In fast-moving teams, Notion vs Confluence is a practical decision about flexibility, structure, and scale. Notion favors breadth, combining docs, databases, tasks, and sites in one workspace.
Confluence favors depth for documentation, structured collaboration, and tight alignment with Atlassian tools.
Pricing, security, and admin controls differ enough that the right pick changes as team size and risk tolerance change. Updated January 2026 for plan names, headline prices, and security posture.
How They Compare At A Glance
Short snapshots help narrow choices quickly. Notion emphasizes modular building blocks that morph into databases, boards, and lightweight project hubs.
Confluence emphasizes spaces, page trees, macros, and governance that fit cross-team knowledge bases and regulated environments. Integrations tilt toward each vendor’s core ecosystem, which matters if Jira sits at the center of daily work.
| Area | Notion Quick Take | Confluence Quick Take | Best For |
| Ease of Use | Friendly editor, flexible layouts; can sprawl without standards | Familiar hierarchies; denser UI for new users | Mixed teams vs established functions |
| Pricing | Plus $10, Business $20 per member monthly | Standard $5.42, Premium $10.44 per user monthly | Smaller teams vs large orgs |
| Integrations | Solid native set, API directory | Marketplace with thousands of apps, first-class Jira | Broad stacks vs Atlassian-centric |
| Collaboration | Fast comments, mentions, shared databases | Rich version history, granular review controls | Freeform drafting vs controlled edits |
| Security & Admin | SOC 2; enterprise features improving | SOC 2, ISO add-ons, robust admin and audit | SMB growth vs enterprise scale |
Ease Of Use and Setup
Teams usually want quick wins during rollout, then predictable structure as content grows. Notion’s drag-and-drop blocks make early adoption smooth, while databases and linked views introduce power without heavy configuration.
Confluence feels more traditional at first, yet spaces and page trees encourage consistent navigation when hundreds of pages accumulate.
Notion
Clean editing, fast page creation, and versatile blocks keep friction low for mixed roles. Strong results arrive when standards exist for Notion database templates, naming, and permissions.
Confluence
Structured spaces, templates, and macros keep documentation tidy across functions. Confluence knowledge base setup becomes straightforward once a clear space hierarchy, labels, and ownership rules exist.
Verdict
Small teams and greenfield projects lean Notion. Regulated teams or those already living in Atlassian often lean Confluence.
Pricing and Value
Budgets shift faster than tooling habits, so baseline numbers matter. As of January 2026, Notion lists Plus at $10 per member per month and Business at $20 per member per month, billed monthly in USD.
Confluence lists Standard at $5.42 per user per month and Premium at $10.44 per user per month, with a free tier for up to 10 users. Regional pricing varies, and annual billing typically lowers totals. This section answers Confluence vs Notion pricing for common scenarios.
Smaller teams that benefit from an all-in-one builder often see better value in Notion’s Plus or Business tiers. Larger teams already using Jira usually see lower marginal cost in Confluence Standard or Premium, since consolidation and governance reduce add-ons.
Core Features and Customization
A balanced view looks past marketing pages to actual jobs-to-be-done. Both platforms create pages fast; the difference lives in structure and extensibility.
Notion
Flexible pages, relational databases, and multiple views (table, board, timeline, gallery) support planning and execution in one place.
Lightweight automations, forms, sites, and public pages make it easy to publish and collect inputs without leaving the workspace. Teams that standardize Notion database templates avoid drift and speed onboarding.
Confluence
Spaces, page trees, templates, and macros support formal documentation and reviews. Strong internal patterns emerge for specs, runbooks, postmortems, and policy pages. Confluence integration with Jira adds live issue lists, roadmaps, and status info directly onto pages.
Verdict
Projects that blend notes, tasks, and light PM favor Notion. Programs that revolve around enduring documentation and change control favor Confluence.
Integrations and Ecosystem
In hybrid stacks, native connectors and marketplace depth can tip the decision. Notion covers popular tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Figma, plus an API directory that keeps expanding.
Confluence connects to a Marketplace with thousands of apps and integrations, including deep Jira, Bitbucket, and Trello ties that reduce context switching for software, IT, and product teams.
Atlassian-first environments generally gain more leverage inside Confluence. Heterogeneous stacks that change often may prefer Notion’s flexible embeds and API.
Collaboration and Versioning
Comment threads, mentions, and page sharing feel modern in both platforms. Confluence pushes further on version history, auditing, and review-friendly workflows, which helps in regulated teams and large document sets.
Notion keeps collaboration fluid inside databases and pages, ideal for teams that co-edit tasks and docs in one view.
Search and Knowledge Management
Search quality determines how fast answers appear during crunch time. Confluence offers robust full-text search, filters, and content scoping aligned to spaces and page trees.
Notion’s workspace search is fast and improves steadily, though teams still rely on naming standards and property filters for the best signal. Enterprise buyers who prize formal knowledge architecture often rate Confluence higher here.
Mobile Experience
Mobile parity still matters when leaders travel and engineers rotate on call. Notion’s mobile app mirrors the desktop experience closely for reading and light edits across pages and databases.
Confluence’s mobile app focuses on consumption and basic edits; advanced macro work stays on web. This aligns with known Confluence mobile app limitations for macro creation and editing.
Security, Compliance, and Admin
Risk posture and admin levers drive enterprise picks more than UI polish. This section gives a grounded view of Notion vs Confluence security at a policy level.
Notion
SOC 2 Type 2 is in place. HIPAA support exists for eligible Enterprise workspaces that enable required controls and sign a BAA, per Notion’s security and help material. Admin and audit capabilities expand significantly on Business and Enterprise tiers.
Confluence
Atlassian publishes SOC 2 reports and broader compliance coverage, alongside mature admin, audit, and mobile governance options. Enterprise plans add stronger SLA, advanced identity, and cross-product analytics.
Verdict
SMBs with moderate risk and fast iteration will be comfortable on Notion Business or Enterprise. Enterprises with strict compliance and layered identity needs tend to consolidate on Confluence Premium or Enterprise.
Scalability and Enterprise Fit
Growth reveals whether a workspace resists entropy. Notion scales well when teams enforce workspace, teamspace, and database standards.
Confluence scales naturally through spaces, permissions, and page trees, which contain sprawl while preserving auditability. Very large orgs, especially those already using Jira, typically find Confluence’s governance model easier to sustain.
Best-Fit Recommendations For Specific Teams
Practical mappings help avoid analysis fatigue. Read each line and pick the closest match to the team’s day-to-day.
- Product and design groups that plan in boards and tables: pick Notion, then enforce Notion database templates for consistency.
- Software, IT, and security teams tied to Jira workflows: pick Confluence for live issue context and structured reviews.
- Knowledge-heavy support or compliance functions: pick Confluence for versioning, audit logs, and page-level controls.
- Early-stage, cross-functional squads shipping mixed work: pick Notion Plus or Business for one surface that captures docs, tasks, and lightweight sites.
- Leadership teams that need governed hubs and broadcast pages: pick Confluence Premium for analytics, whiteboards, and admin insights.
Viable Alternatives
Slite, Coda, and ClickUp often surface in shortlists as Notion alternatives for teams seeking different blends of structure and flexibility. Tooling choices should reflect information density, audit requirements, and stack gravity, not trend cycles.
Final Verdict and Decision Flow
Start from the primary job. If the goal is a living documentation hub attached to Jira, Confluence wins on structure, search, and governance.
If the goal is an adaptive workspace that mixes docs, databases, tasks, sites, and forms in one place, Notion wins on flexibility and speed.
Cost tilts toward Confluence at large seat counts, while value tilts toward Notion when one tool replaces several. Teams evaluating Notion AI features pricing should also consider usage patterns, since AI entitlements and limits can shift by plan and add-on scope.
