Daylite: The Complete Notion Alternative for Mac

What’s the main difference?

Daylite

Notion

Purpose-built, unified, and complete

Flexible, customizable, and DIY

Daylite is an all-in-one business management platform designed for Apple-based service teams that need to manage the complete client journey from initial contact through project delivery and repeat business.

Notion is a versatile, web-based workspace that lets individuals and teams design their own systems from scratch for managing projects, notes, wikis, and ideas using a flexible block-based architecture.

Takes an integrated approach with built-in CRM, Sales (Opportunities), Projects, Calendar, Tasks, Mail, and Notes in one place, working together seamlessly. Built for Apple devices with complete offline functionality, automatic sync, and deep Apple ecosystem integration. Uses intelligent relationship linking to connect every business interaction and build institutional knowledge.

Offers powerful customization through databases, templates, and Notion AI that helps create custom tools. However, it doesn't include ready-made business capabilities like automated CRM features, native email tracking, or sales pipeline management. Teams must build everything themselves using templates or custom configurations.

Includes visual sales opportunity pipelines and boards that transition easily and directly into project delivery, Activity Sets for workflow standardization, comprehensive relationship tracking with custom relationship types, built-in Mail with automatic linking, and unified activity timelines. Each pricing tier includes CRM, Sales, Projects, Calendar, Tasks, Email, Notes, and Forms.

Provides excellent knowledge management, collaborative documentation, and flexible workspace design with AI-powered assistance. Budget-friendly with a useful free tier and affordable scaling. Best for teams comfortable building and maintaining their own business systems, though this requires significant setup time and ongoing technical maintenance.

Daylite is built for Apple-based service businesses (consultants, agencies, legal teams, realtors, financial advisors, designers) by integrating CRM, sales opportunities, and project management to support the entire client lifecycle in one purpose-built platform.

Notion is best suited for individuals, startups, and teams that prioritize maximum flexibility and enjoy the intricacy of designing custom workspaces, knowledge bases, and lightweight project systems without needing pre-built business features.

Why choose Daylite over Notion?

Get complete CRM, sales opportunities, and project management in one unified, affordable platform built for Apple-based service businesses with no building required.

	Notion	Daylite
Multipurpose platform for business workflows	✓	✓
Knowledge management and documentation	✓	✓
Flexible database system with multiple views	✓	✓
Task management and calendars	✓	✓
Built-in CRM with contact and company relationship management	✕	✓
Unified activity timelines showing complete client history and institutional knowledge across all interactions	✕	✓
Intelligent relationship linking that connects contacts, companies, opportunities, and projects	✕	✓
Native email integration with automatic communication tracking	✕	✓
Built-in visual sales pipeline with deal management and forecasting	✕	✓
Seamless transition from sales opportunities to project delivery without switching tools	✕	✓
Built-in project management with task lists, Smart Lists, and calendar views with no setup required	✕	✓
Complete offline functionality with local database storage	✕	✓
Deep Apple ecosystem integration (Calendar, Contacts, Reminders)	✕	✓
All features included at every pricing tier	✕	✓

Unified Business Platform vs. Flexible Workspace

Stop hunting for context across disconnected databases.

Notion provides a flexible canvas where you design everything from scratch. Running a complete business requires building separate databases for contacts, deals, projects, and tasks, then manually connecting them through relations. Information gets scattered, context gets lost, and teams waste time searching for details.

Daylite provides an interconnected platform where every piece of information connects and strengthens your continuously growing business history:

Built-in CRM, Opportunities, Projects, Mail, Calendar, Tasks, and Notes work together seamlessly from day one, with zero setup required
Intelligent linking system connects every business element automatically (i.e. contacts to companies, opportunities to projects, tasks to emails), preserving full context without manual database relations or configuration
Unified activity timelines show complete interaction history across all record types, so viewing a contact reveals every related email, meeting, note, task, opportunity, and project in one chronological feed
Complete institutional knowledge builds automatically as every interaction, decision, and milestone gets captured and linked, creating searchable history that accelerates onboarding and simplifies team collaboration
Context is preserved across every record, so your team always knows the full background: who introduced this client, what was discussed, what was promised, and what's been delivered

Client Lifecycle Management vs. DIY Workarounds

Manage complete client lifecycles without building custom systems.

Notion requires building your entire CRM and sales system from scratch with separate databases for contacts, companies, and deals. Manual probability entry, formula fields for forecasting, and custom kanban boards for sales tracking demand constant maintenance with no automatic insights.

Daylite delivers sophisticated CRM and sales opportunities pipeline management purpose-built for service businesses:

Visual Opportunities Board displays deals as cards moving through customizable pipeline stages with drag-and-drop simplicity and instant progress updates
People and Companies as distinct, linked entities with defined roles like "CEO at" or "Consultant for" that automatically map your business structure without manual database setup
Custom relationship types between contacts (such as "referred by," "reports to," "spouse of," and "is friends with") visualize your real business network and track referral sources
Built-in probability percentages and forecast close dates enable accurate revenue projections and pipeline health tracking without building custom formulas
Activity Sets and Pipelines provide reusable workflow templates with pre-defined tasks that calculate dates automatically for consistent sales and onboarding processes
Seamless transition from won sales opportunity to active project with one click, carrying over every detail, contact, conversation, scope, and requirement with no manual data re-entry or lost context

Complete Native Email Integration vs. Manual Communication Logging

Capture client emails automatically without manual data entry.

Notion offers a native email tool, but lacks integration into your business management setup. Manual copying of correspondence into page comments, third-party automation tools like Zapier, or custom interaction logs are required. Critical communications get scattered or simply go untracked because logging every interaction is too time-consuming.

Daylite includes powerful built-in Mail that transforms your inbox into an integrated part of your business workflow:

Connect emails directly to contacts, opportunities, projects, and tasks without forwarding or filing — messages stay in your inbox but link intelligently within Daylite
Priority Inbox highlights important messages from clients, prospects, and your team
Smart Suggestions show related contacts, opportunities, and projects as you read, giving you instant context
Smart Linking connects emails to the right records automatically and lets you turn messages into tasks, appointments, or opportunities
Convert emails into actionable items instantly with the ‘Action Bar’ by turning messages into tasks with due dates, appointments with calendar blocking, projects, or sales opportunities with one click
Complete communication history appears in unified activity timelines, showing every email chronologically alongside meetings, notes, and tasks for full context at a glance
Email templates with auto-populated contact details streamline consistent communication and ensure professional, branded correspondence
Build institutional knowledge automatically as every email becomes part of your permanent business history, creating valuable context for onboarding, handoffs, and long-term client relationships

Manage your complete client journey.

Get started with Daylite in 3 steps!

Start Your Free Trial

Sign up for a 14-day free trial and pick the plan that fits your team: Leap (solo), Growth (up to 20 users), Scale (up to 100 users), or Tailored (custom). All plans include CRM, Sales, Projects, Calendar, Mail, Tasks, Notes, and Forms. Download Daylite for Mac, iPhone, and iPad with full offline access and seamless sync across all your Apple devices.
Import Your Data & Set Up Workflows

Import your contacts, companies, and existing data from Notion or other tools using supported file formats. Create your first Opportunity to track sales opportunities. Set up Projects to manage client delivery. Apply Activity Sets with pre-built tasks that automatically calculate dates to keep workflows consistent and teams on schedule.
Manage Sales to Delivery Seamlessly

Track leads through your opportunities pipeline, convert opportunities to projects when deals close, and manage client delivery without switching tools or losing context. Link contacts to companies, opportunities, projects, tasks, and emails. Everything stays in one unified timeline that builds valuable institutional knowledge over time.

Trusted by the best, across the globe.

See why Mac-based service businesses chose Daylite to manage their complete client lifecycle without tool sprawl.

"My greatest achievement with Daylite is the fact that I can manage over 50 clients with a staff of 7 while my competitors would take 20 senior and junior consultants. This achieved efficiency can only be realized by Daylite sophistication and unleashing the CRM’s capacity for organization. My clients often wonder how we are always on our game, I tell them I wish I was that smart, but in reality, it’s the software that allows me to be one step ahead of them!"

Ron Gersh,
The CCS Group

Amazed Daylite Customer