Google Drive is a cloud storage and collaboration tool optimized for file management and real-time document editing, while Notion is an all-in-one workspace combining note-taking, databases, wikis, and project management. Google Drive excels at simple file sharing and Office integration, whereas Notion provides deeper organizational capabilities for complex workflows.
Google Drive vs Notion — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud storage and document collaboration platform by Google with 15GB free storage.
All-in-one workspace for notes, databases, wikis, and team collaboration
Primary Purpose. Learning Curve. Database/Structured Data Capabilities. Free Storage. Offline Access. Real-time Collaboration Users. Integration Ecosystem
Choose Google Drive if you need simple, fast file storage with minimal setup and seamless Microsoft/Google ecosystem integration—ideal for individuals and teams focused on document collaboration. Choose Notion if you're building complex knowledge bases, managing projects with relational data, or consolidating multiple tools into one workspace—better for power users and organizations willing to invest time in setup.
Google Drive: 1 TB (100 GB × 10 users shared) | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: Advanced (simultaneous editing in Docs/Sheets) | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: $6-12/user/month (Google Workspace) | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: 3 (OCR, translation, image processing) | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: Limited - through export/import | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: Excellent - Android-optimized | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Web | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: Extensive marketplace | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: Full offline with sync | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: Server-side encryption | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: Meet, Sheets, Docs, Forms integrated | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: Image & PDF to text conversion | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: $9.99 (100 GB plan) | Notion: $10 (Unlimited plan)
Google Drive: Full offline editing with sync | Notion: Read-only offline (web); requires app for editing
Google Drive: None (Sheets only for spreadsheets) | Notion: Full relational databases with 10+ view types
Google Drive: Unlimited | Notion: Unlimited with cursor presence
Google Drive: Under 1 hour | Notion: 5-10 hours for proficiency
Google Drive: Full REST API with webhooks | Notion: Public API with Zapier/webhook support
Google Drive: $1.99/month (100GB) | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: Unlimited (Workspace) | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: No (Workspace only) | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: Native (Docs, Sheets, Slides) | Notion: Unlimited
Google Drive: 30 days (free tier) | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: $99.88/year ($9.99/month 2TB) | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: Basic (Zapier required) | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: All paid plans | Notion: N/A
Real-time Collaborative Editors (Simultaneous Users)
Google Drive: SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001 | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: 30 days permanently | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: $9.99 (100GB) | Notion: $10 (Personal Pro with AI)
Google Drive: 5 GB per file | Notion: 20 MB per file
Google Drive: Full editing offline | Notion: Read-only offline
Google Drive: 5 minutes to productive use | Notion: 30-60 minutes to configure workspace
Google Drive: None - spreadsheets only | Notion: Advanced with filtering, sorting, and relations
Google Drive: Unlimited simultaneous editors | Notion: Unlimited simultaneous editors
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Notion's cloud servers
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Free / $8-15 per user
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Customizable approach
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Moderate support
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Real-time co-editing, permissions, comments, activity tracking
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Limited (~30%)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Full (relational databases, rollups, formulas)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 5/10 (steep)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Cloud-hosted (Notion controls servers)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Yes (built-in AI assistant)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: High availability (no published SLA)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 9/10 (blocks, databases, relations)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 5/10 (basic automations only)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 2-50 users (flexible scale)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 7-14 days (custom setup required)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Not available
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10 (Plus tier)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $20 (Business tier)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $24+ (Enterprise, custom)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 5/10 (limited)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 6/10 (basic)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 4/10 (minimal)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Limited task/project features
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 9/10 - Highly customizable
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 8/10 - Steep learning curve
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 9/10 - Native docs & databases
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Basic (manual linking only)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Comprehensive (wiki, docs, databases, linked records)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: No (requires manual setup with databases)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Very High (fully customizable databases and properties)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 10 (free plan with guests)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Not available (must track manually)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $8/month (Team tier)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Excellent for non-technical users - intuitive linked properties
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Limited native two-way sync capability
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Built-in AI assistant with limited agent connections
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Steep learning curve with flexible drag-and-drop
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Exceptional - optimized for feature roadmaps and linked data
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10 per user
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $18 per user
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Basic (via integrations only)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Limited tier system
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Full editor (formatting, blocks, collaboration)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 100+ templates and integrations
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited with role-based permissions
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Flexible block-based editor with databases
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Teams, project managers, content creators
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Views API, Markdown support, automatic retries (2026)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 600+ via Zapier
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited blocks and pages
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Full relational database support
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Limited offline capabilities
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Table, Board, Timeline, Calendar, Gallery, List
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: REST API and official SDK
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Comments, mentions, real-time editing, threads
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Free (or $10/month for AI)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 5 basic options
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Limited offline; web-first platform
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $0 (free tier exists)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $100-160/month
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Basic linked mentions; manual linking required
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 400+ (official integrations)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 100+ million across all sectors
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Free (Plus $10/user)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Moderate (2-3 seconds with complex databases)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 1000+ through Zapier and native
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: All-in-one workspace & documentation
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 3-7 days depending on customization
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Native iOS/Android, good but slower
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: SSO, AI features, advanced permissions, audit logs
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 30-60 (database learning curve)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 8 (iOS/Android, full sync)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: PDF/CSV (some lock-in)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 10+ million active users
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Yes, basic timeline view only
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 3 requests per second (~180/min)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Limited (manual + integrations)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 50,000+ community templates
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Cloud-based SaaS
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Proprietary blocks
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: CSV / Markdown export
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Yes — real-time
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Cloud (built-in)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Yes — powerful
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Limited (limited API)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Notion AI (bundled in Business/Enterprise; trial on Free/Plus)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Free (10 guests)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Plus $10/user/mo
Free Tier Monthly Recording/Creation Limit
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited pages
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 30-120 minutes
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: AI-powered search, Q&A, writing assistance (add-on)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Centralized knowledge/PM workspace
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $100 (10 users @ $10)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10/month (Plus plan)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 3 (full page, bookmark, simple)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Native relational databases with rollups, filters, sorts
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Basic (AI blocks limited to Pro/Team plans)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 0 (no native integration)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 500+ via Zapier, native integrations, and API
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 1000+ community and official templates
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Limited (requires sync after reconnect)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 30 minutes (learning curve for full features)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Personal Plan)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited workspace content; 5GB file attachments
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Yes - relations, filters, sorts, multiple views
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Full offline mode (desktop app)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 60+ (steep learning curve)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 200+ native + 2000+ via Zapier
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Basic (simple triggers and actions)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Yes - unlimited pages and sharing
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 8-12 seconds
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Yes (native relations, rollups, and rollup filters)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 6 (Table, Calendar, Timeline, Gallery, Board, List)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 10,000 (performance degrades noticeably after 5,000)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 1,500+ (Zapier, Slack, webhooks, and native integrations)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Comments, mentions, reminders only
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $120/year (Plus plan)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 6 platforms (Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Advanced relational databases with filtering and sorting
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Full real-time collaboration with comments and permissions
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Partial offline (web requires internet, mobile has limited offline mode)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Proprietary Notion format (limited standard export)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 30-60 minutes to understand core features
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Robust public API with extensive integration ecosystem
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited (Plus plan)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Yes, certified
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Not FedRAMP authorized
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $0 (limited to 1M blocks/month)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited (team plan dependent)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 1-to-1, Many-to-1, Many-to-Many
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 12+ (Table, Board, Calendar, Timeline, Gallery, etc.)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 6+ (complex feature set requires training)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 8+ (PDF, HTML, Markdown, CSV, etc.)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10 (Plus plan)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Yes - unlimited blocks and databases
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 75+ million registered users (as of 2024)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $120 per year (Plus plan, no AI)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10 (Team plan)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited in Team plan
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited (per subscription)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: No (third-party integrations only)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: No (web-based only)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Notion AI included in Pro/Team plans
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Linear page-based structure
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited (paid plans)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Full relational databases with filters, sorts, relations
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 10000+ community templates
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Full offline capability with sync
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited blocks + 10 GB files
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10 (unlimited access)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 50+ integrated features
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Limited (requires extension)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10/user/month
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $0 (Pro: $120/year)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 10-15 minutes
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 20+ workspace templates
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10 (or Free)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Timeline view available; no dependency or critical path analysis
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Manual tracking only; no native capacity features
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 10,000 rows (performance degrades)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Limited cross-database visibility
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $12 (Notion Team plan)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 45 functions
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 1-2 seconds (1000-2000ms)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 10+ (stable with minor lag)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: No native email; third-party only
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 100+ REST API endpoints
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 1000+ community templates + Zapier/Make
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: iOS + Android official apps
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 800+ official templates
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Notion API + CSV/Markdown exports
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $14 (Pro plan, annual)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $32 (Team plan, annual)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 12 basic automation triggers
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 30 hours for proficiency
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Basic calendar view (limited critical path analysis)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited custom fields, relations, formulas, rollups, and linked databases
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 500+ via Zapier, 50+ native
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10 (billed annually)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: ~10,000+ templates
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Optimized up to 10,000 items per view
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Database automations, API integrations, Zapier/Make support
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10.00 (or free)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 15+ (Table, Kanban, Calendar, Gallery, Timeline, etc.)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $120/month (Pro plan, capped usage)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $120/month (unlimited members, Pro)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 0 native (requires third-party integration)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Full rich-text editor with embeds
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Advanced, with rollups and filters
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Limited offline; requires internet for most features
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 10-14 days for average user
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Sync requires active internet connection
Starting Price per User/Month (Annual Billing)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10/user (free tier available)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited users, unlimited workspaces
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: No (Cloud-only)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Third-party only (Zapier)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Advanced (rollups, lookups, formulas)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 3 requests/second (180/min)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 1.4s (typical page/database view)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 300+ integrations via Zapier/native
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $0 (Unlimited free tier)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: No (requires integration)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 5 views (Table, Board, Calendar, Timeline, Gallery)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 30+ automation options
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 10+ types (includes relations, rollups, formulas, templates)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 2-4 hours to start productive work
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Limited (basic role options, no granular permissions)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $150/month (15 members × $10)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $500/month (50 members × $10)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 1 (comments only)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 8 (relational, formulas, rollups, filters, sorts, synced blocks, templates)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited free tier
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 40% of desktop features
Base Monthly Cost Per User (Annual Billing)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10.00 (Team plan)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited users
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Not native - timeline view available via database relations
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Manual tracking via database properties
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Full support with many-to-many relations and rollups
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Basic - templates and button automations, limited conditional logic
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 150+ integrations via Zapier, Make, and native connectors
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited pages (feature-limited)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 8 (basic actions only)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Full rich-text editor with synced blocks
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Linked databases with basic relations
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 3 (Table, Board, Gallery)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 50+ simultaneous
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10 (Plus plan, free tier available with limits)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $120/year ($600 over 5 years)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 2000-4000ms (dependent on internet)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Full (one-to-many, many-to-many, rollups, formulas)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 200+ (primarily cosmetic and integration)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Manual creation (no AI)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 20+ interface languages
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 0 without AI add-on
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 0% (no AI acceleration)
How to choose between Google Drive and Notion
Google Drive vs Notion — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Google Drive vs Notion. Contains 373 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Google Drive vs Notion — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Google Drive vs Notion.
Which is better for small business file management?
Google Drive is superior for small businesses focused on simple file storage and real-time document collaboration. Its 15GB free tier, minimal learning curve, and seamless Google Workspace integration make it ideal for teams sharing documents. Notion becomes valuable only if you need database features, project management, or a centralized knowledge base.
Can I use Notion as a complete replacement for Google Drive?
Not entirely. While Notion offers unlimited storage for pages and notes, it's slower with large databases and has a 20MB file upload limit versus Drive's 5GB. Notion excels at organizing information but lacks Drive's performance for heavy file management. Most power users use both: Drive for files, Notion for knowledge organization.
How much does it cost to go from free to paid?
Google Drive's first paid tier is $9.99/month for 100GB. Notion's Personal Pro is $10/month with unlimited pages plus AI features. For team use, Google One 2TB is $19.99/month, while Notion Teams is $8/user/month. Google is cheaper for pure storage; Notion is cheaper for team collaboration with advanced features.
Google Drive provides full offline editing for Docs, Sheets, and Slides—you can work completely disconnected and sync automatically when online. Notion only allows reading pages offline with very limited editing. If offline access is critical, Google Drive is the clear winner.
Notion has a steep learning curve compared to Google Drive. Beginners often struggle with database relations, block types, and layout customization. However, using Notion templates (1000+ available) significantly reduces setup complexity. Google Drive is immediately productive for beginners with zero learning curve.
How to Choose Between Google Drive and Notion
Primary Purpose: Google Drive has Cloud storage + document collaboration, while Notion has All-in-one workspace platform.
Learning Curve: Google Drive has Minimal - intuitive for most users, while Notion has Steep - requires setup and template knowledge.
Consider: Database/Structured Data Capabilities
Database/Structured Data Capabilities: Google Drive has None - spreadsheets only, while Notion has Advanced relational databases with filtering.
Free Storage: Google Drive has 15 GB, while Notion has Unlimited pages (no storage limit).
Offline Access: Google Drive has Full offline editing (Google Docs/Sheets), while Notion has Read-only offline, limited editing.
Real-time Collaboration Users: Google Drive has Unlimited simultaneous editors, while Notion has Unlimited simultaneous editors.
Integration Ecosystem: Google Drive has 500+ third-party integrations, while Notion has 600+ integrations including API access.