Notion
By Notion Labs, Inc.
Notion is an all-in-one workspace application that combines notes, documents, databases, wikis, and project-management boards into a single, flexible tool built around nestable content blocks.
Definition
Notion is an all-in-one workspace application that combines notes, documents, databases, wikis, and project-management boards into a single, flexible tool built around nestable content blocks.
Overview
Notion was founded in 2013 by Ivan Zhao and Simon Last, who set out to build a more flexible alternative to the fragmented mix of separate apps—notes, spreadsheets, task trackers, and wikis—that most teams and individuals were juggling. Its core building block is the "block": every piece of content, from a paragraph to an embedded database, is a block that can be nested, rearranged, and combined. Databases in Notion can be viewed as tables, boards similar to a kanban tool like Jira, calendars, or lists, and pages can link to one another to form a personal or team wiki. Because of that flexibility, Notion is used both for individual note-taking and, increasingly, as a lightweight substitute for combinations of tools like a wiki, a project tracker, and a lightweight database—often alongside more specialized tools like Slack for communication or ClickUp and Asana for dedicated project management.
Key Features
- Block-based editor where any content type can be nested and rearranged
- Flexible databases viewable as tables, boards, calendars, or lists
- Wiki-style linked pages for team knowledge bases
- Templates for notes, project trackers, and documentation
- Real-time collaboration and commenting
- API and integrations for connecting Notion to other tools
- AI-assisted writing and summarization features built into the editor