GitBook vs Notion, PLEASE add this to Notion! Much more Intuitive/respectful of users time.
Product Managers, what documentation software do you use the most? Confluence, Gitbook, or something else?
Hi everyone, the company where I work is considering moving their documentation from Gitbook to Notion. Does anyone have experience with using Notion as an API documentation tool? What are you thoughts?
I haven’t used Notion as an API-specific documentation tool, but I love Notion and think it’s almost certainly flexible enough to handle it so long as you architect it properly. I found this example of an API doc on Notion: https://www.notion.so/API-Documentation-e4a7746e6a3f45dbb58ea6b45b8f9744
Especially if you’re a small company with only a few writers working on the docs, I’d think you’d have a pretty good time with Notion. Sorry I don’t have more specific personal experience, but wanted to at least share that neat example.
More on reddit.comPeople who left Notion, what do you use?
I feel like the problem space they are trying to solve isn't something you can ever get down to one tool. IT seems like the answer is to have a UNIX mindset where you have plenty of tools you can piece together for your workflow. I think the biggest roadblock to that today is how difficult it is to transfer data between these systems and how none of them try to play together...they want to convert you and get a hold of all your data.
More on reddit.comHow does GitBook vs Notion compare for team collaboration?
Is GitBook or Notion better for technical documentation?
Which is better for API documentation: GitBook or Notion?
I still use notion - but much less now since gitbook.
As a disabled creator, Notion is the LEAST friendly note-taking app there is.
Literal 0 accessibility compared to other apps, everything you'd expect to be in notion - isn't.
If you have vision problems, notion is an actual nightmare.
Something I've always hated about notion is the elitest attitude in general towards its own customers, being denied help from support and re-directed to a help page that doesn't even answer my question - about a bug that's existed for 4 years, and is still present????
I've been using gitbook for like a week and it's already so much easier to use and isn't counter-intuitive/productive like notion.
For instance, gitbooks "Cards" are simple, but are a reason I'm using gitbook over notion for product documentations and WIKI, unless devs decide to add common-sense features - that don't require spending more money (AI) for.
Cards | GitBook Documentation
So the cards themselves you can make redirect to anything/where, you can then have text inside the card - link to subdirectories!!!
It takes literal seconds to do this, where I can't even do this in notion.
The closest thing is adding a whole new database and clicking a square opens a page - where in gitbook
I don't have to leave the page to interact with it.
If you're using a notion-site, the gallery doesn't work - it's just extra steps for a less intuitive experience.
I can easily tell the main directories and sub directories in just seconds.
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Automatic Pages:
Another thing that respects the users time is how they automatically add previous/next buttons!
Navigation:
Unlike notion, it's obvious what is a "Folder" IE what has items under it, and what doesn't.
Very easy for the visually-impaired
Notions navigation:
literally impossible to tell unless you waste more time hovering-over and expanding/collapsing.
Impossible to tell which belongs to the expanded "page"
There's no lines or highlights that indicate what is related to what.
Impossible to SEE columns!
Yea, there's actually a column there?
TABS!?!?!?
ADD THIS PLEASE!!!!Like Obsidian, they have support for excalidraw - what's more is they allow FREE usage of their AI!?
Why won't you give already paying members access to features like this, instead of charging an arm and a leg?
You don't need a paid excalidraw account - unlike notion?
This is just a free account, if they allow free AI usage (they do have premium) where you can generate entire graphs instantly, why can't already paying notion users (which I am) - do the same without an ADDITIONAL monthly charge?
Why in 2024 are there zero options for accessibility that are base for most every notetaking app?
I'll still use notion for my research databases etc, but it just makes zero sense to make your software less accessible by choice, instead of respecting that not everyone is a coder or professional educator, or that they have no visual disabilities or disabilities in general.
I can't tell if this is intentional for your "Notion Coaches", I never would have thought someone would need to PAY a third-party to learn how to use software - that should be accessible to more not LESS.
More accessible = more customers = more money.
Giving actual useful tools for free means more people will use your app, if more people use your app, more people are likely to pay since they already ENJOY using it.
Making your application tedious with zero accessibility for the disabled, only hurts Notion and the community.
Learning shouldn't require learning to learn how to learn.
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Edit for more transparency and comparisons (Sorry I'm slow lol).
Choosing the Right GitBook Plan for Your Needs | GitBook
The paid AI features are included in the pro membership, unlike notion which forces you to make an additional subscription.
While they do seem to have some free AI usage, as seen from excalidraw, the paid features allow ai interacting with other github services like github/repo/labs.
So now the main downsides I see between notion vs gitbook (unbiased as I pay for notion myself):
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No main application, entirely web-based
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Less flexibility than notion sites, in how notion allows you adding columns and databases etc.
GitBook is better suited for structured technical documentation, where Git-like version control, markdown-centric writing, and a developer-oriented interface are valuable. However, it lacks advanced note-taking, task management, and customization capabilities.
The choice ultimately depends on whether your use case is more aligned with technical documentation for a developer team (GitBook) or a flexible, multi-purpose workspace for varied tasks (Notion).
Despite the common usage for gitbook, I've managed to use it for free as a public wiki, just like how you can use notion for other purposes than note-taking.
For instance, gitbook has "snippets" Snippets (beta) | GitBook Documentation
I'll be using a hybrid-approach and using cross-embeds between notion and gitbook.
Example:
If you have disabilities, you can use notion for databases, and embed/link gitbook resources into your notion.
All in all, I wish notion provided everything that gitbook does for free, which aren't even in notions paid plans.
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I really wish notion would listen to the disabled community and understand that not everyone is a programmer and has months of spare time to learn how to use a software that's supposed to make learning easier.
I really wish notion would prioritize accessibility for all users, it's 2024 - there's no excuse for a company as big as notion to disregard the voices of their disabled users.
The fact that they intentionally? Made it so counter-intuitive that they offer The Notion Coach - Notion Solutions Partner Directory - is a sign that they don't value the disabled community.
If notion was designed with modern accessibility - the disabled wouldn't need to pay money to learn how to use a note-taking software.
I doubt my voice will be heard by Notion themselves, but as I've said I'm a paying member, and I shouldn't need to pay more to learn how to use the software.
I learned blender3d when I was 12, and that's easy in comparison to notion.
Hello fellow Product Managers,
As we all know, documentation is an essential part of our job, and having the right documentation software can make all the difference. There are many options available, including Confluence, Gitbook, and others.
I'm curious to hear from other Product Managers about what documentation software they use the most and why. Do you prefer the flexibility and collaboration features of Confluence, or the simplicity and ease of use of Gitbook? Or do you use something entirely different?