Notion vs Confluence

Notion is the modern workspace startups love. Confluence is the enterprise wiki Atlassian teams depend on. Two very different approaches to team documentation.

Updated 2026-09 · 2026

Notion

All-in-one workspace for docs, wikis, and databases

$10/user/moper user/month

Strengths

+Beautiful, flexible pages that combine text, databases, and media
+Generous free tier for individuals and small teams
+Databases with views, filters, and relations are genuinely powerful

Weaknesses

-Can feel slow on very large workspaces
-Permissions model is simpler than enterprise tools need
-Offline mode is unreliable in practice

Best for

Startups and small teams that want a flexible, beautiful workspace for docs, wikis, and lightweight project tracking.

Confluence

Atlassian's enterprise wiki for team documentation

$5.75/user/moper user/month

Strengths

+Deep, native integration with Jira for dev teams
+Powerful permissions and space-level access controls
+Structured page trees work well for large documentation sites

Weaknesses

-Editor feels dated compared to modern alternatives
-Pages are rigid, no databases or flexible content blocks
-Navigation and search can be frustrating on large instances

Best for

Engineering teams already using Jira that need a structured, enterprise-grade wiki with strong permissions.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Notion	Confluence
Free tier	Generous, up to 10 guests	Free for up to 10 users
Jira integration	Third-party only	Native, deep
Page editor	Block-based, modern	Traditional, macro-based
Databases	Built in, powerful	No
Templates	Extensive gallery	Good selection
Permissions	Basic	Granular, space-level
API	Yes, well-documented	Yes, REST and GraphQL
Self-hosting	No	Data Center option (expensive)

The Verdict

Notion wins on user experience and flexibility. People genuinely like using it, which matters more than most teams realize. Confluence wins on enterprise features and Jira integration. If your engineering team lives in Jira, Confluence is the natural fit. For everyone else, Notion is the better documentation tool.

How to switch from Notion to Confluence

Full Notion export guide →

1Export your Notion workspace by going to Settings & Members > Settings > Export all workspace content, choosing HTML or Markdown format with subpages included. This gives you a zip file of your pages that you'll use as the source for migration.
2Audit your Notion databases separately before exporting, since databases don't convert cleanly. Document the properties, views, and relations you rely on so you can decide which ones to rebuild as Confluence pages, tables, or linked Jira issues.
3Set up your Confluence spaces first, mirroring your Notion workspace structure (one space per team or project). Use Space Tools > Content Tools > Import to bring in the exported HTML files, then manually clean up broken links and formatting.
4Rebuild critical database views as Confluence page trees or Jira-linked content, since there's no direct equivalent. If you used Notion for lightweight project tracking, move that work into Jira instead and link it from Confluence pages.
5Reconnect integrations like Slack notifications, Google Drive embeds, and any Zapier/Unito automations you had running on Notion, using Confluence's native app marketplace where possible to avoid ongoing third-party fees.
6Run both tools in parallel for 2-3 weeks, set Confluence spaces to read/write for the whole team, and pick a hard cutover date. Archive the Notion workspace (don't delete it) for at least a quarter in case you missed content during migration.

Notion vs Confluence: common questions

How do I export my Notion pages to Confluence?+

Notion doesn't export directly to Confluence format, so you'll go through an intermediate step. Export each workspace as HTML or Markdown (Settings & Members > Settings > Export all workspace content), then import the HTML files into Confluence via Space Tools > Content Tools > Import. Complex databases and linked relations won't survive the export and need to be rebuilt manually as Confluence tables or linked pages.

What features do I lose moving from Notion to Confluence?+

You lose Notion's databases entirely, including filtered views, relations, rollups, and kanban boards built on top of them. You also lose the flexible block-based editor, inline embeds like synced blocks, and most custom templates, since Confluence pages are structured around macros rather than freeform blocks.

Is Confluence's free plan enough for a small team?+

Confluence's free plan supports up to 10 users with core wiki features, storage limits, and basic permissions, which covers most small teams. You won't get advanced permissions, analytics, or premium macros until you upgrade to Standard or Premium, so check if your team needs granular space-level access controls first.

Does Confluence integrate with the tools we already use in Notion?+

Confluence has native, deep integration with Jira, which Notion can't match without third-party connectors like Zapier or Unito. For other tools, both platforms have decent Slack, Google Drive, and calendar integrations, but Confluence's marketplace has more enterprise-grade options, often at extra cost through paid add-ons.

Will switching to Confluence cost more over time than staying on Notion?+

Confluence's Standard plan at $5.75/user/mo is cheaper per seat than Notion's Plus plan at $10/user/mo, but costs add up if you need Premium features or Marketplace apps for diagrams, advanced reporting, or automation. Factor in migration time and the cost of rebuilding database-driven workflows manually, since that's the hidden expense most teams underestimate.