Notion vs Simplenote

August 28, 2023 | Author: Adam Levine
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Notion
Notion – The all-in-one workspace for your notes, tasks, wikis, and databases. A new tool that blends your everyday work apps into one. It's the all-in-one workspace for you and your team
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Simplenote
The simplest way to keep notes. Light, clean, and free. Simplenote is now available for iOS, Android, Mac, and the web. Your notes stay updated across all your devices. No buttons to press. Find notes quickly with instant searching and simple tags. Share a list, post some instructions, or publish your thoughts.

Notion and Simplenote are distinct note-taking applications, each offering unique features tailored to different organizational needs. Notion stands out for its all-in-one workspace that goes beyond note-taking, offering capabilities like databases, task management, wikis, and collaborative workspaces. It excels in providing a versatile platform for structuring and organizing various types of content and workflows. On the other hand, Simplenote lives up to its name by providing a minimalist and straightforward platform for capturing and accessing plain text notes across devices. It's suitable for users who prioritize simplicity and quick note capture without the need for extensive organizational features.

See also: Top 10 Notebooks
Notion vs Simplenote in our news:

2024. Notion acquires privacy-focused productivity platform Skiff



Notion has acquired Skiff, a platform established in 2020 by Andrew Milich and Jason Ginsberg, which specializes in providing end-to-end encrypted file storage, document management, calendar functionalities, and email services. Skiff initially garnered $14.2 million in funding and positioned itself as a secure alternative to Google Docs, expanding its offerings to include productivity solutions like calendars and emails. Skiff announced its integration with Notion on its website, along with the decision to discontinue its services after a transition period of six months. The company assured users that their Skiff accounts would not be automatically converted into Notion accounts but emphasized the ease of exporting or migrating data to other platforms.


2024. Notion launches a stand-alone calendar app



Notion, a widely used platform for note-taking and project management, has introduced a dedicated calendar service, drawing from its acquisition of the well-designed Cron calendar app in 2022. Positioned as a free next-generation iteration of Cron, Notion Calendar incorporates a built-in scheduling tool reminiscent of Calendly and offers optional deep integration with Notion. Accessible on Mac, Windows, iOS, and the web (with an Android app in development), the calendar seamlessly merges work and personal calendars, providing users with a unified view for effective day management. Although Notion has previously featured a calendar view within workspaces, it now integrates with external calendars, starting with Google Calendar. Emphasizing its standalone nature, users can opt for Notion Calendar as a standalone smart calendaring service, but for Notion users integrating it into their workflow, there's the added benefit of attaching Notion docs to calendar events, fostering better preparation and alignment within teams.


2021. Notion acquires India’s Automate.io in push to accelerate product expansion



Workplace productivity startup Notion has recently acquired Automate.io, an Indian startup renowned for developing connectivity and integrations with more than 200 services. This acquisition serves as a strategic move for Notion to expedite its product expansion and enhance its appeal to the growing number of individuals and businesses transitioning to digital collaborative tools. With the addition of Automate.io, Notion gains valuable insights into the 200 integrations the Indian startup has built. This knowledge will enable Notion to empower users and enterprises by incorporating their workflows seamlessly into the Notion platform.


2020. Online workspace startup Notion raises $50M



Online workspace startup Notion has secured $50 million in fresh funding, valuing the company at $2 billion. Established in 2016, Notion offers a comprehensive workspace solution encompassing note-taking, task management, wikis, and databases. Its unique proposition lies in consolidating various work applications into a single platform, making it ideal for efficient task and project management. Notably, amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, Notion's remote work support played a significant role in attracting investors. The company experienced a surge in new customer sign-ups, setting new records, as remote working became the norm due to the pandemic. The exponential growth of remote work in 2020, spurred by COVID-19, has significantly bolstered the user base of remote work tool providers across different industries.


2016. Simplenote app is now Open-Source



Automattic, the company behind WordPress, has made Simplenote open source. This includes all the desktop and mobile apps of the popular note-taking service. You can find the source code for the Simplenote iOS, Android, and macOS apps on the Automattic GitHub page. These apps now join the previously open-sourced Simplenote Linux and Windows 10 app. By open-sourcing these apps, Automattic aims to encourage contributions from a diverse community of developers worldwide, with the goal of improving the apps even further. It's important to note that only the applications themselves are being open-sourced, while the server-side code responsible for syncing and powering various features remains closed-source.


2013. Automattic acquired note-taking service Simplenote



The note-taking app, Simplenote, which is popular among Mac and iOS users, has undergone a change in ownership. Simperium, the company responsible for its development, is now a part of Automattic, the organization that created WordPress. Automattic has ambitious plans for Simplenote's future and intends to allocate additional resources to its development, including enhancements to Simperium, the data-syncing service utilized by the app. Notably, Automattic has successfully acquired the Simplenote.com domain and has established a new blog there. Powered by WordPress, this blog will serve as a platform to keep users well-informed about the forthcoming updates and improvements to expect from Simplenote.

Author: Adam Levine
Adam is an expert in project management, collaboration and productivity technologies, team management, and motivation. With an extensive background working at prestigious companies such as Microsoft and Accenture, Adam's in-depth knowledge and experience in the field make him a sought-after professional. Currently, he has ventured into entrepreneurship, owning a thriving consulting and training agency where he imparts invaluable insights and practical strategies to individuals and organizations, empowering them to achieve their goals and maximize their potential. You can contact Adam via email adam@liventerprise.com