Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Notion VS QOwnNotes

Compare Notion VS QOwnNotes and see what are their differences

Notion logo Notion

All-in-one workspace. One tool for your whole team. Write, plan, and get organized.

QOwnNotes logo QOwnNotes

QOwnNotes is a free plain-text notepad with markdown support for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows, that works together with ownCloud Notes.
  • Notion Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-12
  • QOwnNotes Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-29

Notion features and specs

  • All-in-One Workspace
    Notion combines note-taking, task management, databases, calendars, and collaboration features in a single platform, reducing the need for multiple tools.
  • Highly Customizable
    Users can tailor Notion to fit their specific workflow with customizable templates, pages, and databases, making it versatile for various use cases.
  • Collaboration Features
    Notion offers seamless collaboration with real-time editing, comments, mentions, and shared workspaces, enhancing teamwork and productivity.
  • Cross-Platform Availability
    Notion is available on multiple platforms, including web, desktop, and mobile, providing flexibility and accessibility from anywhere.
  • Integration Capability
    Notion supports integrations with various third-party applications like Google Drive, Slack, and Trello, allowing for a more interconnected workflow.

Possible disadvantages of Notion

  • Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive features and customization options, new users might find Notion challenging to learn and navigate initially.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users report that Notion can become slow or experience lag, especially with large databases and complex pages.
  • Offline Limitations
    While Notion offers some offline capabilities, its functionality is significantly reduced without an internet connection, which can be inconvenient for some users.
  • Pricing for Teams
    Though Notion offers a free version, its premium plans can be expensive for larger teams, which may be a constraint for startups or small businesses.
  • Privacy Concerns
    As with any cloud-based service, there are potential privacy and data security concerns, especially for users handling sensitive information.

QOwnNotes features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    QOwnNotes is available for free and its source code is open, allowing users to contribute, customize, and inspect the code for security and functionality.
  • Cross-Platform
    The application is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible to a wide range of users regardless of their operating system.
  • Cloud Synchronization Support
    QOwnNotes offers native support for synchronization with ownCloud and Nextcloud, enabling seamless integration and access to notes across devices.
  • Markdown Support
    The application supports Markdown, allowing users to format their notes easily and export them in various formats.
  • Customizable
    Users can customize QOwnNotes with scripts and plugins, making it adaptable to different workflows and use cases.

Possible disadvantages of QOwnNotes

  • Complexity for Beginners
    Due to its extensive customization options and technical features, QOwnNotes may be overwhelming for users who are not tech-savvy or are new to open-source software.
  • Limited Mobile Support
    While QOwnNotes supports desktop operating systems, it lacks a dedicated mobile app, which could be a drawback for users who need to access notes on-the-go.
  • Interface Design
    Some users may find the interface less polished compared to other note-taking apps, as it focuses more on functionality than aesthetics.
  • Setup for Cloud Sync
    Setting up cloud synchronization with ownCloud or Nextcloud might require additional configuration, which could be a hurdle for less technical users.

Analysis of QOwnNotes

Overall verdict

  • QOwnNotes is a robust and versatile note-taking application that is well-regarded by users who need advanced organization features and enjoy customization.

Why this product is good

  • QOwnNotes is appreciated for its open-source nature, extensive customization options, and seamless integration with Nextcloud/ownCloud. It offers a markdown editor, note tagging, scriptable functionality, and the ability to organize notes in a directory structure, which appeals to users who prefer flexibility and control over their note-taking process.

Recommended for

    QOwnNotes is recommended for users who are technically inclined and prefer open-source software, individuals who need integration with Nextcloud/ownCloud, and those who require a high degree of customization and organization for their notes.

Notion videos

The Most Powerful Productivity App I Use - Notion

More videos:

  • Review - I switched to Notion for a week... Here's what happened!
  • Review - Notion is Truly an All-in-One Productivity Tool (App Review)

QOwnNotes videos

How to set up QOwnNotes with NextCloud on Linux

More videos:

  • Review - QownNotes kullanฤฑmฤฑ

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Notion and QOwnNotes)
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0
Note Taking
96 96%
4% 4
Project Management
100 100%
0% 0
Todos
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Notion and QOwnNotes. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Notion and QOwnNotes

Notion Reviews

  1. jk22
    ยท consultant at GFI ยท
    Notion has helped in documenting our business

    It's been very very helpful to streamline different people on our team, especially remote workers to help them understand what's going on in our business without 100s of meetings.

    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Ui is very attractive|Easy to use|Great for collaboration|Good customer service|Free to use
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž Cons:    Steep learning curve
  2. Ramesh Kumar
    ยท Product Manager at Aerial ยท
    Extremely helpful- made life easier

    My remote-first start-up has eliminated more than 200+ hours of meetings and 1000s of mismanaged documents because our entire communication happens through Notion.

    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Clean ui|File sharing|Modular
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž Cons:    Learning curve
  3. Boyd Richardson
    ยท Writer at SE ยท

    As someone who's always on the lookout for the perfect productivity app, I was excited to try out Notion. It promises to be an all-in-one tool for everything from note-taking to project management to personal wikis.

    From the moment you open Notion, you can tell that it's different from other productivity apps. The interface is sleek and modern, and it's easy to navigate. The app is divided into pages, which can be customized with different templates to fit your needs. You can create to-do lists, databases, wikis, calendars, and more.

    One of the things I love about Notion is the ability to create relationships between pages. For example, you can create a database of your favorite books and then link to a page with your book reviews. Or you can create a to-do list and link to a page with notes about the task. This feature makes it easy to keep all of your information in one place and to connect related items.

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: Microsoft Loop
    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Highly customizable|All in one|Collaboration|Cross platform
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž Cons:    Steep learning curve

Top 10 Productivity Apps for MacOSย 2025
Okay, I know, I know. Notion is probably the most predictable pick for a productivity app list. But hereโ€™s the thing: Itโ€™s popular for a reason. Notionโ€™s flexibility, customisation, and overall smooth user experience make it a standout, no matter how many times it pops up on productivity lists. Whether youโ€™re organising tasks, taking notes, or creating databases, Notion lets...
Source: dev.to
Top 10 Notion Alternatives for 2025 and Why Teams Are Choosing Ledger
If you're looking for a Notion alternative that supports real, scalable teamwork, you're not alone. Whether youโ€™ve outgrown Notion or are just exploring more robust, team-friendly platforms, hereโ€™s a breakdown of the top 10 alternatives in 2025โ€”and why Ledger is becoming the go-to choice for modern teams.
How Tight-Knit Teams Get More Done with Innovative Project Management Tools
Notion: More than a task manager, it acts as a knowledge base. You can store guidelines, references, wikis, and to-do lists all under one roof.
Source: medium.com
11 Popular Knowledge Management Tools to Consider in 2025ย 
Notion AI (Optional Add-on) โ€“ $8 per user/month (billed annually). Available for all plans (including the free plan)
Source: knowmax.ai
11 Best Google Keeps Alternatives for 2024
Unlike other note-taking apps, Notion stands out for its endless customization. Itโ€™s like an all-in-one workspace structured by pages and blocks.
Source: upbase.io

QOwnNotes Reviews

10 Best Open Source Note-Taking Apps for Linux
QOwnNotes is also a free and open-source, cross-platform plain-text file markdown note-taking application that comes with Nextcloud/ownCloud integration. It is a native app optimized for speed and has a small CPU and memory footprint. It supports sync services such as Nextcloud to sync notes across devices. It runs on Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, and MacOS.
Source: www.tecmint.com
8 Free Note Taking Software For Windows โ€“ Evernote Alternatives
QOwnNotes is the open source (GPL) plain-text file notepad with markdown support and todo list manager for GNU/Linux, Mac OS X and Windows by Patrizio Bekerle, that (optionally) works together with the notes application of ownCloud (or Nextcloud).

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Notion seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 441 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Notion mentions (441)

  • Cool SHIT you can do with docker
    Two of the most popular open source note taking app are affine (basically notion but open source) and obsidian (which stores notes in markdown). - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • Ask HN: Who is hiring? (October 2024)
    Notion | https://notion.so | Android Engineer | SF | hybrid (in office 2x a week) | Full time
      Level: Mid/Mid+ (4-6yrs experience).
    - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Karyam: Simples everyday writing app
    Advanced Notion and Google Doc writing editor. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • My blog post workflow
    I manage my non-work and work-adjacent tasks in Notion. Whenever I have an idea, regardless of how big or small or silly or achievable it is, I'll add it to Notion, and use labels to categorise it by type of output (e.g. blog, silly project, website update). Today I wanted to write a short post for my site. I clicked on the filtered blog post view, and selected this one (because I hoped it would be a quick one!). - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • 6 AI tools that feels illegal to know๐Ÿค–
    Notion.so redefines workspaces. With its intelligent organization and collaboration features, it's more than a productivity toolโ€”it's a digital haven. Discover the art of streamlined and efficient teamwork. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
View more

QOwnNotes mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of QOwnNotes yet. Tracking of QOwnNotes recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Notion and QOwnNotes, you can also consider the following products

Trello - Infinitely flexible. Incredibly easy to use. Great mobile apps. It's free. Trello keeps track of everything, from the big picture to the minute details.

CherryTree - A hierarchical note taking application, featuring rich text and syntax highlighting, storing data in a single xml or sqlite file.

Asana - Asana project management is an effort to re-imagine how we work together, through modern productivity software. Fast and versatile, Asana helps individuals and groups get more done.

Zim Wiki - Zim is a graphical text editor used to maintain a collection of wiki pages. Each page can contain links to other pages, simple formatting and images.

Evernote - Bring your life's work together in one digital workspace. Evernote is the place to collect inspirational ideas, write meaningful words, and move your important projects forward.

Trilium Notes - Trilium Notes is a hierarchical note taking application.