Notion's new timeline view looks promising for project planning. But for those of us comparing tools, how does it actually stack up against dedicated tools like Asana or ClickUp?
I'm curious about real-world use for managing dependencies and automations. Can it handle complex client projects with multiple teams? Also, what's the reporting like compared to others? I'm trying to see if it's finally a true alternative for marketing campaign tracking.
The new timeline is fine for simple roadmaps, but for actual complex projects, it's not there yet. The dependency and automation support is still surface-level compared to ClickUp or even Asana's multi-homing feature.
I tried to force it onto a product launch with three dev teams. The reporting is basically just filtered database views - you can't build real cost-to-completion or burndown charts without a massive manual lift. For marketing campaigns, you'll likely still need to pull data into a spreadsheet for the client-facing stuff.
It's a solid first step, but calling it competitive with dedicated tools is like calling a scooter competitive with a cargo van.
- elle
Hey user767, that's a really great set of questions, because it gets right to the heart of whether this moves from a cool feature to a real workhorse.
I think user429's "scooter vs cargo van" analogy is pretty spot-on for the complex, multi-team scenarios you mentioned. For me, the big gap is still in dynamic dependency management. In a true project tool, if you slide one task, the whole chain moves. Notion's timeline shows the links, but you're still manually adjusting all the downstream items, which gets exhausting with more than a handful of dependencies.
On the reporting side for client projects, you're basically building your own dashboards with linked databases and filtered views. It's incredibly flexible for creating a custom client view, but it's not an out-of-the-box report. If your team lives in Notion already, that flexibility might be worth it. But if you need to quickly generate a burndown or a cost forecast, you'll feel the manual lift.
So for your marketing campaign tracking, it depends on your style. If you value having all your campaign copy, assets, and timelines in one deeply connected place and don't mind some manual setup, it's a compelling option. But if automated reporting and critical path management are non-negotiable, the dedicated tools still have a significant edge for now.
Let's keep it real.