Google Drive is a cloud storage and file collaboration platform optimized for document editing and sharing, while Notion is an all-in-one workspace combining notes, databases, wikis, and project management in a single interconnected platform. Google Drive excels at real-time collaboration on documents; Notion excels at organizing complex information structures.
Google Drive vs Notion — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud storage and collaboration platform integrated with Google Workspace
All-in-one workspace combining databases, documents, wikis, and task management with flexible templates.
Primary Function. Learning Curve. Real-time Collaboration Speed. Database/Relational Features. Free Storage. Offline Access. API & Automation
Choose Google Drive if you need fast, intuitive document collaboration with bulletproof real-time sync and offline access—it's the industry standard for teams that primarily create and share documents. Choose Notion if you're building complex knowledge systems, managing interconnected projects, or need database-like functionality to organize information across multiple contexts; it's better for power users 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: Limited to cached data only
Google Drive: None (Sheets only for spreadsheets) | Notion: Full relational databases with 10+ view types
Google Drive: Unlimited | Notion: Up to 100+ simultaneous editors per workspace
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: $99.88/year ($9.99/month 2TB) | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: Not available | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: No (standard encryption only) | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: Yes (Docs, Sheets, Slides, co-editing) | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: 1,800 million | Notion: 10+ million
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 mode 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: 100 versions or 30 days (free) | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: 5TB (individual files) | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: Unlimited | Notion: Unlimited (paid plans)
Google Drive: 500+ via Workspace Marketplace | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: 5GB per file | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: 385+ languages | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: 500M+ downloads | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: 100+ editors | Notion: Unlimited simultaneous editors
Google Drive: 30 days (unlimited for Workspace Business+) | Notion: N/A
Google Drive: 4.6/5 (2.1M reviews) | Notion: N/A
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: $10 flat monthly (unlimited users)
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) or $20/month (Business)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 3 (full page, bookmark, simple)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $0 (free tier) / $10 (Plus)
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: 40% (cached pages only)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 60+ (steep learning curve)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10 per month
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 features for individuals/small teams
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: 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: Full relational databases with filters, sorts, relations
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 2000+ 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: 7-14 days to use advanced features
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: 5-10 MB per block
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 5+ (Table, Gallery, Kanban, Calendar, Timeline)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 1000+ templates
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $12 (Notion Team plan)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $0 (personal), $120/year (Pro single-user)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 5 GB (Notion personal, expandable)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 50+ (SUM, IF, COUNT, ROLLUP, etc.)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 8-15 hours for competent database design
Maximum Database Rows (optimal performance)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 10,000 rows before noticeable slowdown
Real-time Simultaneous Collaborators (unlimited tier)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Limited by workspace plan (typically 10-50 concurrent editors)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Excellent; optimized for mobile-first reading and editing
Native Data Visualization (charts, pivots)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: No; requires third-party tools or manual workarounds
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Zapier/Make (indirect, 5,000+ apps)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Full relational with rollups, formulas, aggregations
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Limited (formula-based)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Full offline mode
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Yes, real-time collaboration
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 45 functions
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10 (Pro plan)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Up to 10 databases/pages
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 6 views (table, kanban, calendar, timeline, gallery, list)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: View-only for complex databases; limited editing
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 120-240 minutes (requires template setup)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Yes - rich-text with synced blocks and templates
Max Database Items Before Performance Degradation
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: No (Zapier workaround only)
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: $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: 8+ views (Table, Board, Timeline, Calendar, Gallery, Kanban, Database)
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 available
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)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Yes - unlimited notes with basic features
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 6 platforms (Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux via web)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited blocks (tested with 1M+ blocks)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 80+ native integrations + Zapier support
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Markdown support with limited native formatting
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 5 primary views (table, board, gallery, calendar, timeline)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited blocks (varies by content type)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: No (third-party integration only)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Full relational databases with custom properties
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10.00 (Notion AI)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 10+ (Table, Kanban, Gallery, Timeline, Calendar, Board, etc.)
Monthly Cost Per User (Team Plan, Annual Billing)
Maximum Concurrent Users Per Board/Workspace
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Yes (unlimited pages, limited blocks)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited (async-optimized)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Full relational DB support with rollups
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: ~1000+ via Zapier + REST API
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: CSV, JSON, Markdown, HTML, PDF
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: ~1000 blocks per page (soft limit)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited blocks
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: N/A (no native OCR)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Mobile requires internet
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 800+ Zapier integrations
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Advanced with filters, sorts, rollups
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 100+ million
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $0 (Free tier)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $8-10/user/month (Pro plan for teams)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 40+ field types including relations and rollups
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 60% feature parity, web-responsive only
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 5-10 hours for team mastery
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: No - requires Slack, Discord, or Email integration
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 1,000+ records with noticeable performance impact
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 100+ integrations + native API
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10 (Team Plan, unlimited users)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 45% - Limited timeline view, workarounds needed
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 95% - Multi-level relations, rollups, filters
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 4.5 stars (64,000+ reviews)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited users, full feature access
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Native + Zapier/Make support + 1000+ integrations
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $10 (Team plan per seat, or $200/month unlimited)
Total Cost of Ownership (50 Users, Annual)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: $2,400 (workspace plan $200 × 12)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 3 levels (Workspace, Page, Database controls)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Included in plan
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited (Business plan)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 2000-4000ms (dependent on connection)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 1000 blocks per free account
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Yes (live cursors, comments)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: ~50 official integrations
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited file uploads (paid only)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Unlimited users (read-only limit applies)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: 10,000-25,000 items (performance degrades)
Google Drive: N/A | Notion: Basic database automations only
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 482 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.
Notion has limited offline support—you can view content offline, but editing is not available offline. Changes sync when you reconnect. Google Drive offers full offline editing for Docs, Sheets, and Slides with automatic sync upon reconnection, making it superior for spotty connectivity environments.
Google Drive is better for rapid document collaboration due to sub-second sync and minimal learning curve—teams can start collaborating immediately. Notion is better for teams managing complex, interconnected projects where a structured database and unified workspace add value, but it requires upfront setup and training.
Can I build a project management system with both?
Google Drive can host basic project tracking in Sheets, but lacks relational features, multiple views, and automation. Notion is purpose-built for this—you can create fully relational project databases with kanban boards, timelines, and linked tasks. For complex project management, Notion is dramatically more capable.
What's the difference in real-time collaboration performance?
Google Drive syncs changes in sub-200 milliseconds across all users, making it feel instantaneous. Notion syncs in 1-3 seconds, which can create visible delays when multiple people edit simultaneously. For fast-paced collaborative writing, Google Drive's speed advantage is noticeable.
How much storage do I actually get for free?
Google Drive provides 15 GB free shared across Drive, Gmail, and Photos. Notion offers unlimited free storage for personal use, but the free plan lacks advanced features like database relations, templates, and API access. For personal knowledge work, Notion's unlimited free storage is a major advantage.
How to Choose Between Google Drive and Notion
Primary Function: Google Drive has Cloud storage + document editor, while Notion has All-in-one workspace platform.
Learning Curve: Google Drive has Minimal (15 minutes to proficiency), while Notion has Steep (40+ hours for advanced features).
Real-time Collaboration Speed: Google Drive has Sub-second sync (Google infrastructure), while Notion has 1-3 second sync (standard cloud).
Database/Relational Features: Google Drive has None (spreadsheets only), while Notion has Full relational database with views, relations, rollups.
Free Storage: Google Drive has 15 GB, while Notion has Unlimited (for personal use).
Offline Access: Google Drive has Full offline editing for Docs/Sheets/Slides, while Notion has Limited offline access (view only).
API & Automation: Google Drive has Google Apps Script, REST API, Zapier integration, while Notion has Public API, native integrations, Button blocks.