Coda’s fast factsRating: 4.4 out of 5 stars Pricing: $10 per user per month Key features:
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Coda is a powerful note-taking and document management solution. While it may not have the functionality of an all-in-one project management tool, it offers outstanding customization and flexibility for a variety of project management use cases. In this Coda.io review, we highlight its pros, cons and standout features. We also detail pricing, some of the best alternatives to Coda and the top integrations for the tool.
Jump to:
- What is Coda?
- Hands-on Coda review results
- Coda.io pricing
- Core Coda features
- Coda ease of use
- Coda customer service and support
- Coda pros and cons
- Best uses for Coda
- Coda alternatives
- Coda.io review methodology
What is Coda?
Coda is a document editor system used for creating different types of files, such as spreadsheets, databases and documents. Users can make tables and add text, numbers, formulas or other elements to the file. The software also offers collaboration and task-tracking features. Project management teams can create and manage documents for project planning and scheduling, as well as knowledge sharing. In addition, Coda.io is highly customizable, so users can create and manage workflows according to their needs.
Hands-on Coda review results
Overall, the application was found to be exceptional and easy to use. There is a slight learning curve, but that mainly comes from all the complex customizations and elements you can add to your documents.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Features | 4.4/5 |
| Pricing | 3.5/5 |
| Ease of use | 5.5/5 |
| Service and support | 4.4/5 |
Coda pricing: 3.5/5
| Pricing Plan | Cost/month (per user, billed monthly) | Cost/month (per user, billed annually) |
|---|---|---|
| Free | - | - |
| Pro | $10 | $12 |
| Team | $30 | $36 |
Free
The free plan allows unlimited users; however, document size is limited to 50 objects. It comes with a limit of 1 GB on file attachments, up to 35 automations, manual data refresh and a seven-day version history. If you’re looking for a free project management software tool for note-taking and document management, this plan might be enough for your requirements.
Pro
In the Pro plan, there is no limit on document size. The file attachment limit is 5 GB per document, while the automation limit is 100 time-based events or 500 event-based events. In the Pro plan, you can access real-time collaboration tools, publishing stats and a number of other advanced features.
Team
In this plan, there is no limit on the number of users, document size, attachment size or the number of automations. Along with all the features of the Pro plan, you unlock several advanced capabilities in the Team plan, including private folders, custom domains, priority support, basic training with a Coda expert and more.
Enterprise
The pricing for the Enterprise plan is custom. You get all the features of the Team plan and more, including advanced user management, audit events, single sign-on, SOC 2 report, advanced locking and a dedicated customer success manager.
Core Coda features: 4.4/5
In Coda, there are several capabilities for document personalization and project management.
Workflow automation
Figure A
With Coda.io, users can create workflow rules to automate recurring tasks without needing any coding (Figure A). Users can set a trigger as a starting point for automation, after which the software will automatically perform the user-defined action when the trigger is activated. Users can also add conditional logic to the automated actions.
Formula editor
Figure B
The Formula Editor in Coda.io is designed to be read and written. If you are a heavy spreadsheet user, this feature is highly useful. Not only is it easy to enter or edit a formula, but it also makes debugging formulas easier.
Document management
Figure C
Coda.io excels in document management capabilities. Users can create, edit and share documents, view version history, set access permission rules, attach files and access a variety of templates to suit their needs.
Templates
Figure D
The Templates tool is another great feature in Coda.io. The software comes with in-built templates for a variety of applications, including spring planning, project briefs, road mapping and product design and launch. You can also create custom templates (Figure B).
Coda AI
Figure E
For writing help, Coda AI is available for all Doc makers, with limited credits in the free version. It can help with generating ideas and tables and automating repetitive tasks. It also offers insights when you ask content-related questions about next steps or edits.
Coda ease of use: 5.5/5
The application has a simple interface but also has several buttons, insertable elements and drop-down menus. There are quite a few input options to navigate through and learn. This is especially true with elements you can add inside documents like AI content, lines, links, tables, emojis, alerts, automation, multimedia and much more. It’s not as sleek as Google Doc’s interface, but it does have more templates to browse.
There’s a gallery of document templates for specific use cases like sales, product development and design. You can set templates to private or available in your workspace, as well as make your own custom templates. There isn’t a steep learning curve, but it will take some care to see everything they have to offer as you get started.
Coda customer service and support: 4.4/5
Coda.io has free support offerings as well as direct support options in their plan tiers.
Free support
Free resources from Coda.io include community, chat and email support. Users can also use the help center for self-service support. It offers detailed articles for user comprehension and navigation.
Priority support
Priority support receives help faster than regular email and chat options. It is only available in the Enterprise tier.
Advanced support
For more dedicated help, Coda.io has group training live sessions for the Team plan and access to experts for the Enterprise tier.
Coda.io integrations
The functionality of Coda.io can be enhanced by integrating it with third-party applications. There are over 1000 integrations available, including the following:
- Pinterest: With this integration, you can directly import saved pins into any Coda document.
- Jira: You can plan software development in Coda while executing the plan in Jira. You can also use the project tracker to view planning and execution in one place.
- Slack: The Coda.io and Slack integration allows for seamless communication without needing to switch between applications. This means you can receive Coda.io notifications and updates directly within Slack channels.
- HubSpot: You can track deals in HubSpot CRM and use that data in Coda.io to track, forecast and plan.
Coda pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Generous free plan. | No desktop app. |
| Flexible user options. | Slight learning curve. |
| Highly customizable. | Priority support and training only in the Enterprise plan. |
| Variety of templates. | Higher-priced plans get expensive for large teams. |
| Powerful collaboration tools. | Advanced security like SSO only in the Enterprise plan. |
Best uses for Coda
Coda.io is a versatile software. Its simplified approach to project management can benefit different types of users.
General document management
Coda.io is designed for document management. They offer limited user roles who can edit, view and create documents and an AI assistant for writing. They also include multiple document templates, document analytics and document sharing.
Small teams
Coda.io is great for startups, freelancers and small teams. Their free plan has unlimited unshared documents for private use and the paid versions have unlimited documents. With the pricing model, you only pay for users with full access, while editors and viewers are free. The application will be good for collaboration on a budget.
Large teams
Larger organizations that can afford the higher pricing tiers will appreciate the integration capabilities, customizability and impressive features they offer. The pricing structure of Coda.io can make it expensive, but the user roles make it easier to restrict access and avoid paying for permissions not every user needs.
Coda alternatives and competitors
While Coda.io offers an impressive set of features and is highly customizable, it might not be suitable for everyone. Here are the top three alternatives to Coda.io:
| Coda.io | Asana | Notion | ClickUp | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writing AI | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gantt charts | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Kanban | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Templates | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | $10/user/month | $13.49/user/month | $10/user/month | $10/user/month |
Asana
Asana is a complete project management solution with several project management features, including document creation and management. Coda.io offers more flexibility in creating and managing documents and you also get more post-project tools for documents with Coda.io, such as project debrief write-ups and the integration of project stats and analysis in project evaluations. The pricing for Asana starts at $10.99 per user per month.
For more information, see our full Asana review.
Notion
Notion has a lot of similarities with Coda.io, including its ‘building blocks’ user interface. You also get similar features, such as real-time collaboration and multiple views. A key advantage of Notion is that you get a desktop app, meaning you are not reliant on internet access to use the software. Pricing for Notion starts at $8 per user per month.
For more information, see our full Notion review.
ClickUp
ClickUp is primarily a project management solution, while Coda.io is more customizable and offers a broader range of use cases. However, Coda.io does not offer advanced project management tools available in ClickUp, such as advanced resource management or issue tracking. ClickUp pricing starts at $5 per user per month.
For more information, see our full ClickUp review.
Coda review methodology
For our review of Coda.io, we analyzed a wide range of parameters, including its basic and advanced features, pricing, use cases and capabilities. We also assessed how Coda.io performed in comparison to its competitors and reviewed customer feedback and ratings from reputable websites. For a deeper understanding of the usability of Coda.io, we performed a hands-on review of the software using the free version. We tested briefly and took into account the learning curve and how the initial project setup went.
