Top 10 Free Alternatives to Notion (for Design Planning) in 2025

In the ever-evolving landscape of productivity and design planning tools, finding the right fit can be challenging. Thankfully, several free alternatives to Notion have emerged, each offering unique features to cater to diverse needs. This comprehensive comparison covers the top 10 free Notion alternatives for 2025, providing detailed insights into their features and capabilities.

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1. Trello

Free Plan: Offers unlimited cards and users with up to 10 boards per workspace.
Visual Interface: Uses Kanban boards, lists, and cards for task organization.
Customization: Highly customizable boards using "Power-Ups" for added functionality.
Templates: Provides a variety of templates for different project types, including design workflows.
Collaboration: Easy to add team members and control user types/permissions. Learn more about Trello

2. Asana

Free Plan: Includes unlimited projects and tasks with up to 10 users.
Task Management: Excellent for managing complex workflows, dependencies, and milestones.
Views: Offers list, board, and calendar views on the free plan.
Reporting: Includes advanced reporting tools and customizable dashboards.
Collaboration: Designed for team collaboration with features for task assignment and tracking. Explore Asana

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3. ClickUp

Free Plan: Includes unlimited users and tasks with 5 "Spaces."
Customization: Offers 14 different task views.
Reporting: Enables generating detailed reports.
Task Management: Good for document management.
Views: Offers list, board, calendar, and limited Gantt chart views in the free plan. Discover ClickUp

4. Freedcamp

Free Plan: Offers comprehensive tools including Kanban boards, task dependencies, and CRM module.
Task Management: Flexible task management using lists, Kanban boards, and Gantt charts.
Milestones: Includes a milestone feature for tracking progress.
Collaboration: Enables file sharing and project collaboration.
Features: Has a CRM module included in the free plan. Explore Freedcamp

5. Todoist

Free Plan: Offers core task management features.
Interface: Clean and minimalistic design.
Ease of Use: User-friendly for quick task input and organization.
Features: Has smart features for prioritization and natural language processing.
Collaboration: Great for managing projects and sharing knowledge. Learn more about Todoist

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6. nTask

Free Plan: Offers 100 MB storage and unlimited workspaces.
Task Management: Includes project and risk management, scheduling, and problem monitoring.
Views: Provides Kanban views and Gantt charts.
Features: Offers file management capabilities.
Ease of Use: Intuitive and easy to learn. Discover nTask

7. Morningmate

Free Plan: Includes unlimited users, 5 projects, and unlimited tasks.
Features: Combines messaging, task management, and file sharing.
Views: Offers feed, file, list, and calendar views.
Collaboration: Has a built-in messenger.
Interface: Social-media-like, designed to be intuitive. Explore Morningmate

8. Lucidchart

Free Plan: Provides access to basic features.
Collaboration: Enables real-time collaboration.
Integrations: Connects with Google Drive and Slack.
Features: Has an extensive shape library.
Accessibility: It's a web-based tool that works on browsers that support HTML5. Learn more about Lucidchart

9. Taskade

Free Plan: Offers a simplified project management experience.
Task Management: Manages task lists with real-time updates.
Collaboration: Includes real-time collaboration, mind maps, and video chat.
Flexibility: Good for coordinating remote teams.
Features: Includes project workflows with milestones and task assignments. Discover Taskade

10. Google Keep

Free Plan: Completely free to use.
Simplicity: Very easy and quick to use for notes and to-dos.
Accessibility: Can be used on the go.
Note-Taking: Ideal for personal note-taking and simple lists.
Collaboration: Can share notes with other Google users. Explore Google Keep

These alternatives provide a range of functionalities that can cater to various design planning needs, from simple task management to complex project workflows. Explore the links provided to find the best fit for your requirements in 2025.

Disclaimer: Pricing and features of free plans can change. It is always recommended to check the most current information on the tool's website.

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FAQ

1. What is Trello used for?

Trello is a visual project management tool that employs a Kanban-style board system to manage workflows, making it ideal for organizing tasks and teamwork. Discover Trello

2. Is Asana suitable for complex projects?

Yes, Asana is excellent for managing complex projects with dependencies and milestones, offering features like list, board, and calendar views. Learn more about Asana

3. How customizable is ClickUp?

ClickUp is known for its high level of customization, offering 14 different task views and detailed reporting capabilities. Explore ClickUp

4. What features does Freedcamp offer in its free plan?

Freedcamp's free plan includes comprehensive tools such as Kanban boards, Gantt charts, task dependencies, and a CRM module. Discover Freedcamp

5. Why should I use Todoist?

Todoist is favored for its clean and minimalistic design, along with its smart features for prioritization and natural language processing, making task management simple and efficient. Learn more about Todoist

6. What types of views are available in nTask?

nTask offers Kanban views, Gantt charts, and additionally supports project, risk management, scheduling, and problem monitoring in its user-friendly interface. Discover nTask

7. How does Morningmate enhance team communication?

Morningmate combines project management with communication tools, featuring messaging, task management, and file sharing, within a social-media-like interface. Explore Morningmate

8. Can Lucidchart be used for real-time collaboration?

Yes, Lucidchart supports real-time collaboration, making it suitable for creating and sharing diagrams, flowcharts, and other visual documents. Learn more about Lucidchart

9. What collaboration features does Taskade offer?

Taskade includes real-time collaboration, task management, mind maps, video chat, and task assignments to coordinate remote teams effectively. Discover Taskade

10. What makes Google Keep useful for quick note-taking?

Google Keep is a simple and free note-taking app best suited for personal use, allowing quick entries, to-do lists, and easy sharing with other Google users. Learn more about Google Keep

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.

Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).

She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.

For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.

About the Publication

Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.

Mission and Purpose

Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.

Key Features

The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:

Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials

Impact and Growth

Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:

3,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
100+ startup tools built
5,000+ pieces of articles and news written

Partnerships

Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.

Recognition

Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.