I replaced Notion, Obsidian Bases, and Trello with one powerful Docker container

Over the years, the author has tried various productivity tools, including Notion, Obsidian Bases, and Trello. The author wanted a solution that combined the best features of these tools without additional subscriptions or compromising data control. This led to discovering Baserow, an open-source Docker container that changed their approach to productivity.

Docker makes deploying powerful applications easy, and Baserow is no exception. The author quickly pulled the required image, set environment variables, and started the container, accessing Baserow in just ten minutes. Upon logging in, the author found a clean and intuitive user interface, reminiscent of familiar tools like Notion and Airtable. Tables are arranged in a spreadsheet-like layout, making it easy to create new databases, add custom fields, and organize information.

One of Baserow's standout features is its clean interface and the ability to access everything from a sidebar. The author was able to recreate their existing Notion databases in Baserow effortlessly, thanks to its customization options and various view options. Baserow also supports conditional row coloring, which adds another layer of visual organization.

The author quickly found that Baserow was more suited to their database-heavy workflows, particularly when dealing with linked tables and customized fields. Unlike their Notion and Trello setups, Baserow runs directly on the author's hardware through Docker, ensuring that their databases don't reside on a cloud server. This means the author has more control over their data and can secure and maintain the server themselves.

Baserow's automation builder is another impressive feature. Users can create custom workflows using a visual workflow builder, defining triggers, conditions, and actions without writing code. The author used this feature to create a workflow for their editorial calendar, which automatically sends notifications when an article's status changes to "Ready to Editing."

The author appreciates the visual workflow builder, as it eliminates the need to deal with complicated scripts and allows for easy testing of workflows before publishing.

While Baserow may not replace every feature of Notion or Obsidian completely, it serves as a compelling alternative for those looking to streamline their workflow with structured information and project tracking. The author believes that if your workflow revolves around structured data, Baserow is definitely worth a closer look.