What are the 6 best alternatives to Notion?

Notion has managed to find its place in the market for organizational and project management tools. Popular among millions of users, it remains incomplete for the specific needs of businesses. That’s why more and more organizations are today looking for alternatives to Notion, better suited to their strategic challenges.

Why are more and more users looking for alternatives to Notion?

Notion, a flexible but limited tool for large structures

Launched in 2016 in San Francisco, Notion combines notes, databases, and project management in a single space. Its sleek design and great flexibility have particularly appealed to students, freelancers, and small teams. In 2024, Notion officially announced it had crossed the threshold of 100 million users worldwide.

Notion is valued for its simplicity and customization, as well as for its community that enriches the tool with numerous templates. But it quickly shows its limits in large organizations: inadequate data governance, delicate GDPR compliance, and a lack of advanced features to coordinate multiple services.

SaaS and GDPR: the new priorities

The SaaS (Software as a Service) refers to software hosted by an external provider and accessible online. With data stored outside the company, GDPR imposes strict rules on their location and transfer. That’s why the security and sovereignty of SaaS solutions have become deciding criteria for organizations.

A survey by the Cloud Security Alliance conducted in 2024 reveals that 70% of companies now have teams dedicated to SaaS security. Additionally, according to the SaaS Security Report 2025, nearly 80% of organizations consider the security of SaaS applications a moderate to high priority (The Hacker News).

The most popular alternatives to Notion

According to Statista, revenue in the software market is expected to show a steady annual growth rate of nearly 4% between 2025 and 2030. This growth illustrates the growing importance of collaborative solutions and the search for alternatives to Notion that can meet the specific needs of businesses. Here are the most popular in 2025.

Airtable

Launched in 2012, Airtable is presented as a next-generation Excel combining spreadsheet and relational database. Its multiple views (tables, calendars, galleries) and varied integrations attract some teams.

Airtable offers significant flexibility and advanced customization options. However, configuring its automations and databases can quickly become time-consuming and require technical skills. Like many American SaaS, it also raises questions about GDPR compliance.

ClickUp

Born in California in 2017, ClickUp has made a name for itself by presenting itself as a versatile tool focused on task management. Its rapid growth relies on a strong promise: to centralize tasks, docs, chat, and automations in a single space. Its ambitious approach has allowed it to conquer many tech teams.

ClickUp stands out for its varied features and a very generous free version. However, its interface can seem too cluttered, too complex for rapid adoption. Additionally, its American hosting raises questions of sovereignty and GDPR compliance, hence many teams are turning to European alternatives.

Trello

Born in 2011, Trello democratized online project management with its visual approach based on the Kanban method. Its intuitive and colorful boards make it an essential tool for startups and small teams. Trello has managed to attract users with its simplicity and ergonomics, which turn task organization into a game of digital post-its.

Trello remains appreciated for its quick onboarding, generous free version, and integrations with Slack or Google Drive. However, it quickly shows its limits for managing complex or multi-team projects: lack of advanced reporting, absence of governance, and difficulty tracking large campaigns.

Wrike

Created in 2006, Wrike primarily targets large teams and complex organizations. The tool allows for detailed management of projects, tasks, and responsibilities, making it a reference for coordinating large-scale initiatives.

Wrike is recognized for its functional power and efficiency in structured environments. However, its complexity and unintuitive ergonomics hinder adoption in organizations seeking simplicity and rapid deployment.

Confluence (Jira)

Created by Atlassian, Jira and Confluence form an essential suite in the tech world. Jira has become the global reference for ticket tracking and IT project management, while Confluence is a collaborative documentation tool. Together, they provide a robust infrastructure adopted by many large companies.

This alternative to Notion appeals due to its functional power and ability to structure traceability. However, its complex interface and high deployment costs can hinder adoption, especially outside technical environments.

Smartevo

Smartevo is designed for complex, multi-team, and multi-brand organizations. Each campaign mobilizes on average 6 services and over 40 emails before validation: by centralizing the entire process, the platform offers enhanced traceability and allows for up to 30% productivity gain.

A French and sovereign alternative to Notion, Smartevo guarantees GDPR-compliant hosting and deployment in just two hours. With its integrated AI features (brief generation, metadata, reporting), project centralization, and local support, Smartevo combines simplicity, performance, and security.

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How to choose the best alternative to Notion?

What criteria for a company?

Adaptation to the needs of marketing and communication teams as well as security and data governance are key points. Smartevo stands out with its sovereign hosting and its focus on brands, governments, media, and agencies.

Which solution for simple use?

Trello or Monday appeals with their simplicity, but quickly show their limits when multiple teams are involved. Smartevo combines an intuitive interface with a real scalability, making it suitable for both small and large organizations.

Free or paid alternative?

The free versions of Trello or ClickUp are sufficient to get started but lack robustness. Smartevo offers a quick return on investment, notably allowing:

• The centralization of projects: up to 6 services and 40 emails per campaign grouped in a single platform.

• Integrated AI: automatic generation of briefs and metadata, reducing 30% of coordination time.

• Local support: support based in France, compliant with GDPR, with an average response time of less than 15 minutes.

  
  A combination that makes Smartevo a sustainable and high-performing alternative to Notion.

Notion remains a popular tool, but it quickly shows its limits. Trello, Monday, Asana, ClickUp, and Jira each offer advantages, but partial ones. Smartevo, a French and sovereign alternative, combines simplicity, performance, and GDPR compliance, establishing itself as the most comprehensive solution for brands, governments, media, and agencies.