Notion and ClickUp both want to be your central workspace. But they do it in completely different ways. Notion gives you a blank canvas and asks: “What do you want to build?” ClickUp sets up a complete project management system for you and says: “Here, get started.” Which approach fits you?
Notion in brief
Notion is a flexible workspace where you build pages with blocks. You can take notes, create databases, set up wikis, and manage tasks. The power lies in the freedom: you decide how everything looks and works. That makes Notion popular with people who want to design their own system. The tool combines text, tables, kanban boards, and calendars in one interface. Perfect for teams that want to build a knowledge base alongside their task management.
ClickUp in brief
ClickUp presents itself as the platform that replaces all other tools. It provides immediate structure with spaces, folders, and lists for your projects. In addition to tasks, you get whiteboards, documents, chat, time tracking, and dashboards. The tool focuses primarily on project management: think Gantt charts, sprint planning, and detailed reporting. ClickUp is built for teams that want to automate complex workflows and track everything.
Notion vs ClickUp: the differences
The biggest difference lies in the philosophy. Notion gives you building blocks and asks you to create a system yourself. ClickUp delivers a ready-made project management system. That choice determines everything.
With Notion, you start with a blank page. Do you want a task list? Create a database and choose your view. Do you want subtasks? Create a relationship between two databases. That freedom is powerful, but it does require you to think about your structure. ClickUp already has that structure: every task is in a list, every list in a folder, every folder in a space. You can immediately start creating tasks and assigning deadlines.
For project management, ClickUp clearly has more tools. Time tracking is built-in, you can email tasks to your workspace, and dependencies between tasks are standard. Notion can do this too, but then you build it yourself with databases and formulas. ClickUp also delivers native Gantt charts and workload views. Notion recently got Charts and Forms, which allow you to better visualize databases, but it remains less extensive than what ClickUp offers.
The interface also tells a story. Notion feels calm: white pages, lots of white space, focus on text and structure. ClickUp immediately shows you everything: sidebars full of options, buttons for every function, notifications and shortcuts. Users often call ClickUp overwhelming, especially in the beginning. Notion also has a learning curve, but it’s more about “how do I build this?” than “where do I find this?”
Performance is a pain point for both tools, but in different ways. Notion has no offline mode, so without internet you can’t do anything. Large databases load slowly, and the mobile app lags behind the desktop version. ClickUp has long struggled with bugs and slow loading times. The new infrastructure has improved that, but users still regularly report crashes and lag, especially with many automations.
For documents and wikis, Notion wins. The writing experience is smoother, the typography more pleasant, and publishing pages as a website works well. ClickUp also has docs, but they feel more like an afterthought. For collaborating on content and knowledge building, Notion fits better. For actually checking off tasks, reporting to stakeholders, and managing sprints, ClickUp fits better.
AI plays a role in both. Notion AI helps with writing and summarizing within your pages. ClickUp Brain goes further: it searches your entire workspace, answers questions about project status, and automates tasks. Both AI features cost extra, but ClickUp’s implementation is more ambitious.
Pricing compared
Both tools have a free plan, but with different limitations. Notion’s Free plan is generous for individuals: unlimited pages and blocks, only file size (5MB) and page history (7 days) are limited. For teams it becomes more limited with a block limit. ClickUp’s Free Forever plan gives you 100MB storage and limits advanced views like Gantt charts and timelines to limited use.
For paid plans, Notion starts at € 10 per month (Plus plan, with annual payment). ClickUp starts at € 7 per month (Unlimited plan, also with annual payment). That makes ClickUp more affordable at entry level. Notion’s Business plan costs € 20 per month, ClickUp’s Business € 12 per month. With monthly payment you pay more: Notion € 12 and € 24, ClickUp € 10 and € 19.
Watch out for add-ons. Notion AI costs € 8-10 extra per user per month. ClickUp Brain costs € 5-7 extra. Those costs stack up quickly with larger teams. Notion recently started charging upfront per seat, no longer retroactively per active member. That makes budgeting easier, but you also pay for inactive users.
For solo users, Notion’s free plan is more attractive. For small teams that need project management tools right away, ClickUp offers more value for your money. Large teams need to calculate carefully: Notion is more expensive per user, but ClickUp’s costs can add up through add-ons and extra features.
Conclusion
Notion and ClickUp are both “all-in-one” platforms, but serve different needs. Notion is the better choice if you want a flexible workspace for notes, documents, and knowledge management, with task management as a component. The tool suits teams that want to build their own system and value a calm, clean interface. ClickUp wins if you primarily want to manage projects and tasks with extensive reporting, time tracking, and automations. It’s built for teams that need structure and tools, not a blank canvas.
For most users, Notion is the more pleasant experience: less overwhelming, more stable, and nicer to work in. But if your team really needs project management features without having to build them yourself, ClickUp delivers more functionality for less money. Choose based on your priority: flexibility and writing experience (Notion) or ready-to-use project management (ClickUp).
