How to build an app like Notion
The short answer
- An app like Notion is a workspace of pages made of blocks: text, headings, lists, images and more, nested inside each other and shared with a team.
- Recommended stack: a Next.js web app, Supabase for pages and permissions, an open-source editor framework like Tiptap, and Stripe for team plans.
- The hardest part is the editor and live collaboration. Use proven open-source building blocks, and leave real-time co-editing for later.
What an app like Notion does at its core
People write in pages. Everything on a page is a block that can be moved, turned into another type or nested. Pages live inside other pages, so a workspace becomes a tree, and each page can be shared with people or the public.
On top come databases (tables you can view as boards or calendars), templates and live collaboration. Teams pay per member for shared workspaces.
MVP features and what comes later
An MVP (minimum viable product) is the smallest version that real users can use and pay for. It tests the idea before you build everything.
In your first version
- A block editor with text, headings, lists, to-dos, images and code
- Nested pages in a sidebar
- Workspaces with members and roles
- Share a page with a link or with specific people
- Autosave and page history
- Search across page titles and text
- A paid team plan
Later
- Live co-editing with cursors
- Databases with table, board and calendar views
- Templates
- Comments and mentions
- Offline mode and desktop apps
- Public API and integrations
- AI writing help
The recommended stack
This is the blueprint a developer would start from, using the same building blocks as the live builder. It matches the Web App result of the quiz.
CLIENT
Web app
Next.js
CORE
Database + API
Supabase
EDITOR
Tiptap
ACCOUNTS
Supabase Auth
PAYMENTS
Stripe
- Recommended
- Web App
- Launch with
- Browser
- Pieces
- 5 building blocks
Why each layer
- ClientNext.js web app
Writing and organising happens on a laptop, in a browser. A web app is available everywhere without installing, and updates reach everyone at once.
- CoreSupabase
Pages, blocks, workspaces and members are related data. Postgres row level security decides who may read or edit each page, so a sharing mistake in the app can't leak data.
- EditorTiptap (or Lexical)
Open-source editor frameworks give you blocks, formatting, keyboard handling and paste from other apps. Building an editor from scratch is a project of its own. Store each page's content as JSON in the database.
- AccountsSupabase Auth
Email and Google login, plus invitations to a workspace.
- PaymentsStripe
Team plans are web subscriptions, often priced per member. Stripe Billing handles plans, seats and invoices.
The hardest parts of an app like Notion, and how to solve them
1. The editor
Text editing in browsers is full of edge cases: selection, undo, copy and paste from other apps, mobile keyboards. Frameworks like Tiptap (built on ProseMirror) or Lexical solve these, so your developer builds your block types on top instead of the basics.
Pick one early and stick with it; switching editors later means converting every page.
2. Nested pages and permissions
Pages form a tree, and sharing usually passes down: share a page and its subpages are shared too. That rule has to be fast to check on every request. Store the tree in Postgres and enforce access with row level security policies, not only in the app.
3. Live collaboration
Two people typing in the same paragraph at once needs a CRDT, a data structure that merges edits without conflicts. Yjs is the common open-source choice and works with Tiptap and Lexical.
For a first version, autosave plus a notice when someone else is on the page is enough. Add co-editing once teams actually work in the same pages.
4. Search
Postgres full-text search covers page titles and text for a first version. Extract plain text from each page's blocks when it's saved, so search doesn't have to read the editor's format.
What you can leave out of the MVP
- Live co-editing with cursors
- Databases with several views, which are almost a second product
- Offline mode and desktop apps
- Public API
- AI features
What it costs
This page gives no price on purpose: the cost depends on your scope and your developer's rate. The App Cost Calculator turns the MVP features above into an hour range, and you add your rate.
The editor and sharing rules aren't separate items in the calculator. Add "Connection to one external tool" for each integration you plan.
Sources for the platform rules and tools mentioned on this page:
Frequently asked questions
Should I build my own editor?
No. Open-source frameworks like Tiptap or Lexical handle the hard parts of editing text in a browser. Your developer builds your block types and features on top.
Do I need real-time collaboration from day one?
Usually not. Autosave and a notice when someone else is on the page cover small teams. Add co-editing with a CRDT library like Yjs once people really edit together.
Web app or mobile app for a workspace tool?
Web first. People write and organise on laptops, and a web app reaches them without an install. Mobile apps can follow for reading and quick notes.
How do apps like Notion charge?
Usually with team plans priced per member, billed on the web. Stripe Billing handles plans, seats and invoices.
Related
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