notion-coda

Notion vs. Coda

The definitive comparison of the top all-in-one apps.
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The All-in-One Revolution

A new kind of app is quietly revolutionizing productivity and collaboration. Deemed “all-in-one” apps, they empower anyone to build their own app for managing and sharing any type of information. With dynamic building blocks, users mix and match features from other apps—like word processors, spreadsheets, CRMs and project managers—often forming cohesive, interconnected systems for managing all of their information in one place, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

The OGs—Notion and Coda

and
spawned the all-in-one revolution. As competition surges, they continue leading the space.
On the surface, Notion and Coda more like each other than any other app. In each, you populate pages with those rich content blocks. They both offer robust publishing and collaboration features, along with dynamic databases for structuring information and displaying it in intuitive interfaces.
But when you dive a little deeper, Notion and Coda have distinctive strengths that make them suitable for particular types of users.
notion-coda-coffeemakers.jpg
Notion is like a simple, elegant Nespresso machine, while Coda resembles the Breville Barista: slightly less refined but packing many more features, particularly around automation, integrations and publishing.
For some users, the choice is obvious, but many aren’t quite sure where they lie on the spectrum of simplicity to capability. So I took a methodical approach to identifying the key differences between Notion and Coda, then presenting them in a way that reveals the best option for your priorities.

Two Apps, One Framework

For a direct comparison, I implemented the in both apps. It’s the most effective approach to all-in-one apps like Notion and Coda. At its core is the same principle behind every app on your phone and website you visit:
Structure all information in related master databases. Access it through contextual views.
Developing Bulletproof in both apps revealed their key differences and distinctive strengths, which you’ll find listed below by category. In the video above, I showcase the most notable differences to make your choice between Notion and Coda a no-brainer.
And here’s each implementation of Bulletproof as a template:

Notion vs. Coda

Orange indicates Coda’s advantage; blue, Notion’s.
01 — Formulas
5
Notion
In Notion, you use formulas only within Formula properties of databases.
Coda
In Coda, you can use formulas virtually anywhere. They can generate the value for any property, of any type. That includes the primary “display” or “title” property, which should always be unique. I often use a formula to create a unique combination of other properties. Notion requires me to do that manually or use an external automation tool, like Zapier. Beyond database items, you can use formulas for filters, buttons, automations, and right in-line with text.
Notion
For its inputs, a Notion formula can reference other properties of the same database item or related items.
Coda
Coda formulas can reference almost any item throughout the doc.
Notion
Notion formulas simply return a value.
Coda
In addition to returning a value, Coda’s formulas can modify the objects they reference or trigger automations.
Notion
Notion formulas cannot access integrated apps in any capacity.
Coda
Coda’s formulas can engage with external apps. When you add an integration, it often comes with new functions for exchanging information or triggering actions.
Notion
A Notion page must be reloaded to refresh the value of now().
Coda
In Coda, now() refreshes in real-time.
02 — Automations
3
Notion
Notion’s automations can be triggered only by adding or editing database item.
Coda
Coda offers the same triggers, along with scheduling, form submissions, and webhooks sent by external apps.
Notion
For actions after the trigger, Notion is limited to adding or updating database items, or sending notifications in Notion or Slack.
Coda
In Coda, actions can use those versatile formulas, with the ability to reference and modify virtually any element in the doc.
Notion
Conditions are unavailable in Notion’s automations.
Coda
In Coda’s automations, you can use conditions to create filters or multiple routes.
03 — Integrations
5
Notion
Aside from Slack messages, Notion automations have no access to integrated apps.
Coda
Many of Coda’s integrations (”Packs”) add automation actions for the external app.
Notion
Coda
Coda tightly packages its integrations as “Packs.” Installing a Pack for an external app, like Gmail, integrates the app throughout the Coda doc.
Notion
A few Notion integrations sync databases with external apps. They’re mostly geared toward developers, like GitHub, GitLab and Jira.
Coda
In Coda, database syncing is a core feature of Packs.
Notion
Integrations cannot add functions in Notion.
Coda
Many Packs add formulas that engage with the external app.
Notion
Notion buttons can perform actions within Notion only.
Coda
Most Coda Packs come with preconfigured buttons that trigger actions in the external app.
04 — Collaboration & Publishing
3
Notion
Notion pages must be published to the domain notion.site.
Coda
You can publish a Coda doc to a custom domain, with no Coda branding. The page you’re reading is a Coda doc. 🙃
Notion
In Notion, pages are managed in workspaces, within which you can organize them in teamspaces. You can manage sharing by workspace, teamspace, or individual pages.
Coda
Within Coda workspaces, pages live in “docs.” You can sync pages between docs, but they’re otherwise isolated. Sharing is controlled only at the doc level. That means pages with different sharing configurations must exist in separate docs.
Notion
Coda
05 — Database Views
13
Notion
In Notion, each instance of a database can have multiple views. They display as tabs or a dropdown menu, depending on the available space. In linked databases, each tab can use a different source database.
Coda
In Coda, each view of a database requires an independent instance of that database.
Notion
Notion natively supports sub-items within databases. The “parent” item can become a toggle with its sub-items tucked inside.
Coda
Notion
Notion does not natively include forms.
Coda
You can display Coda databases as forms for a simple way for people to submit items.
Notion
In Notion, all groups are expanded by default.
Coda
In Coda, you can customize the default state of each group.
Notion
Notion does not offer charts.
Coda
For any database view in Coda, you can select the chart layout, then choose among many chart types and other configuration options.
Notion
Notion doesn’t offer conditional formatting, nor can you manually color full cells or rows.
Coda
Coda offers conditional formatting, like you’d find in a spreadsheet.
Notion
When you group items in a Notion table, the group label is given the full width of the database. When expanded, its items display beneath it.
Coda
In Coda, groups are aligned to the left, with their items displayed to their right. That often creates excessive line-wrapping.
Notion
Coda
Notion
Notion offers sub-groups within board layouts only.
Coda
Coda supports nested groups, or groups within groups, across layouts.
Notion
When databases display items as cards, Notion can’t show property names, like “Age,” which often leaves values without needed context.
Coda
In Coda, you have the option to display property names in cards.
Notion
Coda
Coda only groups by the value of the property.
Notion
Coda
Notion
Filtering a Notion database feels administrative: You must click the filter icon, then configure rules.
Coda
In Coda, an optional “filter bar” adds a dropdown property for filterable properties, which is more intuitive and contributes to its app-like experience.
06 — Database Properties
11
Notion
Coda
In Coda, it can be any type of property and, most notably, auto-populated by a formula.
Notion
Coda
In Coda, you can filter the items available for selection.
Notion
Coda
Notion
Coda
Coda offers an assortment of visualizations for numbers, many of which offer multi-color options that correspond with progress.
Notion
Coda
Notion
Coda
Coda allows you to display URLs as icons or bookmarks, with the site’s preview image and title.
Notion
Coda
Coda offers the option to display only user avatars.
Notion
Notion offers no property for indicating a rating.
Coda
Notion
Coda
Notion
Notion natively supports dependencies, which create visible links in timelines. When you shift an item in the timeline, you can optionally update the full dependency sequence.
Coda
Dependencies are not a dedicated feature of Coda. They can be manually configured using relations and formulas.
Notion
Coda
07 — Expanded Database Items
3
Notion
When you expand a database item in Notion, you see its title, its properties in a single column, then a freeform page body. Customization is limited: You can selectively display or hide properties, and relations can appear as their own section.
Coda
Notion
In Notion, you can choose to hide a property if it’s blank.
Coda
In Coda, each property must be visible or hidden, regardless of its contents.
Notion
In Notion, you can create sub-pages within expanded database items.
Coda
Coda does not support sub-pages within expanded database items.
08 — Cross-Device UX
8
Notion
Relative to other apps, Notion’s databases are particularly mobile-friendly.
Coda
Coda’s are mobile-unfriendly.
Notion
Notion offers not alternative to its sidebar.
Coda
In lieu of the sidebar, Coda offers the option to display the navigation menu to the top of published docs, which fosters its true website experience.
Notion
On mobile devices, Notion displays the sidebar within a traditional mobile menu.
Coda
Coda adds mobile navigation to the bottom of the screen. It displays the first three display with their titles below their icons, which furthers its app-like experience. The remaining pages are accessible within a traditional mobile menu.
Notion
If a user has access to a page in Notion, it can’t be hidden from the menu structure.
Coda
In Coda, you can hide pages from the sidebar. I often hide administrative pages containing source database or administrative views.
Notion
Coda
Notion
In Notion, you can unwrap all cells with one toggle.
Coda
Coda requires unwrapping column-by-column, which is a frequent need and amounts to meaningful friction over time.
Notion
Coda
Notion
Notion’s blocks are more like units that fit nicely into their designated spots. They’re easy to select, move and edit.
Coda
Coda’s blocks are more in-line with text. I often find myself with a blinking cursor next to them when attempting to select and work with them.
09 — Blocks
4
Notion
Notion’s buttons can insert preconfigured blocks or add or update database item. They can’t use formulas or integrations.
Coda
In Coda, buttons can access virtually any element of the doc to perform any action. They support formulas, and most Packs come with buttons that engage with the external app.
Notion
Notion does not offer an equivalent of Coda’s “control” blocks.
Coda
In Coda, “control” blocks make the doc interactive, much like a traditional app. They closely align with traditional form fields, allowing users to select or input values. Filters, formulas and other elements of the doc can reference those inputs to display information dynamically.
Notion
In Notion, you can choose a color for links like any other text.
Coda
In Coda, text links must be blue.
Notion
Notion offers one style of divider.
Coda
In Coda, you can choose among multiple divider thicknesses and shapes.
10 — Pages
6
Notion
Notion does not support syncing pages across workspaces.
Coda
Notion
Coda
In Coda, databases existing only within pages. Every database needs a “container” page, which adds complexity and extra work.
Notion
In Notion, subpages can be placed anywhere within their parent page.
Coda
In Coda, subpages must be placed between the parent page’s title and body.
Notion
Coda
In any Coda page, you can enable a subtitle, which offers a nice aesthetic and a description in link previews on social media, text messages, etc.
Notion
When reusing icons in Notion, you must re-upload or re-link.
Coda
Coda allows you to save custom icons for reuse.
Notion
For page icons in Notion, you can link to an image file hosted elsewhere, which is extraordinarily helpful for managing icons at scale.
Coda
Coda’s page icons must be uploaded.
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