Notion vs Confluence (2026): features, security and which one to buy
Notion and Confluence compared on what they do, who they suit, their key features, pros and cons, and what each vendor publishes on security, admin and contract terms, with every fact checked on October 24, 2026.
Notion or Confluence: the short answer
Choose Notion if
- Startups and small teams combining wiki and project tracking.
- Teams wanting flexible databases and docs in one tool.
Choose Confluence if
- Teams already on Jira or Jira Service Management.
- Internal wikis and project documentation at any size.
What are Notion and Confluence?
Notion
All-in-one workspace for wikis, docs and lightweight project databases, priced per member with SSO starting on Business. Startups and small teams that want wiki pages, docs and light project databases in one place can start on the free plan. SAML SSO arrives on Business and SCIM only on Enterprise. There is no native help desk, so test how the block editor copes with wide, long documentation.
Confluence
Atlassian's per-user wiki and team documentation tool, tightly linked to Jira and sold in Free, Standard, Premium and Enterprise tiers. Organisations already running Jira or Jira Service Management get the tightest fit, with internal documentation at any size. A Free tier covers 10 users and page history with compare and revert is included there. Plan for an extra Atlassian Guard subscription if SSO is required.
Notion vs Confluence: features compared
| Notion | Confluence | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | All-in-one workspace for wikis, docs and lightweight project databases, priced per member with SSO starting on Business. | Atlassian's per-user wiki and team documentation tool, tightly linked to Jira and sold in Free, Standard, Premium and Enterprise tiers. |
| Best for | Startups and small teams combining wiki and project tracking. | Teams already on Jira or Jira Service Management. |
| Company size | Two-thirds of G2 reviews from small business; Enterprise tier for large orgs. | Teams of all sizes; Free to 10 users, Enterprise for large deployments (up to 150 sites) |
| Authoring and editing experience | Block editor with databases and docs. | Real-time collaborative editing with inline and page comments. |
| Search and AI answers | Notion AI bundled in Business and Enterprise (third party); Free/Plus limited trial. | Advanced search, labels and hierarchy; Rovo AI summarizes and explains jargon (Standard and up per third party) |
| Internal vs public access control | Workspaces, teamspaces, guests (10 on Free); SAML SSO Business+, SCIM Enterprise. | Page and space permissions for users, groups and anonymous from Standard. |
| Versioning and review workflows | Page history (7 days on Free) | Page history, compare and revert on Free. |
| Analytics and content gaps | Not published | Page insights on Standard; site, space and page analytics on Premium. |
| Help desk and chat integrations | Slack link previews, GitHub and Jira embeds noted; no native help desk. | Jira, Jira Service Management, Trello and Marketplace apps; Slack not named on features page. |
| Free plan or trial | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starting price | Free; Plus $10 per member per month billed annually | Free up to 10 users; Standard about $5.42 per user per month billed annually |
| G2 rating | 4.6 (10,967 reviews) | 4.1 (4,233 reviews) |
Pros and cons
Notion
Pros
- Flexibility to build docs, wikis and databases.
- Strong product direction (G2 sub-score 9.4)
Cons
- Learning curve (ease of use 8.3, lowest sub-score)
- Gaps for time tracking and resource planning.
Confluence
Pros
- Best-in-class integration with Jira and Atlassian tools.
- Easy to use shared knowledge base.
Cons
- Navigation and layout can be confusing.
- Search is hard to use.
Notion vs Confluence pricing
For 20 users on the cheapest plan that fits, Confluence costs $1,301 a year and Notion $2,400 at list price, a difference of $1,099.
| Notion | Confluence | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | per user | per user |
| Per seat per month | $10 on Plus (annual); $20 on Business, which is the first plan with SAML SSO. | $5.42 (Standard, billed annually; third-party) |
| Billing | Monthly and annual. | Mostly annual. |
| 20 users per year | $2,400 (Plus) | $1,301 (Standard) |
| Add-ons | Custom Agents credits $10 per 1,000 monthly credits. | Atlassian Guard (SSO, SCIM; separate subscription); Marketplace apps. |
Security, admin and contract: Notion vs Confluence
What each vendor states publicly about single sign-on, provisioning, audit logs, data location and the contract. A blank is a question for the sales call, not a no.
| Notion | Confluence | |
|---|---|---|
| SAML SSO | Business and Enterprise (SAML) | Via Atlassian Guard subscription (separate); tier disputed by sources. |
| SCIM provisioning | Enterprise. | Via Atlassian Guard; SSO must be configured first. |
| Audit logs | Enterprise. | Not published |
| Data residency | Enterprise only; regions not named. | Enterprise example in third-party source; Atlassian lists expanded residency coverage (Valiantys) |
| DPA | Yes, published DPA. | Not published |
| Contract | Monthly plan available. | Mostly annual upfront. |
Differences most comparisons miss
Worth knowing about Notion
- SAML SSO starts on Business ($20); SCIM and audit log are Enterprise only.
- Data residency is Enterprise only.
- Business Associate Agreement (HIPAA) available to Enterprise only.
- Billing recalculates at renewal to current member count.
Worth knowing about Confluence
- Free plan caps at 10 users; Standard 1 to 10 users listed at $680 per year.
- Atlassian raised cloud list prices on 2025-10-15 (Standard +5%, Premium +7.5%, Enterprise +7.5% to 10% per Valiantys) and again for Premium and Enterprise on 2026-10-13.
- SAML SSO and SCIM need an Atlassian Guard subscription billed per managed user across the org (third-party sources conflict on tier)
- Premium adds 24/7 support and a 99.9% SLA; Enterprise 99.95%.
Notion vs Confluence: frequently asked questions
Which is better, Notion or Confluence?
It depends on the team. Notion is the stronger pick for startups and small teams combining wiki and project tracking, while Confluence suits teams already on Jira or Jira Service Management. Compare the feature rows above against your must-haves before you look at price.
Do Notion and Confluence support SAML single sign-on?
Notion: business and Enterprise (SAML). Confluence: via Atlassian Guard subscription (separate); tier disputed by sources. Confirm the plan in writing before you compare prices.
Is Confluence cheaper than Notion?
At list price for 20 users on the cheapest plan that fits, Confluence costs $1,301 a year and Notion $2,400. Add-ons, higher tiers and annual versus monthly billing can change that order.
Can I try Notion and Confluence for free?
Notion: free plan. Confluence: free plan.
Sources
Both columns use the same sources: vendor pricing and product pages, documentation, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Full source lists are on the Notion and Confluence reviews.