You want to create a document, but it feels too static. You open a spreadsheet, but that’s too bare. And project management tools? They force you into a straitjacket. Coda promises to combine all three in one platform. I’ve used it intensively for three months on various projects, and can tell you exactly where it’s brilliant and where you’ll run into issues.
Coda: the company
Coda was founded in 2014 by Shishir Mehrotra, a former executive at YouTube. He had a frustration: why did teams have to spread their work across dozens of different tools? A document in Google Docs, data in Excel, projects in Jira, wikis in Confluence. His idea was simple but ambitious: what if you could build everything in one flexible canvas?
It wasn’t until 2019 that Coda became publicly available. That long development time shows in the product. This isn’t a hastily cobbled-together tool. The formula engine, for example, is more powerful than what you’ll find in most spreadsheet apps. And the way tables and documents flow together? That feels unique.
What sets Coda apart is their philosophy: a doc shouldn’t be a static thing. It should be able to calculate, store data, have buttons that do things. They call it “docs as powerful as apps”. And honestly? That sounds marketing-ish, but it’s true.
Who is Coda really for?
Coda is for you if you regularly think: “Why can’t this document just… do more?” You’re probably a project manager, product owner, or team lead who wants to combine data with text. Someone who wants to automate processes without immediately bringing in a developer.
It works well for teams that need customization. A marketing team that wants to link their content calendar to their social media planning? Perfect. A sales team that wants to generate quotes from a database? Can do. A startup that wants to run their entire operation in one tool? I see it regularly.
But it’s not for you if you’re looking for a simple note-taking app. Or if your team isn’t technically skilled. Coda requires onboarding time. Anyone used to Word or Google Docs will get lost at first. And if you mainly work solo on simple documents? Then you’re paying for power you don’t use.
Also important: it works best for teams that are already digitally savvy. You won’t get your grandma’s bridge club started with this. But a tech-savvy team that likes to experiment? They’ll get a lot of enjoyment out of this.
Coda features
Let’s be honest: Coda is full of possibilities. Sometimes too full. Here are the features that really make a difference.
- Interactive documents and tables – This is the core of Coda. You write a document, but halfway through you insert a table that can calculate, filter, and sort. That table can then display data from another table. It feels like Excel and Word have finally become friends. In practice, this means you can, for example, write a project plan with a live dashboard of all tasks below it.
- Coda AI assistant – The AI helps you write text, fill tables, and create formulas. Useful, but not revolutionary. It mainly saves time with repetitive tasks like summarizing meeting notes or generating first drafts of text. Don’t expect miracles, but it works well enough to use regularly.
- Packs (integrations) – This is where Coda really shines. Packs are integrations with other tools, but different. You can, for example, retrieve Slack messages in a table, synchronize Jira tickets, or display Google Calendar events. And then you can manipulate that data as if it were just Coda tables. I use it to automatically send updates to Slack when someone modifies a row in a table.
- Advanced formulas and automations – The formula language is similar to Excel, but more extensive. You can add rows, send emails, retrieve data from other tables. It takes a while to understand the syntax, but then you can build complex workflows. For example: if a task is set to “Done”, automatically add the completion date and send a notification to the project manager.
- Customizable views – One table, multiple views. You can display the same data as a Kanban board, Gantt chart, calendar, or just a list. Useful for different team members who have different preferences. The designer wants a visual board, the project manager a timeline, the developer a simple list. All possible from the same data source.
- Buttons and interactive controls – You can create buttons that perform actions. A button to create a new task, a button to update a status, a button to send an email. This makes documents interactive in a way you don’t see anywhere else. It feels like you’re building a mini-app without programming.
What really stands out to me is how these features come together. You’re not building separate components, but a cohesive system. A document that works like a dashboard. A table that automatically sends updates. A calendar that syncs with your real agenda. It feels like building with Lego, but for workflows.
The formula engine deserves extra attention. In the beginning it feels awkward. You have to get used to the syntax, to how you reference tables, to how filters work. But once you get through that learning curve? Then you can build things that are impossible in other tools. For example, I created a system that automatically generates quotes based on selected products, with dynamic price calculations and PDF export. In Notion or Google Docs? Forget it.
Coda pricing
Coda’s pricing model is different than what you’re used to. You only pay for “Doc Makers” – people who create and edit documents. Editors and viewers are always free. Cleverly designed, because this way you can give your entire team access without costs exploding.
There is a free plan with unlimited users. The limitations? Maximum 50 objects and 1000 rows per document, and limited automations. For small teams or to test it out, that’s fine. But if you’re getting serious, you’ll quickly run into this.
The Pro plan costs $ 10 per month per Doc Maker with annual payment, or $ 12 per month if you pay monthly. That’s $ 120 per year versus $ 144. You then get unlimited objects and rows, more automations and priority support. For freelancers or small teams this is the sweet spot.
The Team plan costs $ 30 per month per Doc Maker with annual payment ($ 360 per year), or $ 36 per month. Here you get advanced permissions, two-factor authentication and more Pack credits. This is interesting for larger teams building serious workflows.
And then there’s Enterprise with custom pricing. You have to contact them for a quote. Expect extra security features, dedicated support and probably a significant price increase.
Is it worth the price? That depends on your use case. If you use Coda as a simple note-taking app? Absolutely not. Then you’re paying too much for features you don’t use. But if you replace multiple tools with it – a project management tool, a database, a wiki – then it gets interesting. Compare $ 30 per month with the costs of Notion + Airtable + Monday.com, and suddenly Coda is competitive.
There is a free 14-day trial for the paid plans. Enough time to test if it fits your workflow. My advice: start with the free plan, build something concrete, and only upgrade when you hit the limits.
What should you watch out for?
The learning curve is steep. Really steep. The first week I regularly felt stupid. How do you create a relationship between tables? Why isn’t this formula working? How do I get this view right? There are tutorials, but you have to invest time in it. Count on at least a few days before you’re productive.
There is no desktop app. Everything happens in the browser. For some people that’s not a problem, but I miss it. A dedicated app feels faster, has better keyboard shortcuts, and works better with multiple screens. Coda sometimes feels like “just another browser tab” instead of a real workplace.
The mobile experience is disappointing. The apps for iOS and Android exist, but feel slow and limited. Complex documents load slowly. Editing is difficult on a small screen. Writing formulas on your phone? Forget it. This is really a desktop-first tool, and you notice it.
Documents get slow with lots of data. I had a doc with about 5000 rows distributed across multiple tables. Loading sometimes took 10 seconds. Scrolling stuttered. Formulas calculated with delay. Coda warns you about this, but it remains frustrating. You need to be conscious of performance and sometimes split data across multiple docs.
Working offline is possible to a limited extent. You can edit opened documents if your connection drops, but for full functionality you need internet. Packs don’t work offline. Automations don’t run. For people who work a lot on trains or planes this is annoying.
The community is smaller than Notion’s. Fewer templates, fewer tutorials, fewer online discussions. If you get stuck with a complex problem, it’s harder to find help. The official documentation is good, but sometimes too technical. You miss that vibrant community of people enthusiastically sharing their setups.
What do others think?
The general sentiment is positive, but with caveats. People who take the time to learn Coda are often enthusiastic. It’s seen as a more powerful alternative to Notion, especially for teams with data-intensive workflows.
The Packs are highly praised. Users love how you can fetch and manipulate external data as if it’s native Coda data. The integration with Slack, Jira, and Google tools is often mentioned as a reason to stay.
The pricing model is popular. Teams appreciate not having to pay for every user. “Finally a tool where we can give everyone access without going bankrupt” is a frequently heard comment.
But the complaints are consistent. The mobile app is a recurring pain point. “Unusable on phone” is something you read regularly. The lack of offline functionality frustrates people. And performance with large documents is often mentioned as a dealbreaker for larger projects.
In YouTube reviews, you often see comparisons with Notion. Coda wins on project management and automation, but loses on simplicity and offline access. Reviewers emphasize that Coda is more of an “app builder” than a note-taking tool. If you don’t have that mindset, you’re going to be disappointed.
Coda alternatives
Coda isn’t for everyone. Here are the alternatives you should consider.
- Notion – Better for wikis and notes, but less powerful database formulas. Choose this if your priority is knowledge management and design rather than complex data manipulation. Notion feels more accessible and has a larger community.
- Airtable – Stronger relational database, but less good word processing. Choose this if you primarily need a database and not a document-like structure. Airtable is more powerful for pure data management, but less flexible as a working document.
- Monday.com – More focused on project management out-of-the-box, less flexible as a ‘doc’. Choose this if you’re looking for a ready-made project management tool without having to build it yourself. Monday gives you results faster, but less customizability.
Frequently asked questions
How does the ‘Maker’ pricing model work?
You only pay for people who create documents and can modify the structure. Those are your Doc Makers. Everyone else – people who can only edit or view – are free. Unlimited. This means you can have a team of 50 people, but only pay for the 5 people who actually build docs. Smart for the wallet.
Is there a desktop app available?
No, and that’s unfortunate. Coda is designed as a web application that you use in the browser. There are mobile apps for iOS and Android, but on your computer you’re limited to Chrome, Safari, or another browser. Some people are fine with this, others miss the speed and integration of a native app.
Does Coda work offline?
Limited. If you have a document open and your connection drops, you can continue editing. Those changes will sync as soon as you’re back online. But for full functionality – Packs, automations, opening new docs – you need internet. This isn’t a tool for those who often work offline.
Conclusion
Coda is powerful, no doubt about it. If you’re willing to invest time in the learning curve, you get a tool that lets you build complex workflows that are impossible in other apps. The combination of documents, databases, and automations is unique and well thought out.
But it’s not a tool for everyone. If you’re looking for a simple note-taking app, choose Notion. If you work primarily on mobile, look for something else. And if your team isn’t technically savvy, prepare for frustration during onboarding.
So who is it for? For teams that need customization and want to invest the time. For project managers who want to combine data with documentation. For people who are frustrated by the limitations of traditional tools and are willing to learn something new.
My advice: try the free plan. Build something concrete – a project dashboard, a content calendar, a CRM. If after two weeks you think “this would be easier in [other tool]”, then Coda isn’t for you. But if you think “wow, I can expand this to…”, then you’ve got gold in your hands.
I still use Coda, despite the frustrations. That says enough.
