Notion Free vs. Paid Plans: What’s the Difference and Which Should You Choose?

If you’ve ever fallen into the rabbit hole of productivity tools (and let’s be honest, who hasn’t?), chances are you’ve heard of Notion. It’s like a virtual Swiss Army knife for organization—part note-taking app, part project manager, part second-brain powerhouse. Some people use it to plan their entire lives, from work schedules to meal prep, while others just need a simple space to jot down ideas.

But if you’ve spent any time poking around Notion’s pricing page, you’ve probably wondered: Do I really need the paid version, or is the free plan enough? Trust me, I’ve been there, running endless mental calculations about whether those extra features are actually worth it.

So, let’s break it down. I’ll walk you through both plans, highlight the key differences, and help you decide which one makes the most sense for your workflow.

The Free Plan: Ideal for Personal Use

First things first—Notion’s free plan isn’t one of those frustratingly limited “free trials” that barely let you do anything. It’s a genuinely usable version of the app, with plenty of features to help you stay organized without ever paying a dime.

Here’s what you get:

• Unlimited pages and blocks – This is huge. Some apps cap the number of notes or documents you can create, but with Notion’s free plan, you can build as many pages and subpages as you like. So whether you’re laying out your 5-year goals or just keeping a grocery list, you won’t hit an artificial limit.
• Basic collaboration – You can share pages with up to 10 guests, which is great if you occasionally collaborate with friends or colleagues but don’t need full-on team functionality.
• Cross-device syncing – Notion works seamlessly across desktop, tablet, and mobile, letting you pick up where you left off.
• Simple databases and templates – You can create task lists, Kanban boards, and other database-style layouts, plus access Notion’s extensive template gallery to get started quickly.

Who is the Free Plan Best For?

If you’re using Notion mostly for personal notes, journaling, or light work-related tasks, the free plan is more than enough. I’ve used it for everything from tracking my reading habits to planning vacations, and I never felt held back.

That said, if you love automation, integration with other tools, or need a more robust workspace for multiple people, the free version might start to feel limiting.

The Paid Plans: Extra Power, More Collaboration

Notion’s paid options kick in when you need more advanced features—especially if you’re working on bigger projects, managing teams, or handling complex data. Let’s look at what you get when you upgrade.

Plus Plan ($8 per month, or $10 if billed monthly)

This is the next step up from free and adds a few key perks:

• Larger file uploads – The free plan caps file uploads at 5MB, which is fine for quick attachments but not ideal if you need to store images, PDFs, or videos. The Plus plan lets you upload files without worrying about size limits.
• Unlimited guests – If you share pages with multiple people regularly (maybe for small team collaboration or group projects), this bumps up your flexibility.
• Version history (30 days) – Ever made a change and instantly regretted it? This lets you rewind to previous versions of a page so you can undo mistakes.

Who’s it for? If you often attach media files, work on projects with multiple collaborators, or just want the peace of mind that comes with version history, the Plus plan could be a solid choice. But if you’re still mostly a solo user, you might not need it.

Business Plan ($15 per month, or $18 if billed monthly)

This is where things start leaning toward more serious team and company-level usage. Here’s what gets added:

• Advanced team sharing and permissions – Ideal for growing teams, offering better controls for who can edit or view certain spaces.
• Longer version history (90 days) – Helpful if you need to track changes over a longer period.
• Bulk exports – If you ever need to move a ton of data out of Notion, this can be a lifesaver.

If you’re managing a team, or your work relies heavily on structured collaboration (think agencies or startups), this might be worth it. But for solo users, the Business plan is probably overkill.

Enterprise Plan (Custom Pricing)

For massive organizations with security and compliance needs, the Enterprise plan exists. If you’re reading this casually sipping coffee and wondering how to best organize your travel itinerary, you can safely skip this tier.

Notion Free vs. Paid: Which One Should You Choose?

If you’re still on the fence, let’s make it simple.

Stick with the Free Plan if:

✅ You’re using Notion mostly for personal organization—notes, habit tracking, journal entries, etc.
✅ You don’t work with large files or need to upload media often.
✅ You only collaborate occasionally and don’t need team-wide access.

Consider Upgrading to the Paid Plan if:

✔️ You frequently attach files (especially large ones) like PDFs, videos, or images.
✔️ You work with a team and need better collaboration tools.
✔️ You want access to version history to restore previous content.

Personally, I started with the free plan, and it worked beautifully for years. It wasn’t until I started managing shared projects that I felt the need to upgrade. Even now, I think twice before adding another subscription to my life—but if a tool actively makes my workflow smoother and saves me time, I can justify the cost.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, Notion’s free plan is so generous that most people can use it indefinitely without feeling limited. But if you hit a point where file restrictions, collaboration limits, or missing version history start slowing you down, upgrading makes sense.

My advice? Start with the free version. See how far it takes you. And if you ever find yourself thinking, Hmm, I really wish I could do X, check if one of the paid plans unlocks that ability.

Because the best productivity tool? It’s the one that fits your needs without making you overpay for extras you’ll never use.