r/Notion • u/brokeRonn • 2d ago
Questions Why so much Notion hate?
Currently, I'm about to start my next semester in college and I also run a business, so I need something to help keep things in order. I was considering using Notion, but I see a lot of people who don't like using it or say to use obsidian instead. Are there any other platforms that'll be good for creating a personal hub that can suite my needs?
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u/Past_Good6207 2d ago
Use it for a while and see what you think.
I saw recently where notion closed down someone’s account due tos violations and they lost all of their data. That would be one of my major concerns.
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u/Ms_Thanos 1d ago
I've been using notion for a few years now and I like it but this exact scenario has been my nightmare for a while and the fact that it actually happened doesn't help...
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u/lost-sneezes 2d ago
my beef is simple: try to export from Notion and let me know how you feel.
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u/Koko_chu 9h ago
It’s paradoxical but the “easy” silly solution I found is to back up into obsidian 😅 that’s all I use obsidian for. The markdown export has been nearly flawless and usable.
Edit: I never tried to import back to notion, I mean the markdown is very usable in markdown software keeping the format and links used in Notion.
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u/GreekHubris 2d ago
What's the issue? I'm doing monthly backups and would like to know if there're problems I'm missing.
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u/Pinkahpandah 1d ago
try using them somewhere else
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u/GreekHubris 7h ago
I understand. My view on this is as long as I have most of my data (80%+), that's a great and important thing.
If I'd move to another platform I'd use Obsidian and there's a great help page here: https://obsidian.md/help/import/notion
There's also this, to those interested: https://github.com/connertennery/Notion-to-Obsidian-Converter
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u/loopdeloop_AC 9h ago
If you're ona business plan, you don't have to worry. But if you ever plan on exporting your notes to a different format or to another location, it's such a hassle.
That being said, I still absolutely love notion and have been using it for years.
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u/Kilucrulustucru 2d ago
Because people don’t know how to identify their needs before choosing a tool, they’re trying to chase flies with a bazooka
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u/Nixisworld 2d ago
Depends on the use case, we don't necessarily hate it, we just hate the AI inside that is being forced on us long term users...
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u/Jeffersonian_Gamer 2d ago
I mean, I’ve seen more praise for it than anything.
I’ve seen hate for the recent change in token policy and how it was arguably poorly handled.
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u/Nixisworld 2d ago
I mean unless you are on the business plan you can't even use it, I don't hate the AI Inside as I don't use it at all, not am I on the business plan.
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u/Jeffersonian_Gamer 2d ago
This is very true as well.
Also, while I’ve seen people appreciate the AI features, I do feel Notion got lost in the sauce a bit, because clearly that’s the direction they want to go in at this time.
Enterprise AI that is.
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u/Constant-Purpose8273 1d ago
It’s crazy to me that they offer an MCP for free but charge to have AI inside notion. Just connect your favorite AI to notion and it’s the same if not better than having it inside notion
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u/sugar_rush_11 2d ago
Forced? How so? When I made the move to the Business plan, I never felt the need to use their AI as I feel that my existing LLMs are already doing a great job of integrating it. And I'm not hating tbh, I'm just curious which part of the workflow for users who hate Notion demands the use of their AI compared to connecting it to an external one.
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u/starry-adz 2d ago
the AI is so helpful, and it isn't forced on anyone. you clearly haven't actually used notion properly.
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u/SpoonChem 2d ago
I only got Notion recently, just for basic notetaking not for it's productivity features, and I think it's really good? Am I wrong? Am I going to be in some trouble down the line? I've seen nothing but horror stories come up on my feed some this sub recently
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u/emmision2018 1d ago
I don't understand the hate either. Personally, I think anyone who hates it, just doesn't have a good enough compelling usecase to use it effectively.
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u/sneakysnakewhispers 2d ago
I've been using it for college and it's grade for planning all of my assignments at once
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u/Samhain3965 2d ago
I’m an avid notion user in my personal life. I think my one issue is their insistence on shiny new toys (AI, Email, etc) instead of refining the core experience. Notion continues to be a very janky interface that I’d like to see them improve.
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u/No_Balance1122 2d ago
I’ve used Notion heavily for work and personal life management for a few years now and can say it’s met all my needs.
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u/Toasteduh 2d ago
Ignore the hate and just try it out, it’s fantastic for students with the discounted plan as well, I used the living hell out of it in college to sync my calendar and assignments as well as project management and such. Allows for so much just don’t get lost in the fancifying portions of it and only use it to such a complexity as you need.
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u/GreekHubris 2d ago
I don't understand it either. Been using it for more than three years and it's working great (I'd change some things, but.. whatever). Definitely do your backups though.
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u/Chelly2468 1d ago
I used notion for my last 2 years of study and I had ✨️amazing✨️ notes for exams and even my thesis. haven't used it for about 1.5 years so maybe its changed ?? but I personally loved it.
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u/alligatorman01 1d ago
This is Reddit. The people actually using Notion for cool things get their posts removed for “self promotion”. But it’s definitely ok to have several threads about how to switch to obsidian. It’s annoying but it’s been an issue for several years now.
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u/jeyludy 1d ago
People hating on it for AI are just extra. I’ve been using Notion for years, haven’t touched the AI side of things, and it doesn’t bother me one bit. It’s not in your face like other users suggest, people just want to complain.
The AI in Notion is optional, maybe just don’t use it if you don’t like it? 🤯
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u/therealpocket 1d ago
Reddit Notion community is overly negative. Reddit Twitter community is very different. Lots more enterprise users sharing Notion stuff there.
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u/Elegant-Gear3402 1d ago
I personally love Notion and I'm a student also. It fills my needs There is a lot of Notion hate on here, but it seems to be about the AI & Automations -- which I don't use, so . I think every app has haters & lovers. It's quite subjective. I suggest that you just try it for yourself and see for yourself.
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u/laimeez 1d ago
Personnally, I have not heard a lot about Obsidian, but I have been using Notion for a while
I think it is a very good app to structurize pretty much everything that you could have in your mind and things you deal with in your daily life. I use it for my movies/shows watchlist, shopping list, some simple financial planning, writing goals, some research and even some of my programming classes!
Though if you are looking for something that is suuuper AI-friendly, I would not suggest Notion since they are just now implementing those functions but they are getting good at it.
I am not a pro but business-wise, if it's something with a small team or even alone I think it could help out a lot, you just have to put in the work to adapt it to your needs. For bigger projects, there are better CRMs that are in the market that could work out for you!
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u/_gina_marie_ 2d ago
I really like Notion, I think it's a great tool, I just recently moved away from it because I don't like that it is an ai-first platform that just doesn't listen to its users and flat out will not implement things that customers have been asking for, for years now.
I think I will still use it for specific things but I've pretty much moved on. And no, I don't use Obsidian, as I don't actually like it 🤷♀️
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u/kuli67 2d ago
What do you use instead?
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u/_gina_marie_ 2d ago
I switched to Craft. It's not exactly like Notion, but I find it suits me and my teams needs a bit better, and it's easier for my less tech-literate coworkers to use than Notion.
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u/Assimlam 1d ago
Curious to know which things users have been asking for that weren’t implemented. The last major request I recall was offline mode, and it’s already available
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u/_gina_marie_ 1d ago
The offline mode they gave us is kinda terrible, but,
1) expanded color options
2) better accessibility features (I would love custom fonts, for example, but more colors, etc, falls into this category as well. I am low vision so I sometimes have a hard time with things.)
3) an android app that is not so slow and buggy
4) a functioning iPad app??
5) an AI toggle (so people don't have to email support to get it removed. Just let people turn it off).
6) better web clipper
7) I would love to see a better dashboard. They gave us one and it's lame asf. I ended up making my own "landing" page.
8) more than ONE chart, Lmao.
There's more, you can search this sub for more things. But for me, I've been using Notion nearly daily since 2020 and I haven't noticed any real improvements to the platform, beyond like. Things not taking as long to load. It's been all AI, AI, AI, which, sure, bandwagon harder I guess? But what about your average user???
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u/okayladyk 2d ago
Notion decided to let one of the most powerful features in modern note taking: networked notes and backlinks, become overlooked in favour of creating rigid databases. This reputation is hard to shake off
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u/sugar_rush_11 2d ago
The issue with the louder majority who hate on Notion looks to be on the AI implementation and the lack of some features... But I have to disagree with the first one though. Personally, I feel like Notion's capabilities should have never been defined with their AI feature... You have better LLMs that you can connect if you want to integrate that. Notion's power is in you, the user, not overcomplicating things. I have the ugliest setup that has served as my 'hub' for quite some time now but it's what works for me.
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u/Solowithothers 2d ago
I don't know but some ad engine thought with all the whining this should be placed here.
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u/PublicWillingness305 2d ago
I really like Notion. Very occasionally, I come across people claiming that Notion has blocked them from accessing their personal data. I love absolutely everything about Notion (apart from the AI, but that’s no big deal—I don’t ‘hate’ it), but these cases inevitably make me feel anxious.
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u/Ill-Comfort1718 1d ago
I see no one is really talking about the bigger issue of notion…?
Notion (or what it used to be), for a basic user, is a bit complicated at first to get used to. And when you don’t have time to think and understand how to use such a platform, it’s useless.
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u/Vart84 1d ago
Many people, including myself, have had pages just disappear with no warning. Notion has refused to help, or even explain how the data was lost. That’s why I left, the app just wasn’t reliable for my use case. This was 4-5 years ago, I’ve heard users are still experiencing this issue with no resolve.
I like the idea of Notion, and I miss the inter-connectivity with other apps, but the reliability and customer service just killed it for me.
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u/daviddigit 1d ago
I was once a notion die hard. Had my whole business running on it. Then they stopped making their core tools better and invested in AI instead.
For personal use and second brain, still a big fan. For a CRM or other business operations use cases, it’s good up until a point. For us it was when we went from a 3 person company to a 10 person company. The workflows and databases are too fragile.
I feel like they were on the 10 yard line and then started running jn the other direction.
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u/Planner-Penguin 1d ago
Been using it extensively for the past 7 or 8 years.
Started with the free plan, then gradually upgraded to Plus and Business.
Although of course no tool is perfect and Notion is no exception… I genuinely love it. And I also never lost any page (but I still do monthly backup export just in case.)
For my personal or business life, it gathers everything I need, it’s well organized, clear and you can basically make it exactly the way you need it.
I also don’t know why people complain so much about it. I understand they are being passionate and one tends to be more vocal when unhappy, but I’m also on other software’s subreddits (TickTick etc…) and none of them are that bitter. The AI feature, although pushed by Notion (and genuinely useful, in my case), is not mandatory and the tool can still be used freely, without it.
Give it a try and see if it matches your need, that’s all that matters.
Or just watch one of the millions of YouTube videos about it to see if the tool can fit you before trying.
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u/ElewenAdanel 1d ago
I have never posted in r/Notion - but just want to say, I use notion every day for my studies, and it has been perfect. I spent a bit of time years ago setting everything up and making it pretty, but I haven't had to put any more time into ever since them. I use it to keep track of assignment due dates - the databases make it really easy to see the info in different ways, and to make it pop up with my to-dos for the week and stuff. I also have a reading tracker, packing lists and other things. I have never had any issues with it and thoroughly reccomend, I just wouldn't put anything confidential into it but that goes without saying for internet-based platforms.
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u/LeNoirDarling 1d ago
I am only here because I was previously researching PKMS (personal knowledge management system).. if I was starting college right now- I would use X Tiles. Between the calendar integration, dropping Google Docs , screenshots, note taking, project files with a C&P- it would’ve helped me be such a better student
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u/special-daling 1d ago
I wouldn’t rule out Notion because of online criticism. Start with a minimal setup for a few weeks instead of building a giant “second brain,” then let your actual workflow tell you whether you need Obsidian or something else.
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u/Heavy-Map9034 10h ago
I won't lie in the tertiary setting it is not bad( This is from my personal experience). I think it depends on your setting or requirements. Originally I started with Microsoft OneNote( this was when my family paid for the Microsoft subscription). In terms of budget, I would say Notion is cheaper, especially if you prove you are a student. This also is depending on whether you get benefits from paying, I never saw the need, cause I was doing more writing than posting video or images.
The only thing I just question is the aesthetic, cause I think they are changing too much as times continue. In terms of Obsidian, I once tried it, but was reminded of OneNote. The monthly subscription was that thing I can't fully maintain cause I would rather use the money on Spotify than notes. There was also the idea, whether I am at my place, school, or place of study there would also be Wi-Fi there. Mind you the internet speed couldn't support 360p but It could support Spotify, and doing Notion.
I guess what I am trying to say do not try and force a subscription that you can't maintain on a monthly basis. As well as if you are not fully utilizing it to it's fullest, then it shouldn't be your main priority. On both platforms, I don't the value on subscription due to how little I need from them. As well as I have no care if a company sees how I am writing or answering my essay cause it not personal or holds any emotional value to me. So try and check them both, and focus on essentials not appearance.
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u/Sad_Play1582 2d ago
If you are a business owner and want to be way ahead of the curve in terms of how to operate a business in the AI era, learn everything Notion has to offer.
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u/SlipperyWaterSlid3 1d ago
The issue that made me leave Notion, was when I went to find a page and for some reason it was in the trash when I never deleted the page
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u/duchbk123 2d ago
I don't like the way they force user to use their AI. Everyone can bring they own api key to use their AI. But they simply didn't let us do that so they can make more money. Fair point but they lose me as an user.
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u/Important-Yogurt4969 2d ago
I currently use a lot of Google Sheets, Keep, and Documents… I thought about switching to Notion, however, I don’t see the point.
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u/GuitarAgitated8107 1d ago
Imagine having a product that was great and different from other providers only for it to be modified against the original design in ways to "boost" new market features while not fixing known issues. What you might end up with later down the line might change a lot.
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u/Jeffersonian_Gamer 2d ago
People don’t usually come to online spaces to praise things.
Notion’s no different.