What people complain about in Notion
102 reported problems name Notion as what the person is currently using. Below is what they said was missing, and what they resorted to instead.
- Complaints
- 102
- Avg severity
- 2.8/5
- Would pay to fix
- 2
- Industries
- 5
What they wish it did
Capabilities people described needing that Notion does not give them, taken from the highest-scoring problems first. These are individual accounts written in each person’s own terms, so two entries may describe the same underlying gap in different words.
- Reliable document storage with automatic backup and version history to prevent data loss
- Reliable mobile note-taking app with guaranteed offline access and fast page loading
- Automated property data aggregation and management platform
- Simplified property management interface requiring minimal manual setup
- A guided tutorial that prevents confusion during initial use
- Reliable undo functionality that works even after accidental deletions
- Version history that automatically saves and makes restoring previous versions easy
- Automated client onboarding system with templates
- Integrated feedback capture directly on creative files within workflow
- Unified platform that eliminates tool-switching for core agency tasks
- Client-facing progress dashboard that reduces status inquiries
- Dedicated maintenance request portal with photo submission
- Centralized photo storage linked to work orders
- Automatic receipt capture and per-unit cost tracking
- Purpose-built freelancer management software that eliminates the need to manually configure a generic tool for client, project, and payment tracking
- Offline-capable note-taking app with Arabic support
- Shopping list editor that works without internet connection
- Dynamic database system with real-time formulas and automation across records
- Photography-specific proposal software with mobile optimization
- Proposal platform with built-in engagement analytics for photographers
- Digital brain sheet with offline capability and fast data entry at bedside
- Integrated voice-to-text that automatically timestamps and organizes notes per patient
- Built-in scheduling and reminder system for critical med times and tasks
- Unified platform to collect and manage all client asset types in one place with automated follow-ups
- Photorealistic virtual office with spontaneous conversation triggers
What they do instead
The manual processes people built around the gap. A long workaround list is the strongest evidence a problem is real: someone is already paying for it in time. Where several people described the same workaround, it is marked.
- 2 peopletracking client document submissions through strings of emails
- May use alternative apps or access Notion via web browser on mobile
- spent over 600 hours updating property spreadsheets
- Notion setup with 15 different tables
- shouting & swearing at it
- reset itself to the original default somehow
- Manually setting up client onboarding each time
- Using WhatsApp messages for feedback on videos and designs
- Switching between 5-6 tools to complete single tasks
- Clients asking repeatedly for progress updates instead of self-service
- WhatsApp threads with tenants for maintenance communication
- Photos buried in camera roll
- Repair receipts scattered across email
- built a simple Notion setup to keep everything in one place
- Uses custom PDFs for proposals
- Uses Notion page as proposal template
- prints custom brain sheet template from Google Docs every shift
- uses phone voice dictation (Willow Voice) to capture verbal notes between patients
- sets phone alarms for critical medication times
- clusters care by patient instead of bouncing between rooms
Industries
The problems themselves
Highest opportunity score first.
User's documents keep going missing in Notion, causing frustration and loss of trust.
4HighSoftware and TechnologyData ManagementDocVault ProNotion is too slow and has caused complete data loss of work, which reappeared only after switching accounts, causing severe anxiety.
4HighSoftware and TechnologySoftware PerformanceSwiftDocs ProNotion mobile app frequently fails to open pages, making it unreliable for on-the-go use.
4HighSoftware and TechnologySoftware Reliability & PerformanceOfflineNote MobileThe app's touch UX is poorly designed, with AI-driven features feeling unpolished, and the OS back button is hijacked to close the page instead of dismissing the keyboard.
4HighSoftware and TechnologyUser ExperienceUXSanity ProA property manager has spent over 600 hours maintaining spreadsheets and a complex Notion setup with 15 tables, but half of it is now unused, indicating inefficiency from manual data management.
4HighProperty ManagementData ManagementPropData HubUser finds software unintuitive, experiences data loss, undo function disabled, and version history fails, causing frustration and fear of losing work.
4HighSoftware and TechnologyUser ExperienceTemplateGuide ProSmall creative agency struggles with fragmented workflows across multiple tools, leading to lost feedback, inefficient client updates, and no centralized view of agency operations.
4HighProfessional ServicesProject ManagementAgencyFlow StudioSmall property operators lack affordable, easy-to-setup maintenance tracking software, relying on scattered communications and manual record-keeping.
4HighProperty ManagementMaintenance & RepairLandsioNotion app occasionally shows blank notes instead of content, making it unreliable for accessing information on the go.
4HighSoftware and TechnologySoftware PerformanceReliNote - Offline-First NotesNotion's online-only architecture makes it unusable without internet access and causes slow performance due to lack of local caching.
3MediumSoftware and TechnologySoftware PerformanceNotionCache ProFreelancers struggle to track clients, projects, deadlines, and payments across multiple sources, leading to disorganization and lack of clear income visibility.
3MediumGeneral Business ServicesClient ManagementFreelanceHubNotion mobile app is slow, clunky, and unreliable for quick note-taking on the go.
3MediumSoftware and TechnologyUser ExperienceQuickSnap NotesNotion's excessive loading time and lag disrupt workflow and reduce productivity.
3MediumSoftware and TechnologySoftware PerformanceFlashNotionNotion lacks Arabic language support and offline functionality, preventing users from taking notes or editing lists without internet access.
3MediumSoftware and TechnologySoftware & SaaSNotionSync ProNotion's AI assistant stops working after a few uses, forcing users to upgrade to continue using it.
3MediumSoftware and TechnologySoftware Feature GapNotion AI Freemium TierNotion's mobile app has severe usability issues including difficult content dragging, unscrollable pages, keyboard blocking content, inability to create line breaks with enter, and navigation problems when dismissing the keyboard.
3MediumSoftware and TechnologyMobile ExperienceNotionFlow MobileThe search function in Notion is nearly useless due to no partial word matching, inconsistent database results, and slow performance, making finding information difficult.
3MediumSoftware and TechnologyKnowledge ManagementSearchSense ProNotion's Android app is slow, making tasks like opening Trash and moving pages frustrating.
3MediumSoftware and TechnologySoftware Reliability & PerformanceSnapNoteNotion's database feature cannot perform dynamic operations, limiting its usefulness for advanced users despite its complexity for beginners.
3MediumGeneral Business ServicesSoftware Feature GapDynamicBaseUsers cannot save or access Notion pages offline, preventing them from capturing quick ideas or notes when without internet connectivity.
3MediumSoftware and TechnologyContent ManagementNotionSync Offline
Read this fairly
These are complaints, and only complaints — nobody posts to say their software worked. A high count mostly reflects how many people use Notion at all, so this page is not a quality judgement and should not be read as one. What it is good for is the shape of the gaps: the specific jobs people could not get done, which are the same whether the tool is popular or not.