Notion keeps you organized. Aeto keeps you organized and paid.
Notion is a powerful workspace for notes, docs, and project management. It has no time tracking and no invoicing. If you're looking for a Notion alternative that handles your billing, Aeto covers the same project management ground and adds both — so you're not stitching together three apps to run your freelance business.
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Aeto vs. Notion.
Bottom line: Notion is built for organizing information. Aeto is the Notion alternative built for billing the work.
Aeto
Project management, task-level time tracking, and invoicing. Built specifically for freelancers who bill by the hour or by project. $10/month flat.
Pick Aeto if: you need to track time against specific tasks and generate invoices from that time — without stitching together multiple apps.
Notion
A flexible all-in-one workspace for notes, docs, wikis, and project databases. Highly customizable, but not designed for time tracking or billing.
Pick Notion if: you need a general-purpose workspace for client notes, internal docs, or team collaboration — and you're billing through other tools.
| Feature | Aeto | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| Project management | Yes, Kanban + task lists | Yes, flexible databases and boards |
| Task-level time tracking | Yes | No |
| Time to invoice flow | Automatic from tasks | No |
| Invoicing | Yes | No |
| Flat-fee project tracking | Yes, with internal hours | No |
| Mac desktop app | Yes, native | Yes |
| Chrome Extension | Yes | No |
| Menu bar timer | Yes | No |
| Pricing | $10/month flat | Free – $16+/user/month |
| Free trial | 30 days, no card | Free tier available |
Where Notion Excels.
Notion is one of the most flexible tools available for organizing information. If you need a shared wiki, a content calendar, a CRM database, or a place to document processes, Notion handles it well. It's also free to start and has a large ecosystem of templates. For freelancers who need a general workspace alongside their billing tools, Notion is a strong choice.
Where Aeto Fits Better.
Time tracking is built in.
Notion has no time tracking. Every freelancer using Notion for project management is also using at least one other app to track billable hours. Aeto's timer is built into the task — start it from the Kanban board, the menu bar, the web app, or the Chrome Extension.
Invoicing is automatic.
Notion has no invoicing. When the work is done, you're manually moving data from Notion into a separate invoicing tool. In Aeto, moving a task to Done and generating an invoice are part of the same workflow — no re-entry, no missed hours.
Built for billable work, not general organization.
Notion's flexibility is also its complexity — you have to build the system that works for your freelance billing. Aeto comes with the system already built: projects, tasks, timers, and invoices are connected out of the box.
One app instead of three.
A common freelance stack is Notion for projects, Toggl or Harvest for time, and FreshBooks or Wave for invoicing. Aeto replaces all three for $10/month — less context switching, less manual work, fewer things to pay for.
Answers to the questions we get most.
Everything you're likely to ask before you start the trial.
Q.01Is Aeto a good Notion alternative for freelancers?
Yes, if you're using Notion primarily to manage client projects and then relying on separate apps to track time and send invoices. Aeto replaces that stack with one tool purpose-built for the freelance billing workflow — project management, task-level time tracking, and invoicing in one place.
Q.02Does Notion have time tracking?
Not natively. Notion has no built-in timer or time tracking feature. Some freelancers use third-party integrations or workarounds like manual time fields in a database, but these don't connect to billing. Aeto tracks time at the task level and flows it directly into invoices.
Q.03Does Notion have invoicing?
No. Notion has no invoicing capability. It's a workspace tool for notes, docs, and databases — not a billing tool. If you manage projects in Notion today, you're also using at least one other app to track time and another to invoice. Aeto consolidates all three.
Q.04How does Aeto pricing compare to Notion?
Notion has a free tier, and paid plans start at around $10/month per user (Plus) and $16/month per user (Business). Aeto is $10/month flat with everything included. If you're a solo freelancer currently using Notion's free tier, switching to Aeto for the billing workflow adds one cost — but likely replaces a time tracking tool you're already paying for.
Q.05Can I use both Aeto and Notion together?
Yes. Many freelancers use Notion for general notes, client communication, and docs, and Aeto for the billable work — projects, time tracking, and invoicing. They solve different problems and can coexist.