Google is a platform we’re likely all familiar with. When starting a business, Gmail and the Google suite of apps (also called Google Workspace) are the most user-friendly. It also doesn’t hurt that they’re largely free for solopreneurs. Over time, as your business grows and scales, I found that I needed something more robust to handle the volume of emails I get, and something more intuitive and minimal to keep me sane and organized. There are a few Google apps that are industry standard at this point that I do still use: Google Drive, Google Calendar, and Google Meet. You’ll notice that these are mostly collaborative apps for file sharing and meetings.
Hey, Notion, and Obsidian have replaced much of what I used to rely on in Google Suite: emails, docs, notes, and databases. All with much better organization. I don’t have affiliate links for any of these apps, I just genuinely like them and use them regularly. It’s been one year since I switched to Hey and I have no intentions of going back. Below, I’ll share what each app replaces for me in Google Suite, what I pay for each, and some alternatives. (Most of these have free versions.)
Hey: Email Management
The Screener: A new approach to email filtering
The Feed: Newsletter organization (very handy)
The Paper Trail: Receipts
Focus-first design philosophy
What it replaces: Gmail
There is Hey Calendar, but the calendar doesn’t come with a Zoom or Google Meet integration so that lessens its effectiveness for scheduling meetings
What I Pay: $99/year. There is no free version but there is a free trial.
Learning curve: Hey sends you a bunch of onboarding emails when you first sign up, so the transition should be fairly smooth. Customer service is also conveniently one email away if you have questions.
Notion: The All-in-One Workspace
Document management
Database capabilities and organization
Project management
Knowledge base creation
Thoughtful AI-integration
What it replaces: Google Docs, Google Sheets. By leaps and bounds.
Notion has created Calendar and is soon to create Notion Mail and other apps that will put it in direct competition with Google. Notion has the ability to compete with Drive on a paid plan, I just don’t use that feature.
What I Pay: $10/month for Notion AI. Otherwise, if you’re a team of one you could use this for free.
Learning curve: It can be a little daunting and overwhelming because the possibilities are almost endless. However, there are a ton of templates to get you started, and plenty of YouTube videos for the rest.
Obsidian: Personal knowledge management
Markdown-based note-taking system (markdown > everything)
Local-first storage with sync options
Powerful linking and graph visualization
Plugin ecosystem for customization
What it replaces: Google Keep Notes and Google Sheets. By leaps and bounds.
Super clean interface, great for organizing your writing, and there’s no AI that’s been added unless you want to incorporate the plug-in (I don’t).
What I pay: $99/year for the sync plan. Allows me to sync the phone app with the tablet and desktop apps creating a truly seamless experience. There is a free version if you’re only using it on one device.
Learning curve: fairly minimal. It’s a pretty straightforward notetaking app.
Alternatives
Superhuman: For email power users. Starts at $25/month.
Airtable: Advanced database management and comes with forms. Free with paid plans for teams and people requiring more automation.
Evernote: Traditional note-taking with rich features. Starts at $11/month.
That’s it from me, a former Google groupie with refined tastes.
