Comparing free tools: Google Sheets or Notion for managing projects?

Hey everyone! I’m trying to decide between Google Sheets and Notion for handling my project management needs. These are the only free options that offer the custom fields I need. I can’t afford the monthly fees for other apps like Asana or Monday.

I want to use the tool for three main things:

  1. Tracking my freelance design work: I need a central place to log completed projects, earnings, and important dates.

  2. Managing a movie review blog: I currently use Obsidian for notes, but it’s not great for tracking release dates. I need something online that my team can access.

  3. Organizing my postgrad research: I want to create a timeline for readings, viewings, and writing tasks to share with my advisor.

What are your thoughts? Which tool would work better for these tasks? I’m especially interested in how well each one handles timelines and team collaboration. Thanks for your input!

Having used both tools extensively, I’d recommend Notion for your specific needs. Google Sheets is great for data-heavy tasks, but Notion’s flexibility makes it more suitable for your diverse projects.

For freelance work, Notion’s databases can easily track projects, earnings, and dates. You can create custom views to analyze your data effectively.

Notion excels for your movie review blog. You can build a content calendar, collaborate with your team, and even link to your Obsidian notes if needed. The ability to create different page types (databases, wikis) is invaluable here.

For postgrad research, Notion’s timeline view is perfect for mapping out reading and writing tasks. Sharing specific pages with your advisor is straightforward.

While there’s a learning curve, Notion’s versatility outweighs this drawback. Its customization options and collaborative features align well with your project management needs across all three areas.

i’ve used both and honestly, notion is better for ur needs. its more flexible for organizing different types of content. google sheets is great for data but notion can handle timelines, notes, and team collaboration better. plus, u can create custom templates for each project type. just my 2 cents!

As someone who’s dabbled in both Google Sheets and Notion for project management, I’d say Notion is probably your best bet here. I’ve found it to be incredibly versatile for handling different types of projects.

For your freelance work, Notion’s databases are great for tracking projects, earnings, and important dates. You can create custom views to see your data how you need it.

With your movie review blog, Notion shines. You can create a content calendar, collaborative workspace for your team, and even link your Obsidian notes if needed. The ability to create different page types (databases, wikis, etc.) is super helpful.

For your postgrad research, Notion’s timeline view is perfect for mapping out your reading and writing tasks. You can easily share specific pages with your advisor too.

The learning curve can be a bit steep at first, but once you get the hang of it, Notion’s flexibility is hard to beat. Just my two cents based on personal experience!