FigJam vs Notion: Which One Should Your Team Use?

FigJam is a visual whiteboard for brainstorming and workshops. Notion is a docs and wiki workspace for notes, tasks, and knowledge bases. Here's how they compare and when you actually need both.

Updated 2026-10 · 2026

FigJam

Online whiteboard for brainstorming, diagrams, and workshops

Freeeditor/month (Professional plan from $3-5)

Strengths

+Infinite canvas built for real-time visual collaboration
+Sticky notes, voting, timers, and templates made for workshops/retros
+Tight integration with Figma for design handoff and diagramming

Weaknesses

-Not built for structured docs, databases, or long-form writing
-No task management, wikis, or knowledge base features
-Free plan caps objects per file, which limits large boards

Best for

Teams running brainstorms, retros, workshops, or diagramming sessions

Notion

All-in-one workspace for notes, docs, wikis, and project tracking

Freeuser/month (Plus $10, Business $18, billed monthly)

Strengths

+Flexible pages, databases, and wikis for documentation and knowledge
+Built-in task/project tracking with boards, calendars, and timelines
+Strong template ecosystem for SOPs, roadmaps, and CRMs

Weaknesses

-No native freeform whiteboard or infinite canvas
-Real-time multi-cursor brainstorming feels clunky vs a true whiteboard tool
-Large databases can get slow to load and filter

Best for

Teams that need a shared wiki, docs, and lightweight project tracking

Feature Comparison

Feature	FigJam	Notion
Core use case	Visual whiteboarding & brainstorming	Docs, wikis, and task tracking
Infinite canvas	Yes	No
Databases/tables	Basic tables only	Full relational databases
Task management	No	Yes (boards, lists, calendars)
Templates	Workshop/retro templates	Docs, wiki, CRM, roadmap templates
Real-time collaboration	Cursor chat, reactions, voting	Simultaneous editing, comments
AI features	AI-assisted diagramming (limited)	Notion AI writing & search
Free plan limits	Unlimited files, object cap per file	Unlimited pages for individuals, block limits for teams on old free tier
Figma design integration	Native, seamless	Via embeds only
Mobile app	Limited, view/edit basic	Full-featured mobile app
Starting paid price	$3-5/editor/month	$10/user/month
Best for	Workshops, retros, visual diagramming	Documentation, wikis, project tracking

The Verdict

FigJam and Notion solve different problems, so this isn't really an either/or decision — most teams end up using both. If you're choosing one to start with, pick FigJam for live brainstorming and workshops, and Notion for anything that needs to be written down, organized, and referenced later. Teams that try to force Notion into whiteboarding or FigJam into documentation usually end up frustrated and buy the other tool within a few months anyway.

How to switch from FigJam to Notion

1Export your FigJam boards using File > Export (PNG/SVG/PDF) for visual records, or File > Save local copy to keep a .fig file archive of the raw board data.
2Create a Notion workspace and set up top-level pages for the content categories you'll migrate (e.g., 'Workshop Notes', 'Retros', 'Roadmap Ideas').
3Embed exported FigJam PNGs/PDFs into relevant Notion pages for visual reference, and manually re-type key outcomes (decisions, action items, votes) into Notion text blocks or databases.
4Rebuild any recurring workshop templates (retro boards, brainstorm formats) as Notion page templates so your team has a repeatable structure without FigJam.
5If you still need live whiteboarding, keep FigJam active for sessions and standardize on exporting results into Notion immediately after each meeting.
6Migrate your team gradually by running one sprint/retro cycle in the new workflow before fully retiring old FigJam-only processes.

FigJam vs Notion: common questions

How do I export my boards from FigJam before switching?+

In FigJam, use File > Export to export boards as PNG, SVG, or PDF for static records, or File > Save local copy to export a .fig file you can reopen in Figma/FigJam later. There's no native export to Notion-compatible format, so most teams export key boards as images or PDFs and embed them into Notion pages, or manually recreate structured content (like decisions and action items) as Notion text/databases.

What do I lose if I move my brainstorming workflow to Notion?+

You lose the infinite canvas, sticky notes, voting, and live cursor interactions that make FigJam good for real-time workshops. Notion can replicate structured outputs (like a list of ideas or action items) but not the freeform visual layout or synchronous brainstorming experience. If your team genuinely needs live whiteboarding, keep FigJam and just use Notion for the resulting documentation.

Is Notion's free plan enough for a small team instead of paying for both tools?+

Notion's free plan works well for individuals and very small teams doing basic docs and task tracking, but collaborative workspaces will likely need Plus ($10/user/month) for unlimited file uploads, advanced permissions, and guest access limits. It won't replace FigJam's whiteboarding — so if whiteboarding is core to your process, budget for FigJam separately rather than trying to cut it entirely.

Does Notion integrate with FigJam or Figma?+

Yes, Notion supports embedding Figma and FigJam links directly into pages, so you can keep a FigJam board embedded next to its related Notion doc. It's a one-way embed, not a sync — changes in FigJam don't update structured Notion content automatically, so you'll still manually transfer decisions or outcomes into Notion text or databases.

Is it cheaper to switch fully to Notion, or keep paying for both?+

If you only need light brainstorming, FigJam's free plan may cover you and you can skip Notion's paid tiers (free Notion plan handles basic notes/tasks). But if your team runs frequent workshops and needs serious documentation, paying for FigJam Professional (~$3-5/editor/month) plus Notion Plus ($10/user/month) is common and usually cheaper than an all-in-one tool with comparable depth in both areas.