shouldiuse.io

Comparison

AFFiNE vs Notion

AFFiNE lands on Depends, and Notion lands on Worth it.

Notion

notion.so

Worth it
Confidence: High

Notion is a mature, widely adopted all-in-one workspace with a 4.6/5 rating across 13,836 G2 reviews, a free tier, and strong docs/wiki/project capabilities, making it a solid buy for most teams.

Read the full report

AFFiNE versus Notion
CompareAFFiNENotion
VerdictDependsWorth it
Best forPrivacy-focused solo note-takersTeams wanting docs, wikis, and project management consolidated in one flexible workspace
Who it's not forTeams handling sensitive data . RCE CVE, ignored XSS reportsTeams whose workflows depend on heavy automation . reviewers consistently describe Notion as 'brilliant for docs and wikis, frustrating for automation'
PrivacyActive 2026 CVEs include remote code execution; researchers report ignored XSS findings; no dedicated security page found.⁸Notion publishes SOC 2 certification, infrastructure security details, and AI data-handling practices, and issues security updates.
Public sentimentSentiment is split: privacy-minded fans praise the lightweight local-first design, while others complain it feels raw and unstable.⁴Sentiment is broadly positive at scale: a 4.6/5 G2 rating across 13,836 reviews with consistent praise for flexibility, customization, and organization, and G2 reviewers report Notion excels in overall user satisfaction.12
Biggest gotchaOpen-source license is not MIT despite marketing framing; verify terms before commercial use⁷Pricing is seat-based with four tiers, and guides warn of hidden limits on plans . audit per-seat costs across your whole team before committing

Pick AFFiNE when

  • Privacy-focused solo note-takers
  • Docs + whiteboard hybrid workflows
  • Self-hosters wanting open source
  • Budget-conscious 1-3 person teams

When AFFiNE is not a fit

  • Teams handling sensitive data . RCE CVE, ignored XSS reports
  • Groups larger than 3 people on the free plan
  • Buyers who need true MIT licensing
  • Anyone needing a polished, stable daily-driver tool

Pick Notion when

  • Teams wanting docs, wikis, and project management consolidated in one flexible workspace (thebusinessdive.com/notion-review)
  • Organizations that value deep customization and knowledge management . Notion is a G2 Leader in Knowledge Management, AI Software, and Project Management (g2.com/sellers/notion-2026-07-28)
  • Teams adopting AI-assisted work . Notion has moved far beyond a notes app and is increasingly used as an AI workspace (gend.co/blog/notion-g2-best-software-awards-2026)
  • Buyers on a budget who want to start free and scale into paid seats (lifestack.ai/blog/notion-pricing)

When Notion is not a fit

  • Teams whose workflows depend on heavy automation . reviewers consistently describe Notion as 'brilliant for docs and wikis, frustrating for automation' (eesel.ai/blog/notion-review)
  • Organizations that need native email-client and other deep integrations out of the box . missing native connections are the most frequently cited criticism (seatable.com/notion-experiences)
  • Users who need fast, frictionless note capture . Reddit users report slow quick-access to notes and a real learning curve ('most non user friendly and annoying app' per one reviewer) (reddit.com/r/productivity/comments/1odlc3g/does_anyone_actually_use_notion)
  • Enterprises needing transparent upfront pricing . the top tier requires contacting sales and you should 'expect it to be significant' (knowledgebase.net/software/notion-review)

Sources

  1. AFFiNE Pricing 2026: Free, Pro, Team Plansaffine.pro
    official
  2. AFFiNE . Open-Source Knowledge Base Softwareaffine.pro
    official
  3. AFFiNE Free Plan: 10 GB, 3 Members, 3 Devices (2026)freealternatives.to
    review
  4. AFFiNE Reviews (2026)producthunt.com
    review
  5. I built a second brain with AFFiNExda-developers.com
    review
  6. PSA: Do Not Use Affinereddit.com
    review
  7. AFFiNE is evil and misleading (is not actually MIT)reddit.com
    review
  8. CVE-2026-21853: AFFiNE Workspace RCE Vulnerabilitysentinelone.com
    security
  9. CVE-2026-25477 Detailnvd.nist.gov
    security
  10. Critical XSS vulnerabilities in AFFiNE are being ignoredreddit.com
    security
  11. AFFiNE raises $8M funding roundprnewswire.com
    news
  12. Notion has a 4.6-star rating on G2, praised for customizationg2.com
    review
  13. Notion Reviews on G2 . flexibility and ease of organizationg2.com
    review
  14. Notion review (2026): brilliant for docs and wikis, frustrating for automation | eesel AIeesel.ai
    review
  15. Notion review (2026): most cited criticisms are native connections to email clients | Seatableseatable.com
    review
  16. My Honest Notion Review After Using It For +2 Yearsthebusinessdive.com
    review