I’m not the person you asked, but I evaluated and passed on Notion (and Coda, and Airtable) for similar reasons.
I need a system that syncs, works offline, helps capture structured-ish data, is quick+flexible, and has fabulous linking.
I discovered and am currently using Obsidian.Md. I use Ulysses to access and edit on iPhone+iPad.
I love that it is markdown-based, linking is super easy, and everything is fast.
Cons: doesn’t work super well with native macOS features (e.g. services), native app for iOS/Android is still in private beta, and I don’t like the separation between edit and view modes. Also it could probably use a stronger UI for database-like features (e.g. tags). I wish there were better options for inking on mobile, but that’s not really their thing.
Previously was a OneNote devotee, but as I get into more complicated community engagement work, I needed something that could cross-link and find patterns.
I appreciate this write-up! I've been considering a migration from Evernote to Obsidian/Notion/other-competitor for a while as Evernote's UI gets steadily worse, and this reconfirms my perspective that Obsidian is leading the pack. Thanks!
> I wish there were better options for inking on mobile
Mobile beta is pretty similar to the desktop app. Like even most of the plugins I use work fine on my phone. The only real complaint I have is that it's kinda slow to start on a phone. Not as slow as Notion, but still takes a few seconds.
> and I don’t like the separation between edit and view modes.
OP here. I finally ditched Evernote when they made the Mac app Electron. I've tried Obsidian but it didn't stick (and it's Electron), but hear very good things about it.
I decided on DevonThink since it closely resembled what I used Evernote for but ditched it after just a month due to to bad iOS apps, weird default formatting issues, hostile developers (license covers max 2 computers, and refusal to support a few basic things).
Stumbled upon Ulysses and I've been using it since then. Excellent plain text/Markdown support (you can turn off the markdown formats you don't want to use), sensible default fonts and such, fast and native Mac app, great iOS apps, etc.
For personal, non shared stuff I really like the graph style apps, Roam is the one I'm using right now but there are a few out there now. Not "demanding" a hierarchy like notion etc do and everything having "backlinks" automatically is really a game changer.
Google Keep has been pretty sufficient for my needs. Nice search feature, able to capture things quickly when on a call or out and about. Not the most fully featured, but good for remembering things a few days or a week from now
I used Trilium Notes for a long time before shifting to Notion. It checks all the freedom boxes and is very customizable, without being alien like emacs.
