Notion vs Google Docs: What are the Differences?

You will always see documenting and note-taking side by side, and there are certain tools to perform both. Notion is mainly a project management and note-taking tool for creating awesome notes, while Google Docs is a document application for writing and sharing content. This article will let you know what differences are there in Notion vs Google Docs.

What is Notion?

You can think of Notion as an “All-in-one workspace” where you can plan, write, collaborate and organize. You can also take notes, add projects & tasks, and much more. Creating your own toolkits and layouts is also something you can do with Notion. That’s also the reason why some people refer to it as “Internal Wiki”. This all-in-one workspace lets you write in a clean space while building your own wiki, create databases and worksheets, and capture workflows. The best part is that it works across every platform, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and the Web.

This tool also has team functionality to offer for “Real-time collaboration”. Teams can comment, share, and assign different tasks and set reminders with them. So, it is equally beneficial to individuals as well as teams.

What is Google Docs?

You might have heard of Google Docs before. It is a web-based “Word Processor” offered by Google and is a part of Google Drive, designed for competing with MS Office. Its other services of it are part of the cloud-based suite and include PowerPoint and Excel. This tool is available on every platform; you just need a good internet connection along with a web browser to use it.

Google Docs supports exporting various kinds of files such as .doc, .docx, .rtf, .odt, and .txt. This makes it easy for users to view & convert MS office files directly from Google Drive. Google Docs also lets you share & collaborate with various people on a single document, and track changes, suggestions, and revisions. So, you can also call it an all-in-one tool since it also has a lot to offer.

Let’s take a look at some of the major differences in their features and pricing to make Notion vs Google Docs a worthy comparison.

Google Docs vs Notion: Difference in Purposes

There are multiple similarities between how both Notion and Google Docs work like creating and sharing documents, taking notes, templates supported, collaborating on the same file, etc. But there are differences in their purposes.

Notion is designed for note-taking, document collaboration, and project management. It is one workspace for every team. It works with blocks to create notes, and it’s up to you to choose them. You can choose an image, text, bullet points, code, or checklist. You can also create a database with tables, calendars, timelines, and more views. If you want to use Notion for a team, you can improve your working efficiency with document sharing, task assignments, and comments on the tasks. You’ll see limitless possibilities. Notion is quite similar to a ”Box of Lego”, you are having everything, and you have to make something out of it.

On the other hand, Google Docs lets you collaborate with people on documents. For example, once you’ve generated a shareable link, you are allowing everyone (having that link) to view or edit the document. You can create blank documents also to take people’s views. So, it is more like a collaborative tool.

So, the difference in purposes is clear.

Notion vs Google Docs: Difference in Target Customers

The target customers for both Notion and Google Docs are surely different depending on what they have to offer.

Notion mainly serves three kinds of customers:

• Individuals looking to use it in a “Single-player” mode.
• Enterprises looking to interact with teams.
• Small businesses
• Freelancers

This wide range of customers has driven Notion towards Segmentation. The level of specificity in their content, such as onboarding emails, lets them connect effectively with their users. Every company or individual uses Notion in their own way and benefits from it.

If we talk about Google Docs, the ultimate goal of that is to share documents with people. So, the target customers are those departments, teams, and groups of people you are planning to share the items with. This is mainly done to prevent people from entering various groups to collect data. Freelancers are also included in this list of customers for Google Docs.

Notion vs Google Docs: Differences in Features

Here are some of the differences in features of both Notion & Google Docs.

· Documents or Notes Creating

Google Docs vs Notion comparison is incomplete without talking about note creation.

Google Docs usually follow the traditional way of composing a note since it’s a word processing tool. You get various editing options like color, size, text and paragraph style, and much more. You can integrate “Google Drawings” and add tables as well.

Notion, on the other hand, offers the most editing options that Google docs have. But they are hidden in a shortcut and you’ve to open the menu with “/” to use them. These options include headings, background color, color code, and more, and are the same as Google Docs. And the special options that only Notion offers are code, embed third-party tools, breadcrumb, quote, time and reminder, etc. What users like most are that Notion lets you move the sentences around anywhere on the page with drag.

· Task Management

Notion isn’t a note-taking tool only. It can also work as a “task management program” with databases that offer tables, Kanban-style. Calendar, timeline, list, and gallery views. But Google Docs doesn’t have a built-in “task manager”.

· Templates

Templates make each of them a good option to go for. But Notion takes it too far. Once you visit the templates website, you’ll feel like you are on another planet. The templates are organized and categorized, which you can use for building a wiki, managing tasks, or choosing for project management.

Google Docs also has a template gallery to choose from. And the templates are about resumes, letters and personal use, work, education, sales, and more.

· User Interface

Notion’s interface is beautiful, having a white canvas on the right with a sidebar on the left of the screen. Notion deals in blocks rather than paragraphs which you can move easily. The design is aesthetic and there is no limit to creating content in it.

The user interface of Google Docs is also famous and is similar to tools like Microsoft OneNote. The content appears in the form of a list on its homepage. There is also a toolkit located on the top right of the page. You can create content on limitless pages.

· Cross-Platform Availability

Notion is available on the Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. But its extensions are offered on specific browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. While Google Docs is available on all platforms. You can access it as an app on iOS and Android. But to access the workspace at the highest level, it is better to use it on Google Chrome.

Notion vs Google Docs: Difference in Pricing

Notion is a free tool for personal use. If you need it for business use, you will have to pay $4 monthly for each user. For more plans and offers, you can visit Notion’s official page. At the same time, Google Docs is available for free, which is why it is used the most. But it has certain limitations. You can only have 15GB on each Google account, which isn’t less either.

Notion vs Google Docs: Differences in Customer Rating

One of the most important things to notice in Notion vs Google Docs is customer reviews. Google Docs has more than 26k reviews and has a rating of 4.71/5. Notion has nearly 1000 reviews and a rating of 4.75/5. All of these have been given based on ease of use, value for money, functionality, customer support, and pros & cons.

Notion vs Google Docs: Differences in Customer Reviews

Let’s take a look at some of the things customers like and dislike about both Notion & Google Docs.

· What Do Customers like about Notion?

Customers love the endless customization they can do with Notion. They are allowed to make templates and use them the way they want.

· What Do Customers dislike about Notion?

Customers dislike its startup the most because it is very slow. Moreover, building and changing of layouts is also difficult. The offline functionality of Notion is also not very good.

· What Do Customers like about Google Docs?

Customers like the confidentiality of their documents with Google Docs the most. They can pick any project while sitting at home on their laptops or PCs.

· What Do Customers dislike about Google Docs?

Third parties may have access to the documents which in turn may get leaked. That’s the only thing disliked by customers about this tool.

Notion vs Google Docs: Our Verdict

Now, you understand all differences between Notion vs Google Docs comparison and you can choose either of them depending on the need. If you need documentation or a note-taking app, you must go for Notion. But if you have to print, edit or share documents with others, there is no better option than Google Docs. So, it’s your choice now!

FAQs

· Is Notion Compatible with Google Docs?

Notion is compatible with Google Docs as you can connect with Google Docs with the embed feature.

· Can you email into Notion?

Yes, you can email into Notion and save those messages from your email to Notion’s database also.

· Is Notion for free?

For personal use, you can use Notion for free. However, you’ll have to pay to use its team plan.

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