GitBook vs Notion

GitBook

• Public product and API documentation for software companies
• Teams that want docs reviewed and merged in a Git workflow
• Open source projects, which can apply for the free Community plan

Notion

• Teams that want docs, a wiki and project tracking in one workspace
• Individuals who want a free personal workspace with unlimited pages
• Building custom trackers and dashboards from databases

GitBook

• Paid plans combine a per-site fee with $12 per user / month, and guests and read-only members cost the same as other members.
• The pricing page shows annual-billing prices and advertises 2 months free; month-to-month rates are not shown in its default view.
• The Free plan covers a single user and leaves out custom domains, AI search and AI writing.
• SAML SSO is limited to Enterprise; the AI Assistant, adaptive content and authenticated access need Ultimate at $249 per site / month.

Notion

• Notion Agent, AI Meeting Notes and Enterprise Search are only a limited trial on Free and Plus; full access starts at Business.
• The Free plan limits blocks once a second member joins, caps file uploads at 5 MB and keeps 7 days of page history.
• There is no Linux desktop app; Notion points Linux users to the browser version.
• Custom Agents run on Notion credits, an add-on for Business and Enterprise priced at $10 per 1,000 monthly credits.

GitBook

Block-based editor

A visual editor built from blocks, including custom ones. Added users collaborate through change requests and content reviews before edits are published.

Git Sync

Two-way sync with GitHub or GitLab lets a team branch, review and merge documentation like a pull request. It is included on every plan, the Free one too.

Published docs sites

Sites get unlimited traffic and preview deployments on every plan. Custom domains, branding and redirects start on Premium; sections and site groups need Ultimate.

AI search and Assistant

On Premium, readers get short answers straight from the search box. Ultimate adds the Assistant, a chat sidebar that can also draw on connected sources such as GitHub and Slack.

GitBook Agent

Writes, edits and updates documentation and flags content that no longer matches the product. Free accounts are limited to 10 messages a week.

API docs and LLM-ready output

OpenAPI specifications become interactive API playgrounds. Every site also gets llms.txt files, Markdown versions of pages and its own MCP server.

Notion

Docs and pages

Pages hold text, media and embeds. Several people can edit the same page, leave comments and @-mention each other.

Databases

Databases organize hundreds or thousands of items such as projects or tasks. Charts are limited to 1 on Free, and database automations start on Plus.

Wikis

A knowledge base keeps team documentation in one place. Private teamspaces for restricting access need the Business plan.

Notion Agent, Meeting Notes and Search

The AI agent, meeting transcription with summaries and search across connected apps are included from Business. Free and Plus get a limited trial.

Forms and Sites

Collect responses into a database and publish pages to the web. Custom forms start on Plus, conditional logic on Business, and custom domains are billed per domain.

Offline pages

The desktop and mobile apps can view, edit and create pages offline. Free users pick pages to download; paid plans also download recent and favorite pages automatically.

GitBook

• Free$0

  For individuals: 1 user, block-based editor, GitHub or GitLab sync, interactive API playgrounds, preview deployments and LLM optimizations.

• Premium$65

  per site / month, billed annually, plus $12 per user / month

  Team collaboration, AI search, AI writing, a custom domain, advanced branding, analytics and user feedback, and site redirects.

• Ultimate$249

  per site / month, billed annually, plus $12 per user / month

  AI Assistant with 500 successful answers included, AI insights, adaptive content, authenticated access, site sections and channels for Slack, Linear and GitHub.

• EnterpriseCustom

  SAML SSO, migration service, custom integrations, dedicated support, custom contracts and invoicing, and Git Sync IP allowlisting.

Notion

• Free$0

  For individuals: unlimited pages and blocks for one person, 5 MB file uploads, 7-day page history, 10 guests and basic forms.

• Plus$10

  per member / month, billed yearly

  Unlimited file uploads, 30-day page history, unlimited guests, custom forms, unlimited charts and database automations.

• Business$20

  per member / month, billed yearly

  Everything in Plus, plus Notion Agent, AI Meeting Notes, Enterprise Search (beta), SAML SSO, private teamspaces and 90-day page history.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Everything in Business, plus SCIM user provisioning, audit logs, advanced security controls and unlimited page history.

GitBook

• Annual discount

  2 months free with annual billing

  GitBook's pricing page advertises 2 months free on annual plans, which are paid for 12 months up front and are not refunded if canceled mid-term.

• Nonprofit

  Free Community plan for non-profits

  Eligible non-profit organizations can apply for the free Community plan, which includes all Ultimate plan features except SAML SSO.

• Education

  Free Community plan for education groups

  Education-related groups such as student, lab or course groups can apply for the Community plan. Schools, colleges and universities themselves are excluded.

• Other savings

  Free Community plan for open source

  Open source organizations that need to collaborate beyond the Free plan can apply for the Community plan at no cost, with all Ultimate features except SAML SSO.

Notion

• Annual discount

  Save up to 20% with yearly billing

  Notion's pricing page says paying yearly instead of monthly saves up to 20% on the Plus and Business plans.

• Education

  Free Education plan for students and educators

  Students and educators at accredited colleges and universities get a free one-member workspace with Plus features by signing up with a school email. K-12 is not eligible.

• Nonprofit

  50% off the Business plan for nonprofits

  Verified nonprofit organizations can apply for 50% off the Business plan on up to three workspaces. Verification takes 3 to 7 business days.

• Startups

  Up to 6 months of Business free for startups

  Startups under 100 employees that are not yet paying customers can apply for 1, 3 or 6 months of the Business plan free, depending on partner affiliation and company details.