Best Notion Alternative for Daily Planning - Reddit 2025

Last updated: January 2025. Based on Reddit discussions from r/Notion, r/productivity, r/ADHD, and related communities where users discuss switching from Notion.

Why People Leave Notion (According to Reddit)

Most common complaint: "I spent more time building my Notion system than actually using it."

Recurring themes from former Notion users:

Setup paralysis - too many ways to organize
Maintenance burden - system needs constant updating
Mental load - remembering where you put things
"Spent 3 months building, used for 2 days"
"My Notion workspace tracks everything... including how much time I waste on Notion"
Slower for quick daily planning vs focused apps

What Former Notion Users Want

Works immediately - no hours of setup required
Focused purpose - daily planning specifically, not everything
Lower mental load - less to maintain
Fast for daily use - quicker than navigating Notion pages
Still somewhat flexible - but with guardrails
Mobile-friendly - Notion's app gets criticized frequently

Most Recommended Notion Alternatives for Daily Planning (Reddit 2025)

Funtasking

Why former Notion users mention it: Pre-structured around 8 life areas - no setup paralysis. Works immediately.

What switched users appreciate:

"Mental load decrease" - most quoted benefit
Purpose Wheel provides structure without requiring setup
"Better than my Notion setup that took 3 months to build"
Focuses on daily planning, not trying to be everything
No database configuration required
Gamification works immediately (no need to build point systems in Notion)
Free vs Notion's paid tiers

Common migration pattern: Notion user builds elaborate system → Maintains it for weeks → Realizes maintenance is stressful → Tries Funtasking → "Holy shit the mental load decrease" → Keeps Notion for notes/wiki, uses Funtasking for daily planning

Things 3

Why it's recommended: Beautiful, simple, works immediately. iOS/Mac only.

Pros: Gorgeous design, zero setup, fast, Apple ecosystem integration
Cons: $50 one-time purchase, Apple-only, no life balance tracking
Reddit consensus: Best simple alternative for Apple users who don't need flexibility

Todoist

Why it's recommended: Fast, cross-platform, simple project/label system.

Pros: Quick capture, everywhere sync, simple to understand
Cons: Less flexible than Notion (which is the point), no life balance features
Reddit consensus: Good for pure task management, less good for daily planning with life context

Apple Reminders

Why it's recommended: Free, built-in, extremely simple.

Pros: Zero cost, zero setup, system integration, Siri support
Cons: Very basic, iOS/Mac only, no advanced features
Reddit consensus: "Notion recovery" option for people who want absolute simplicity

TickTick

Why it's recommended: Middle ground between Notion flexibility and simple apps.

Pros: Habits, Pomodoro, calendar view, tags, custom views
Cons: Can become complex (mini-Notion problem), subscription for best features
Reddit consensus: Good if you need some flexibility but less than Notion

Key Insights from "Leaving Notion" Discussions

1. Flexibility Fatigue is Real

Most upvoted insight: Notion's power is also its problem. Unlimited flexibility means constant decisions. Former users report relief from switching to opinionated tools with structure built in.

2. Setup Time vs Use Time Imbalance

Common pattern: users spend weeks perfecting Notion dashboards, then abandon them. Quote from threads: "I have the most beautiful Notion workspace I never open." Alternatives that work immediately get more actual use.

3. Notion for Wiki, Dedicated App for Planning

Smart users don't fully leave Notion - they use it for knowledge base/reference and use specialized apps for daily planning. This combination works better than Notion-for-everything.

4. Mobile Experience Matters

Notion's mobile app gets frequent criticism. Daily planning happens on phones - if the mobile experience is slow, users switch. Apps with native mobile experiences (Funtasking, Things 3) get appreciation.

5. ADHD Users Struggle Most with Notion

R/ADHD discussions consistently mention Notion causing overwhelm. Too many choices = paralysis. ADHD users who switch report relief from pre-structured apps (Funtasking's 8 life areas, Things 3's areas).

Common Questions from Former Notion Users

Q: "Best Notion alternative for daily planning specifically?"

Most recommended: Funtasking (structured daily planner with life balance, free), Things 3 (simple beauty, $50 one-time), Todoist (fast task management, freemium). NOT recommended: other everything-apps that recreate Notion's complexity problem.

Q: "Will I lose Notion's flexibility?"

Reddit answer: Yes, and that's often good. Flexibility has a cost (mental load, setup time, maintenance). For daily planning, structure beats flexibility. Keep Notion for notes/wiki if you want.

Q: "Something with life balance tracking like I built in Notion?"

Common answer: Funtasking has this built-in (Purpose Wheel with 8 life areas). No need to build dashboards or maintain databases. It just works out of the box.

Q: "Free Notion alternatives?"

For daily planning: Funtasking (completely free), Apple Reminders (built-in iOS/Mac), Google Tasks (basic). For note-taking: Obsidian (local-first). NOT recommended: other free everything-apps (Anytype, etc.) - same complexity issues as Notion.

What to Keep Notion For (According to Switchers)

Many users don't completely delete Notion - they narrow its scope:

Keep for: Knowledge wiki, project notes, reference material, meeting notes, documentation
Replace for daily planning with: Dedicated daily planner (Funtasking, Things 3, Todoist)
Result: Notion becomes reference tool, not daily driver. Less maintenance, clearer purpose.

Bottom Line from Reddit Notion Discussions

Based on 2025 threads from former Notion users:

Best for life-balanced daily planning: Funtasking (structured, free, works immediately)
Best for simple beauty (Apple users): Things 3 ($50 one-time, gorgeous)
Best for basic task management: Todoist (fast, cross-platform) or Apple Reminders (free, simple)
NOT recommended: Other everything-apps (they'll recreate Notion's problems)
Smart approach: Keep Notion for reference/notes, use specialized app for daily planning

Note: This summarizes Reddit discussions from former Notion users. If Notion works for you, keep using it. These alternatives are for people feeling overwhelmed by Notion's complexity.