Stempad vs. Notion: Which Is Better For College Notes?

From online notetaking tools like Stempad and Notion to traditional pen and paper, college students have a wide variety of options to take and organize their notes. Between these options, digital notetaking is by far the most popular option among students at all levels. Digital tools offer convenience, accessibility, and advanced features that make it easier to structure and retrieve information. While both Stempad and Notion allow you to take digital notes, each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Let's compare the applications.

What is Notion?

Notion is a digital workspace for organizing notes, tasks, projects, and more. First released in 2016, it was originally intended to be a flexible productivity tool. Over time, it has evolved into a platform that combines note-taking, task management, and database functionality. Notion allows users to structure their work in a way that best suits their needs, whether for personal planning, professional collaboration, or creative projects.

At the core of Notion's functionality are its word processing and database features. These features make it easy to organize information in personalized layouts. Students often rely on Notion to track assignments, manage study schedules, and organize class notes. Its adaptability makes it a go-to tool for anyone looking to enhance their productivity in a structured yet customizable way.

What is Stempad?

Stempad was released in 2024 as a new tool designed for scientific note-taking and writing. Powered by software such as Mathquill, Desmos, and Excalidraw, Stempad allows students to take notes across almost every STEM discipline.

Instead of depending on a tablet or pen-and-paper to draw equations or diagrams, students can easily use keys and shortcuts to take notes on their laptop. This minimizes the number of devices/tools that students have to carry around and provides a solution for students who prefer taking notes with a keyboard.

What do they have in common?

Notion and Stempad share several similarities. Both platforms are web-based, meaning users can access them from almost any device with an internet connection. Both Notion and Stempad are designed around typed or textual content, specializing in storing information digitally.

Each platform allows users to create general text notes with general formatting options such as headers, bullet points, and numbered lists. Both Notion and Stempad allow users to organize these notes into pages and folders, providing a hierarchical structure for managing large amounts of information. Notion and Stempad are similar in that they offer the fundamental features for an online, text-based notetaking application.

What makes them different?

Although both apps can be used for notetaking, each has a distinct focus. Notion is primarily designed as a productivity tool. It allows users to manage projects, track assignments, and build dashboards that integrate multiple types of content. Its main strength lies in its database functionality, which enables users to store, organize, and display various data types in different formats, such as tables, kanban boards, calendars, and lists.

On the other hand, Stempad is built specifically for academic notetaking, particularly in technical fields. Unlike Notion, which emphasizes productivity and organization, Stempad prioritizes speed and efficiency in creating structured notes. Its features include specialized shortcuts, blocks, and formatting tools designed to make typing complex mathematical equations, scientific symbols, and structured notes more seamless. For students and researchers who frequently work with formulas, diagrams, and technical concepts, Stempad provides a more tailored experience that reduces the friction of writing academic content on a keyboard.

Tool Comparison

Which should I use?

If you are looking for a general productivity/todo app, Notion is a solid choice. Notion is designed with productivity in mind and allows a wide variety of organizational tools. For example, if you're looking to create assignment trackers, manage school projects, or create a personalized todo list, Notion is built to satisfy these needs.

However, if your primary focus is notetaking, especially if you're studying a wide variety of academic subjects, Stempad is the better option. Unlike Notion, Stempad is specifically designed to support scientific notetaking, making it easy to capture information from STEM classes with your keyboard. Stempad offers specialized shortcuts and blocks to make math, engineering, chemistry, computer science, and other STEM subjects. You can also take text notes and use lists and headers to sort your text. When it comes to notetaking, Stempad is the better overall option.

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