Notion vs Excel vs AI: Which Saves More PM Time?

🆚 Notion vs Excel vs AI for Project Docs: Which Saves More Time?

If you’ve ever wasted hours formatting Excel tables, juggling Notion templates, or rewriting status reports from scratch — this post is for you.

I tested 3 tools (Notion, Excel, AI) across real PM tasks to see which actually saves time in the real world.

Task	Excel	Notion	AI-Powered Toolkit
Status Report	❌ Manual copy-paste, no structure	⚠️ Needs setup, can be clunky	✅ 60-second AI-generated, client-ready
Project Proposal	❌ Prone to version errors, slow formatting	✅ Reusable templates help	✅ 1-click AI prompt + ready-to-send PDF
Sprint Retro	❌ Manual text dumps	⚠️ Depends on team input	✅ Structured reflection + sentiment summary
KPI Dashboard	✅ Strong charting but manual entry	⚠️ Needs formulas, formatting	✅ AI summarizes insights instantly
Client Emails	❌ Fully manual	⚠️ Needs tone tweaks	✅ Tone-adjusted responses in 30 sec

Excel is still great for raw data… but terrible for communication.
Notion is flexible, but you still need to build a lot from scratch.
AI + Notion combo wins for speed, polish, and reusability — especially with my toolkit templates.

Skip the blank page struggle.

I packaged all my working prompts, templates, and sample outputs into an easy-to-use AI PM Toolkit.

👉 Download the Core Toolkit ($29)

Toolkit	What It Helps With	Link
✅ Free Prompt Pack	Try 3 ready-made prompts	Download Free
🟡 AI Status Report Generator	1-click executive updates	View Product – $19
🔵 Client Comms Kit	Write client updates in 2 mins	View Product – $39
🟣 KPI Dashboard Kit	Translate metrics into insight	View Product – $49

💸 Want to earn while helping other PMs?

Share this toolkit and get 20% per referral.