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ADHD PKM Showdown: Notion vs. Obsidian, which is better for neurospicy brains?

I bet you can guess the answer: it depends.

ADHD PKM Showdown: Notion vs. Obsidian, which is better for neurospicy brains?
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ADHD PKM Showdown: Notion vs. Obsidian, which is better for neurospicy brains?
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Outline for this podcast (transcription coming soon)

Notion

Pros

  • market leader

  • Lots of tutorials

  • Lots of templates, free and purchasable

  • Databases, not just documents

  • Customization options (kind of)

  • handles lots of media

  • Has lots of integrations (pricey)

  • Web-based, so stays synced.

  • for ADHD:

    • Can be colorful

    • Can integrate timers/widgets

    • Can use same data in different views < — this is ultimately why it’s better for ADHD

    • Lots of professional ADHD coaches or other professionals say it’s the best thing for them, and so there is a community of NotionADHD folks (is there?)

  • Being professionally developed, so keeps getting better all the time (usually with things people have been asking for

  • Pretty helpful AI

  • Apple widgets

Cons

  • No offline access
  • iPad app is frustratingly different (no pencil integration)
  • IOS app is better, but if you plan on using that you’re going to want to configure your workspace
  • Lack of security
  • Lack of buy-in from coworkers, etc.
  • Delay lets you get distracted easily
  • Lots of rabbit holes trying to make things pretty/more efficient
  • Easy to be overwhelmed.
  • Costs money, though there are nonprofit rates and AI is cheap
  • Sort of markdown, but really proprietary
  • No ability to sketch within the app.
  • iPad pen scribble only work haphazardly.

Resources

  • Caren Magill

  • Notion mastery

  • The Notion Bar

  • By Regina.com

  • Consumer 2 Creator Lab

  • The wish they worked for me list:

    • Life OS

    • Bulletproof workspace

Obsidian:

Pros:

  • Fast and simple and non-proprietary
  • customize entire workspace
  • Community for themes & plugins
  • Graph view is cool
  • iPadOS versions work pretty much the same.
  • Quick to launch, easy to write in
  • Daily note! Built in!
  • Endlessly interesting
  • Very active community
  • Honestly, it just feels fun. You feel like you’re a bit more of a hacker.
  • Very cool backstory
  • Can (sort of) draw on iPad with excalidraw

Cons:

  • Great for note taking & note linking, but for database stuff and task/project management requires plugins/complex syntax/learning curve.

  • Costs money to sync easily (not terrible, but it’s real).

  • Endless customization makes it a Sarlacc Pit

  • Not as friendly to multiple file types as Notion (at least, not out of the box)

  • Still no built-in sketch or diagram capacity.

  • Graph view is cool, but ultimately not terribly useful (to me)

  • Not as many templates available, particularly not for ADHDers.

    • Except for a very thorough write up in the r/ObsidianMD channel on Reddit

Resources:

  • Linking Your Thinking (great community, great course)
  • Danny Hatcher
  • Bryan Jenks (adhd)
  • Nicole Van Der Hoeven
  • Ellane (on Medium.com)
  • Good example of what it takes (which, btw, I love and have to resist the temptation to try): https://www.arc.wtf/blog/pkm-madness/

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