From Google Keep to Evernote to Notion

Edgar Cervantes/Android Authority
I create a lot of notes for work and personal projects. In my search for the perfect tool, I tried countless options, but three stood out – Google Keep, Evernote, and Notion.
While the first two were good enough for me initially, my needs continued to change over time, so I eventually abandoned them in favor of Notion. I want to explain why in more detail and discuss whether switching to Notion is right for everyone.
Which app do you prefer?
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My journey from Google Keep to Notion
My note-taking journey started with Google Keep. Overall, this is a great app that can be used on mobile devices and on the web. It’s also free. I used it for about a year or so, but as my needs changed, the tool quickly became too basic for me.
Formatting text isn’t intuitive, and the app lacks the organizational tools I need. Notes also don’t have enough data available, such as creation date or character count that I need to focus on as a writer. As someone who appreciates visually appealing software, Google Keep didn’t impress me at all. The user interface is bland to say the least, which does go with the tool’s simplicity, but it lacks the sparkle I’m looking for in software that makes it a joy to use.
I decided I’d had enough, so I turned to Evernote. I loved it at first and used it for many years. Compared with Keep, Evernote has a better user interface and better organizational features. It fits my workflow perfectly and allows me to easily format text, create custom notebooks, and add tags for better organization. The app even lets me customize my home screen so I can see my latest notes and the latest images I captured on one page, as well as the scratch pad I use to quickly jot down my thoughts.

Edgar Cervantes/Android Authority
However, for a number of reasons, my Evernote love story eventually came to an end. I’m tired of the limitations of the free account and am unwilling to pay for a subscription. I can only use Evernote on two devices, but I regularly use three: PC, phone, and tablet. So while logged in on one device, I have to unsync the app on the other device to access my account. This is a problem that I don’t have with Google Keep.
I also didn’t like the fact that the software kept pushing me to upgrade to a premium plan with pop-up ads that I felt appeared almost daily. On top of that, as time went on, my needs became more and more demanding, and Evernote couldn’t keep up. For example, I wanted to create tables with custom drop-down menus for various projects I was working on, something that Evernote couldn’t do.
I finally had enough and started looking for alternatives, and that’s when I came across Notion. On paper, it seemed promising, but to be honest, I wasn’t impressed at first. It’s not as easy to learn as Google Keep or Evernote. The learning curve is steep, so it takes time to figure out the tools. This initially kept me away from Notion, but I eventually decided to learn the details because there was no better option.
I’m glad I did it. Notion has become an invaluable tool for me, far more powerful than Keep and Evernote. I’ve been using it for a few years without any problems. Whether I want to create a simple note or a large library of books I want to read along with book covers, notes, and drop-down menus, Notion has what I need. The possibilities are almost endless.
The article you are reading was originally written in Notion.
The article you are reading was written in Notion prior to publishing Android Authority. All of my recipes are in Notion, as is my entire fitness routine and diet. I also have a section for general notes, a binder for work-related tasks, and various other items. Notion helps me record everything I want and truly puts me in control of my professional and personal life. The only thing I don’t use it for is to track my finances and the various tasks I have to deal with on a daily or weekly basis. I use dedicated apps for this – YNAB for money management and Todoist for task management. You can read more about this in my recent article about the advanced apps I’m using.
Technically, I could do both of these things using Notion, but I’ve been using both of the apps I mentioned for a long time and have specific workflows set up that can’t be fully replicated in Notion. The good news is that Notion supports Todoist integration, so I can view all my tasks in Notion if I want.
Notion is the first app in this category that I really like, and I don’t see myself giving up anytime soon. I’ve tried alternative apps like Obsidian, which are great and have unique features, but they didn’t offer anything that would further improve my workflow.
The best part? Ideas are free. While the premium package starts at $10 per month, I didn’t need the extra features. The free version is good enough for me and I think it will be good enough for most people. Frankly, I’m surprised that such a valuable piece of software is not only free but also contains no ads. Well done, Concept.
So, is Notion suitable for everyone?

Edgar Cervantes/Android Authority
While I’m very enthusiastic about Notion, I admit it’s not for everyone. Yes, technically Notion can only be used to create simple notes, but it’s not designed with just that in mind. If you’re looking for pure simplicity, Google Keep may be a better choice.
But if you want more customizability and tons of extra features, Notion is one you should consider. However, as already mentioned, the learning curve is steep, so be prepared to invest time and effort in learning how to use the software. Notion’s support page does a great job of explaining the details and includes plenty of videos to further improve the learning process.
Notion also has several worthy competitors. The obsidian already mentioned is the largest and is used by my colleague Bogdan. There are also Anytype and Capacities, to name a few. There are differences between them, for example, Obsidian is more offline and privacy-focused. But in terms of general functionality, in my experience they offer very similar functionality.
I’d love to know what your experience with Notion was – good or bad. Share your thoughts with me in the comments below.