Notion is worth it IF you need team collaboration, complex databases, or a customizable all-in-one workspace AND you're willing to invest weeks learning it. It's NOT worth it for simple note-taking, personal task management, or if you need speed. For those use cases, Obsidian, Todoist, or Apple Notes are better choices.

Why is Notion so slow?

Notion is slow because it's a web-based Electron app that loads content from servers, not local storage. Performance degrades with large databases, heavy pages, and extended use sessions. The desktop app is about 50% faster than the web version. Users report memory usage growing from 100MB to over 1GB after several hours.

Is Obsidian better than Notion?

Obsidian is better than Notion for: personal note-taking, speed, privacy (local storage), and long-term data ownership (plain Markdown files). Notion is better for: team collaboration, structured databases, and project management with multiple people. Choose Obsidian for personal knowledge management, Notion for team workspaces.

Notion Review: Worth the Hype? (Honest Take After 2 Years)

Item: Notion
Rating: 4
Author: RemoteLyfe

TL;DR

Notion is powerful but problematic. Great for teams who need a customizable workspace. Frustrating for anyone who just wants fast, simple note-taking.

Use it if: You need team collaboration + complex databases + are willing to spend weeks learning it
Skip it if: You want speed, simple notes, or don't need collaboration
Try instead: Obsidian (personal notes), Todoist (tasks), or Coda (team docs)

Our rating: 4/5 — Powerful, but the performance issues and complexity hold it back.

The Honest Truth About Notion

Notion is one of those tools that people either love obsessively or abandon after a few frustrated months. There's not much in between.

I've been using it daily for over two years. I've built complex team workspaces with it. I've also rage-quit it multiple times when it took 10 seconds to load a simple page.

Here's what you actually need to know.

What Notion Gets Right

All-in-One Flexibility

Notion genuinely can replace multiple tools: notes, wikis, project management, databases, simple CRMs, content calendars. The flexibility is real. You can build almost anything with blocks, databases, and relations.

Team Collaboration

Real-time collaboration works well. Comments, mentions, shared workspaces—it's all smooth. If you need a team knowledge base or project hub, Notion handles this better than most alternatives.

Database Power

The database features are genuinely impressive. Linked databases, rollups, relations, multiple views (table, kanban, calendar, gallery). For complex workflows, this is where Notion shines.

What Notion Gets Wrong

It's Slow. Really Slow.

This is the #1 complaint across every forum and community. Notion is not a fast app.

Pages take 2-5 seconds to load (sometimes longer)
Mobile app is particularly sluggish
Performance degrades with larger workspaces
Memory usage can grow from 100MB to over 1GB in extended sessions

If you're used to apps like Obsidian, Apple Notes, or even Google Docs, Notion will feel frustratingly slow.

Workaround: Use the desktop app (about 50% faster than web). Reduce visible properties in databases. Avoid giant pages.

The Learning Curve Is Real

People on Reddit report it taking up to a year to fully learn Notion. That's not a typo.

The interface has too many options. Simple tasks feel complicated. You'll spend more time organizing your organization system than actually working.

One user put it perfectly: Notion is "a monster system that consumes more time than it saves for basic personal use."

Overkill for Simple Use Cases

If you just want to:

Take quick notes
Manage a personal todo list
Jot down ideas

...Notion is way too much. You'll spend more time fighting the tool than using it. Apple Notes, Obsidian, or even a plain text file would serve you better.

The AI Push

Notion has been aggressively pushing their AI features. Some users hate this—especially the fact that it's hard to fully disable, even on Enterprise plans. If you just want a workspace without AI upsells, this gets annoying.

Notion vs The Alternatives

Notion vs Obsidian

Factor	Notion	Obsidian
Best for	Team collaboration	Personal knowledge management
Speed	Slow (web-based)	Fast (local files)
Data ownership	On Notion's servers	Local Markdown files you own
Offline	Limited	Full offline access
Collaboration	Excellent	Basic (requires sync setup)
Learning curve	Steep	Moderate

The verdict: Obsidian wins for personal use, privacy, and speed. Notion wins for teams.

Notion vs Coda

Coda is Notion's closest competitor for team workspaces. It has similar database features but with more powerful formulas and automations. If you outgrow Notion's capabilities, Coda is worth considering.

Who Should Use Notion

Good Fit

Teams needing a shared workspace
Complex project management
Content teams with editorial calendars
People who enjoy building systems
Those willing to invest time learning

Bad Fit

Simple note-taking needs
Personal task management
Anyone who values speed
People who want things to "just work"
Privacy-conscious users

Pricing

Free: Limited to 10 guests, basic features
Plus: $10/month — Unlimited blocks, file uploads
Business: $18/month — Advanced permissions, SAML SSO
Enterprise: Custom pricing

The free plan is usable for personal use, but you'll hit limits quickly on a team.

The Bottom Line

Our Verdict: 4/5

Notion is genuinely powerful for the right use case: teams who need a flexible, collaborative workspace and are willing to invest time building it out.

But it's not the right choice for everyone. If you want speed, simplicity, or primarily personal use—look elsewhere. The performance issues and complexity tax are real.

Try it free before committing. Give it 2-3 weeks of real use. You'll know quickly whether it fits your brain or frustrates it.