If you're reading this article, you already know how important project management software is for a successful business. Projects dictate change and innovation for a business, driving its growth, so it's vital to have a software that effectively manages that change. 

Notion, Evernote, and Fluid each boast unique features aimed at streamlining workflows, enhancing productivity, and optimising team collaboration. Notion vs Evernote vs Fluid: which one will be best for your business? Let's find out!  

At a glance: Notion vs Evernote vs Fluid

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Key features: Notion vs Evernote vs Fluid

Now let’s really get into the details. Each software has unique features that help with project planning and its overall management. To know which one is really suitable for your business, it’s important to know what exactly your business needs. 

Notion:

• Task and project management: Users can create to-do lists, kanban boards, and databases for organising and tracking tasks and projects.
• ‍Customisable workspaces: Notion offers customisable workspaces where teams can create their own structure and templates to fit their project management needs.‍
• Collaboration and sharing: Notion does well with collaboration, allowing real-time editing, commenting, and sharing of documents, databases, and pages with team members.‍
• Note-taking and documentation: Users can create documents, wikis, and knowledge bases, making it suitable for documentation-intensive projects.

Evernote:

• Note-taking and organisation: Users can capture notes, web clippings, images, and documents, and organise them into notebooks and tags.
• Task management: While primarily a note-taking app, Evernote has added task management features, allowing users to create to-do lists and set reminders, but this is probably the extent to which they dabble in ‘project management’.
• Collaboration: Evernote offers limited collaboration features, including the ability to share notes and notebooks, making it suitable for simple collaborative projects.

Fluid:

• ‍Comprehensive project management: Fluid is designed as a comprehensive all-in-one project management solution. It covers project planning, task management, team collaboration, and reporting.‍
• Visual Gantt charts: Visual Gantt charts for project planning are offered, providing a clear timeline view of tasks and dependencies.‍
• Resource management: Fluid includes resource management features to allocate and track resources effectively across projects.‍
• Customisable workflows: Fluid allows you to tailor workflows to your project's unique requirements, ensuring flexibility in managing various types of projects.‍
• Real-time collaboration: Real-time collaboration features promote effective teamwork, including file sharing, commenting, and task assignment.

Integrations: Notion vs Evernote vs Fluid

Integrations are crucial for breaking down barriers between software tools and services. They foster seamless collaboration, automation, and streamlined workflows, saving time and increasing efficiency. Ultimately, they empower businesses to create a personalised experience, driving better decision-making and optimal outcomes.

It’s key to look out for software that integrates well with other tools a business has for project management, such as a finance solution so you can track your budget closely.

Notion:

• ‍Third-party integrations: Notion offers a variety of integrations with popular third-party apps and services. These integrations enhance its functionality and allow users to connect their Notion workspace with other tools they use daily.‍
• Zapier: Notion's integration with Zapier provides even more possibilities for automating tasks and connecting with over 3,000 other apps and services.‍
• Web clipper: Notion's web clipper extension allows users to save web content, articles, and links directly into their Notion workspace for future reference.‍
• Google drive: Integration with Google Drive enables seamless access to and embedding of Google Docs, Sheets, and other files within Notion documents.

Evernote:

• ‍Third-party integrations: Evernote offers integrations with various third-party apps and services, although the selection is more limited compared to some other platforms.‍
• Zapier: With the help of Zapier, Evernote users can automate workflows and connect their notes and tasks with other apps that Zapier supports.‍
• Web clipper: Evernote's web clipper is a powerful tool for saving web content, including articles, images, and entire webpages, directly into your Evernote notebooks.

Fluid:

• ‍Direct integrations: Fluid offers direct integrations with several popular project management and collaboration tools, enhancing its utility for seamless workflow management.‍
• Google drive: Integrates with Google Drive, making it easy to attach and reference Google Docs, Sheets, and other files within project tasks and documents.‍
• Calendar integrations: Integrates with popular calendar apps, ensuring that project schedules and deadlines are synchronised with users' calendars.‍
• Microsoft office integration: Integration with Microsoft Office applications, allowing for the attachment and editing of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files.‍
• Slack integration: The Slack integration facilitates real-time communication and updates within the Slack workspace, ensuring that teams stay informed about project progress.

Project management suitability: Notion vs Evernote vs Fluid

We’ve covered a lot of the key details of each software, but it’s time to address the elephant in the room. Which one is actually right for project management? The choice of course will be influenced by what your business needs from the software, but we’ve given an all-encompassing synopsis below.

Notion

Notion is an all-in-one workspace and note-taking application that offers a versatile platform for creating, organising, and managing various types of digital content. It’s headline is that is connects wiki, docs and projects together, but it only offers basic features that actually help with project management.

• Collaboration and documentation: Notion excels in collaborative document creation. It's great for brainstorming sessions, meeting notes, and knowledge management.
• Flexibility: Notion's flexible structure allows you to create custom databases, task boards, and wikis. This adaptability can be advantageous for teams with diverse project management needs.
• Task management: While it offers task management capabilities, Notion might not be as robust as dedicated project management tools for complex projects with extensive dependencies.

Evernote

Evernote is a versatile notetaking and organisation solution that’s designed to help individuals capture, store, and manage various types of information. Essentially it serves as a digital notebook. Evernote provides templates to help with project management, but no features are particularly specialised toward effective project management.

• Note-taking and organisation: Evernote is primarily a notetaking and organisation tool. It excels at capturing ideas, to-do lists, and project-related information.
• Simplicity: Evernote's simplicity can be appealing for smaller projects and individuals who prefer straightforward task management.
• Integration capabilities: While Evernote has integrations, they might not be as extensive as those offered by full-fledged project management software.
• Project tracking: It's important to note that Evernote is not specifically designed for comprehensive project tracking or collaboration.

Fluid

Fluid is designed to streamline and optimise project planning, execution, and collaboration for businesses and teams. All features of Fluid are scalable for small businesses to enterprise and aid effective project management.

• Comprehensive project management: Fluid is purpose-built for project management, offering features like task management, Gantt charts, resource allocation, and team collaboration.
• Customisable workflows: Fluid allows users to create custom workflows tailored to their project needs, ensuring flexibility.
• Resource management: It includes resource management features, helping teams optimise resource allocation.
• Visibility: Fluid provides visual tools like Gantt charts for clear project timelines and dependencies.
• Financial tracking: Fluid has advanced financial features to help effectively manage project costs with complete transparency.

Pricing plans: Notion vs Evernote vs Fluid

Carefully consider pricing when choosing project management software. The higher the price doesn’t mean you’re getting ripped off or that you’re getting the most for your money. Pricing needs to align to your business affordability, but also take into account the value you get for that money. It’s also important to consider any future costs that could directly impact you. For example, if you choose a software that isn’t scalable you’re going to spend a lot of time (which is money) in the future changing to another solution.

Notion pricing plans

Evernote pricing plans

Fluid pricing plans

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Ease of use: Notion vs Evernote vs Fluid

When it comes to selecting project management software, usability is a game-changer.  Project management software enables teams to plan for and manage the complexities of large-scale projects, but the solution that helps you do that shouldn’t be so complex itself!

Here's a look at the ease of use for Notion, Evernote and Fluid:

Notion

Notion is known for its user-friendly interface and versatility. It offers a wide range of templates and block-based editing, making it easy to create custom project management solutions tailored to your needs. Its intuitive drag-and-drop functionality allows for effortless organisation of tasks and data. However, the sheer flexibility of Notion can be overwhelming for some users. The ‘catch all’ approach can make it difficult for project managers to use the specific features they need for project management.

G2 Ease of Use Score: 8.4 

Evernote

Evernote is renowned for its simplicity and note-taking capabilities. It provides a straightforward and clean interface for creating and organising notes, which can be used for basic project management. Users familiar with note-taking apps will find Evernote easy to navigate. However, despite being easy to use, it lacks features for manging projects and is essentially a great digital notebook rather than a project management solution.

G2 Ease of Use Score: 8.9

Fluid

Fluid is designed specifically for project management, offering a comprehensive yet user-friendly platform. Its visual Gantt charts provide a clear and intuitive way to plan and track projects. Customisable workflows and templates streamline project setup, making it accessible even for users with limited project management experience. Resource management features are straightforward, allowing users to allocate and monitor resources efficiently.

G2 Ease of Use Score: 9.5

Alternatives to Notion, Evernote and Fluid

It's a good idea to understand the landscape different options to find the ideal match that aligns with your business needs. Keep in mind that this goes beyond just considering pricing and features; your selected software should be tailored to suit your business needs and preferred way of working.

1. Microsoft Project: a well-established project management solution that provides tools for project planning, scheduling, resource management, and reporting. It is known for its robust features and is commonly used for complex and large-scale projects.

2. monday.com: an adaptable work operating system that combines project management and team collaboration features. It provides customisable workflows, project tracking, and team communication. With its flexibility and ease of use, it suits a wide range of teams and projects.

3. ClickUp: a comprehensive project management platform that offers tools for task management, goal tracking, and document collaboration. It presents customisable views, automation, and integrations with various third-party apps.

5 key takeaways for choosing project management software

Choosing a project management software from the wide range of options available can be overwhelming. With so much information to consider, it's important to pause and concentrate on the key aspects. We've highlighted 5 essential points to help you make an informed decision.

1. Business Needs and Objectives: Start by clearly defining your business's project management needs and objectives. Consider the scale of your projects, the number of users, and the specific features required. Understanding your unique requirements is essential to find software that aligns with your goals.

2. Scalability: Ensure the software is scalable to accommodate your business's growth. As your projects and team expand, you'll want a tool that can easily adapt without disruptions.

3. Integration capabilities: Look for software that integrates seamlessly with your existing tools and software ecosystem. Compatibility with email, calendars, document management systems, and other essential software can enhance efficiency and streamline workflows.

4. User-friendliness and training: Assess the software's user interface for ease of use. Consider the learning curve for your team and whether the software provider offers comprehensive training and support resources.

5. Security and compliance: Pay close attention to security features and data compliance. Ensure the software adheres to industry-standard security protocols and complies with relevant regulations, especially if your projects involve sensitive data.