you these in the course of the post. Let's go

  5. GoodNotes vs Notion

    GoodNotes has 53 reviews and a rating of 4.57 / 5 stars vs Notion which has 2101 reviews and a rating of 4.73 / 5 stars. Compare the similarities and differences between software options with real user reviews focused on features, ease of use, customer service, and value for money. GoodNotes Learn More Learn More Add to Compare

  6. Compare GoodNotes vs. Notion

    GoodNotes-vs-Notion Compare GoodNotes and Notion Save See this side-by-side comparison of GoodNotes vs. Notion based on preference data from user reviews. GoodNotes rates 4.8/5 stars with 39 reviews. By contrast, Notion rates 4.7/5 stars with 5,058 reviews.

  7. To anyone who's ever used Good Notes, Notion and Notability

    Goodnotes mainly for note taking and pdf reading, while Notion to organize things. For example, I have all my courses on notion with timetables, files that I don't need to annotate on, files I don't need anymore etc. While on Goodnotes I have my handwritten notes, PDFs I'm currently studying, flashcards etc.

  8. Notion vs. GoodNotes

    Notion is also great for creating content calendars, to-do lists, and reminders. With its powerful search functionality, users can easily find the information they need. One of the most popular use cases for Notion is as a note-taking app. Notion allows users to take notes in a variety of formats, including text, images, and even audio recordings.

  9. Notion Review

    Home Reviews Productivity Notion Review 3.0 Average By Justin Pot Updated January 18, 2024 (Credit: Notion) The Bottom Line Notion is a good note-taking app for collaborating and is...

  10. Goodnotes

    Reimagined Notes that finish your sentences Download on iOS Try Goodnotes today. Reimagine note-taking. You have to try it to believe it. iOS Android Windows Discover Goodnotes 6, the AI note-taking app loved by millions around the world.

  11. Compare GoodNotes vs Notion 2024

    Best for. 1-1000+ users. Students, teachers and professionals. 1-1000+ users. Notion is a tool for teams and companies that want a better way to manage knowledge, projects, documents, and collaboration. Individuals can also use the product for notes and organizing their lives. Recognition. --. CAPTERRA SHORTLIST™ Project Management Software ...

  12. Notes vs. Notion: Which App Is Better for Taking Notes?

    As you use Notes or Notion more on your Apple device (s), keeping all of your notes and pages neat is a good idea. Notes and Notion have several tools you can use to organize your Notes, but we believe that Notion has more flexibility in this respect. When using Notion, you can keep related notes together by embedding sub-pages.

  13. How to Do Handwriting in Notion with iPad and Apple Pencil

    4.4K Share 298K views 3 years ago How to quickly add handwritten notes in Notion using an iPad and Apple Pencil. 🔗LINKS: ...more ...more How to quickly add handwritten notes in Notion...

  14. How To Take Notes in Notion [Complete Guide]

    Notion is one of the best note-taking applications for many reasons. It makes organizing and structuring your notes easy and seamless. It offers endless options for customization and also makes your notes visually appealing.

  15. Managing Life with Notion, an Update to the Pricing Model of GoodNotes

    There are a plethora of great note-taking apps for the iPad.And if you want to take handwritten notes on the iPad, GoodNotes is the best there is.We like GoodNotes so much, we built our annual Digital Planner to work perfectly inside GoodNotes on your iPad.. GoodNotes recently updated its pricing structure to allow new users to get a better grasp of the app before fully committing to the $8 ...

  16. Notion Review (2024): Features, Pros & Cons

    Pros Great note-taking capabilities Very easy to use and customize Affordable pricing Forever free plan has enough features for solopreneurs Cons Lacks advanced project management features...

  17. Introducing Goodnotes 6: Notes Reimagined

    Your notes just got way smarter. Goodnotes 6 is the next generation of digital note-taking. It's the note-taking app you know and love, with a fresh new look...

  18. Notion vs. OneNote: Which note-taking app should you use? [2024]

    11 min read Notion vs. OneNote: Which note-taking app should you use? [2024] By Miguel Rebelo · January 3, 2024 A book, an app, the next billion-dollar idea: everything starts from a note. Notion and OneNote are both top-notch note-taking apps, but each has its own way of handling your notes. Turn ideas into action Automate your note-taking

  19. Notion and good notes intigration : r/Notion

    Here's how to do it: On the Goodnotes home screen (the one that shows all your notebook covers), select the notebook you want to see in Notion and click the dropdown arrow next to the document title. Click Share link. Toggle Get shareable link and let Goodnotes do its thing. Then, toggle Preview on web. Click send link to copy the link or open ...

  20. Notion Answers

    1 Answer 0 polle Points 71060 There is no GoodNotes integration through the Notion API, that is something that only GoodNotes developers can make it happen. But you can embed and see your GoodNotes documents in Notion following the next steps.

  21. The 18 Best Notion Note-Taking Templates

    Note-Taking OS. From Cornell to boxing to outlining, Note-Taking OS comes with 5 note-taking layouts to help you find the structure that makes the most sense for your brain. From the template, just click your preferred method and jot down an idea, and it'll be added to your database. Use tags and labels to keep your notes organized.

  22. How To Use Notion For Note Taking? (Get Organized 2024)

    Basics of Notion Notes. If you want to unlock the full potential of Notion notes, it's crucial to have a deep understanding of two key aspects: Notion databases and collaboration features. Notion Databases for Note-Taking. Notion databases make note-taking more organized and flexible. Think of each entry in the database as a separate note.

  23. Goodnotes Pricing

    Goodnotes 6 integrates the newest technology to push the boundaries of what you've always imagined note-taking to be. In addition to AI-powered note-taking features, it includes highly requested features like the ability to change the colors of folders and (coming soon) the ability to sync with Windows and Android.

  24. Best note-taking apps 2023

    Capture a good idea or check off a list from your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or the web. Pocket-lint. Best note-taking apps 2023 ... Notion is a solid note-taking tool, but with a little effort ...

  25. What is Notion? [A detailed guide for beginners]

    Media blocks. Media blocks are for images, files, video, and audio—all of which you can interact with directly from your Notion page.. The easiest way to add a media file is to drag and drop it directly onto your Notion page. Alternatively, you can use the slash command for the media file you want to upload (for example, /file or /video).Hover over any media file, and a floating toolbar will ...

  26. Notion Studios on Instagram: "You need to try them get productivity

    1,219 likes, 2 comments - notion.std on February 15, 2024: "You need to try them get productivity planners in my bio #ipad #ipadtips #goodnotes #s ...

  27. Goodnotes for Windows

    $6.99 per year, with a 1-week free trial. Introducing your new favorite note-taking app for Windows Coming soon: sync your notes across all platforms Try it out and tell us what you think. Download Goodnotes for Windows

  28. Neda

    milliondollarhabit on February 13, 2024: "2024 Life Planner + GoodNotes 欄 Planner link in bio #digitalplanning #digitalplanner #i..."