Whimsical is a dedicated flowchart and diagramming tool optimized for visual workflows, while Notion is a comprehensive all-in-one workspace combining databases, documents, wikis, and project management. Whimsical excels at rapid diagram creation, whereas Notion offers deeper customization and integration capabilities.
Whimsical vs Notion — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Visual diagram and flowchart SaaS for brainstorming, wireframing, and collaborative design.
Versatile all-in-one workspace combining documents, databases, wikis, and task management
Primary Purpose. Learning Curve (Hours to Proficiency). Free Plan Limitations. Collaboration Real-time Users. Database Functionality. API Access Tier. Diagram Creation Speed (Templates Available)
Choose Whimsical if you need fast, intuitive flowchart and wireframing tools with minimal setup time for UX/design teams. Choose Notion if you want a centralized workspace combining documentation, databases, task management, and team wikis with deep customization and relational data capabilities.
Whimsical: Unlimited files | Notion: N/A
Whimsical: Unlimited | Notion: Unlimited (paid plans)
Whimsical: No - requires export/import | Notion: N/A
Whimsical: ~4 minutes (template-based) | Notion: N/A
Whimsical: No - requires third-party tool | Notion: N/A
Whimsical: SAML 2.0 (Pro plan and above) | Notion: N/A
Whimsical: Flowcharts, swimlanes, ERD, UML, wireframes, user journeys | Notion: N/A
Whimsical: Limited to basic AI features | Notion: N/A
Whimsical: $12-20 | Notion: $8/month (Team tier)
Whimsical: ~500 curated components | Notion: N/A
Whimsical: Native (live cursors, comments, version history) | Notion: N/A
Whimsical: 9/10 - modern, intuitive, design-forward | Notion: N/A
Estimated Learning Time (non-technical user)
Whimsical: 1-2 hours to productivity | Notion: N/A
Whimsical: PNG, SVG, PDF, JSON (limited) | Notion: N/A
Whimsical: 5 projects max | Notion: Unlimited pages
Whimsical: $0 (Pro: $120/year) | Notion: $0 (Pro: $120/year)
Whimsical: 2-5 minutes | Notion: 10-15 minutes
Whimsical: 80+ diagram templates | Notion: 20+ workspace templates
Whimsical: ~50 built-in shapes | Notion: N/A
Whimsical: Unlimited concurrent users | Notion: N/A
Whimsical: Up to 5 viewers | Notion: N/A
Whimsical: No - limited process diagram support | Notion: N/A
Whimsical: ~5 minutes to first diagram | Notion: N/A
Monthly Cost (Per User, Most Popular Plan)
Whimsical: Yes (text-to-diagram, AI suggestions) | Notion: N/A
Whimsical: 500+ | Notion: 10000+ community templates
Whimsical: No (cloud-only) | Notion: No (Cloud-only)
Whimsical: Limited (requires internet) | Notion: N/A
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Notion's cloud servers
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Free / $8-15 per user
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Customizable approach
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Moderate support
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Real-time co-editing, permissions, comments, activity tracking
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Full (relational databases, rollups, formulas)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Cloud-hosted (Notion controls servers)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Yes (built-in AI assistant)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: High availability (no published SLA)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 9/10 (blocks, databases, relations)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 5/10 (basic automations only)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 2-50 users (flexible scale)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 7-14 days (custom setup required)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $10 (Plus tier)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $20 (Business tier)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $24+ (Enterprise, custom)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Limited task/project features
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 9/10 - Highly customizable
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 8/10 - Steep learning curve
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 9/10 - Native docs & databases
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Basic (manual linking only)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Comprehensive (wiki, docs, databases, linked records)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: No (requires manual setup with databases)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Very High (fully customizable databases and properties)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 10 (free plan with guests)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Not available (must track manually)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Excellent for non-technical users - intuitive linked properties
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Limited native two-way sync capability
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Built-in AI assistant with limited agent connections
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Steep learning curve with flexible drag-and-drop
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Exceptional - optimized for feature roadmaps and linked data
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Basic (via integrations only)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Limited tier system
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Full editor (formatting, blocks, collaboration)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 100+ templates and integrations
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Unlimited with role-based permissions
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Flexible block-based editor with databases
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Teams, project managers, content creators
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Views API, Markdown support, automatic retries (2026)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 600+ via Zapier
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Unlimited blocks and pages
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Full relational database support
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Limited offline capabilities
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Table, Board, Timeline, Calendar, Gallery, List
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: REST API and official SDK
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Comments, mentions, real-time editing, threads
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Free (or $10/month for AI)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 5 basic options
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Limited offline; web-first platform
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $0 (free tier exists)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Basic linked mentions; manual linking required
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 400+ (official integrations)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 100+ million across all sectors
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Free (Plus $10/user)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Moderate (2-3 seconds with complex databases)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 1000+ through Zapier and native
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: All-in-one workspace & documentation
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 3-7 days depending on customization
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Native iOS/Android, good but slower
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: SSO, AI features, advanced permissions, audit logs
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 30-60 (database learning curve)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 8 (iOS/Android, full sync)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: PDF/CSV (some lock-in)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 10+ million active users
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Yes, basic timeline view only
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 3 requests per second (~180/min)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Limited (manual + integrations)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 50,000+ community templates
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Cloud-based SaaS
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Proprietary blocks
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: CSV / Markdown export
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Yes — real-time
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Cloud (built-in)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Limited (limited API)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Notion AI (bundled in Business/Enterprise; trial on Free/Plus)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Free (10 guests)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Plus $10/user/mo
Free Tier Monthly Recording/Creation Limit
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Unlimited pages
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: AI-powered search, Q&A, writing assistance (add-on)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Centralized knowledge/PM workspace
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $100 (10 users @ $10)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $10 (Unlimited plan)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Read-only offline (web); requires app for editing
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Full relational databases with 10+ view types
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 5-10 hours for proficiency
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Public API with Zapier/webhook support
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $10/month (Plus plan)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 3 (full page, bookmark, simple)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Basic (AI blocks limited to Pro/Team plans)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 0 (no native integration)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 500+ via Zapier, native integrations, and API
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 1000+ community and official templates
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Limited (requires sync after reconnect)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 30 minutes (learning curve for full features)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Personal Plan)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Unlimited workspace content; 5GB file attachments
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Yes - relations, filters, sorts, multiple views
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Full offline mode (desktop app)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 60+ (steep learning curve)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Basic (simple triggers and actions)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Yes - unlimited pages and sharing
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Yes (native relations, rollups, and rollup filters)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 6 (Table, Calendar, Timeline, Gallery, Board, List)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 10,000 (performance degrades noticeably after 5,000)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 1,500+ (Zapier, Slack, webhooks, and native integrations)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Comments, mentions, reminders only
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $120/year (Plus plan)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 6 platforms (Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Advanced relational databases with filtering and sorting
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Full real-time collaboration with comments and permissions
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Partial offline (web requires internet, mobile has limited offline mode)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Proprietary Notion format (limited standard export)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 30-60 minutes to understand core features
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Robust public API with extensive integration ecosystem
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Unlimited (Plus plan)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Not FedRAMP authorized
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $0 (limited to 1M blocks/month)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Unlimited (team plan dependent)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 1-to-1, Many-to-1, Many-to-Many
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 12+ (Table, Board, Calendar, Timeline, Gallery, etc.)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 6+ (complex feature set requires training)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 8+ (PDF, HTML, Markdown, CSV, etc.)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $10 (Plus plan)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Yes - unlimited blocks and databases
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 75+ million registered users (as of 2024)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $120 per year (Plus plan, no AI)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Unlimited in Team plan
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Unlimited (per subscription)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: No (third-party integrations only)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: No (web-based only)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Notion AI included in Pro/Team plans
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Linear page-based structure
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Full relational databases with filters, sorts, relations
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Full offline capability with sync
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Unlimited blocks + 10 GB files
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $10 (unlimited access)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 50+ integrated features
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Limited (requires extension)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Timeline view available; no dependency or critical path analysis
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Manual tracking only; no native capacity features
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 10,000 rows (performance degrades)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Limited cross-database visibility
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 5-10 MB per block
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 5+ (Table, Gallery, Kanban, Calendar, Timeline)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 1000+ templates
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $12 (Notion Team plan)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $0 (personal), $120/year (Pro single-user)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 5 GB (Notion personal, expandable)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 50+ (SUM, IF, COUNT, ROLLUP, etc.)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 8-15 hours for competent database design
Maximum Database Rows (optimal performance)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 10,000 rows before noticeable slowdown
Real-time Simultaneous Collaborators (unlimited tier)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Limited by workspace plan (typically 10-50 concurrent editors)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Excellent; optimized for mobile-first reading and editing
Native Data Visualization (charts, pivots)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: No; requires third-party tools or manual workarounds
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Full relational with rollups, formulas, aggregations
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Limited (formula-based)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Full offline mode
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Yes, real-time collaboration
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Up to 10 databases/pages
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 6 views (table, kanban, calendar, timeline, gallery, list)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Unlimited relations, rollups, formulas, and filters
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: View-only for complex databases; limited editing
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 120-240 minutes (requires template setup)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Yes - rich-text with synced blocks and templates
Max Database Items Before Performance Degradation
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: No (Zapier workaround only)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 1-2 seconds (1000-2000ms)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 10+ (stable with minor lag)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: No native email; third-party only
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 100+ REST API endpoints
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Read-only mode offline
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 1000+ community templates + Zapier/Make
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: iOS + Android official apps
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 800+ official templates
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Notion API + CSV/Markdown exports
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $14 (Pro plan, annual)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $32 (Team plan, annual)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 12 basic automation triggers
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 30 hours for proficiency
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Basic calendar view (limited critical path analysis)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Unlimited custom fields, relations, formulas, rollups, and linked databases
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 500+ via Zapier, 50+ native
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $10 (billed annually)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: ~10,000+ templates
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Unlimited with cursor presence
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Optimized up to 10,000 items per view
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Database automations, API integrations, Zapier/Make support
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $10.00 (or free)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 15+ (Table, Kanban, Calendar, Gallery, Timeline, etc.)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $120/month (Pro plan, capped usage)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $120/month (unlimited members, Pro)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 0 native (requires third-party integration)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Full rich-text editor with embeds
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Advanced, with rollups and filters
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Limited offline; requires internet for most features
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 10-14 days for average user
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Sync requires active internet connection
Starting Price per User/Month (Annual Billing)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $10/user (free tier available)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Unlimited users, unlimited workspaces
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Third-party only (Zapier)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Advanced (rollups, lookups, formulas)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 3 requests/second (180/min)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 1.4s (typical page/database view)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 300+ integrations via Zapier/native
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $0 (Unlimited free tier)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: No (requires integration)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 5 views (Table, Board, Calendar, Timeline, Gallery)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 30+ automation options
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 10+ types (includes relations, rollups, formulas, templates)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 2-4 hours to start productive work
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Limited (basic role options, no granular permissions)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $150/month (15 members × $10)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $500/month (50 members × $10)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 1 (comments only)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 8 (relational, formulas, rollups, filters, sorts, synced blocks, templates)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Unlimited free tier available
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 40% of desktop features
Base Monthly Cost Per User (Annual Billing)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $10.00 (Team plan)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Unlimited users
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Not native - timeline view available via database relations
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Manual tracking via database properties
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Full support with many-to-many relations and rollups
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Basic - templates and button automations, limited conditional logic
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 150+ integrations via Zapier, Make, and native connectors
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Unlimited pages (feature-limited)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 8 (basic actions only)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Full rich-text editor with synced blocks
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Linked databases with basic relations
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 3 (Table, Board, Gallery)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 50+ simultaneous
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $10 (Personal Pro with AI)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 30-60 minutes to configure workspace
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Advanced with filtering, sorting, and relations
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Unlimited simultaneous editors
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $10 (Plus plan, free tier available with limits)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: $120/year ($600 over 5 years)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 2000-4000ms (dependent on internet)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Full (one-to-many, many-to-many, rollups, formulas)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 200+ (primarily cosmetic and integration)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: Manual creation (no AI)
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 20+ interface languages
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 0 without AI add-on
Whimsical: N/A | Notion: 0% (no AI acceleration)
How to choose between Whimsical and Notion
Whimsical vs Notion — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Whimsical vs Notion. Contains 399 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Whimsical vs Notion — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Whimsical vs Notion.
Which tool is better for wireframing and user flows?
Whimsical is significantly better for wireframing and user flows. It includes 40+ specialized wireframe and flowchart templates, auto-layout features, and responsive frames designed for UX work. Notion lacks native wireframing tools and would require manual shape arrangement, making it 3-4x slower for this use case.
Can I use Notion as a replacement for Whimsical?
Partially. Notion's canvas feature (available on paid plans) allows basic shapes and connectors, but it lacks keyboard shortcuts, auto-alignment, and diagram-specific templates. For serious diagramming, it's 70% slower than Whimsical. However, Notion excels at embedding diagrams within documentation.
Which has better collaboration for distributed teams?
Notion offers unlimited concurrent collaborators across all tiers, while Whimsical limits free users to 3-5 concurrent editors. Both support real-time cursors and commenting, but Notion's unlimited scaling makes it better for larger teams without friction.
Is Whimsical or Notion better for knowledge management?
Notion is vastly superior for knowledge management. It combines wikis, databases, and linked documents with relational capabilities (cross-linking projects, people, and topics). Whimsical is purely visual and not designed for document storage or searchable knowledge bases.
What's the total cost of ownership for a 10-person team over 1 year?
Whimsical: $1,200-$1,800 (Pro at $120/user/year for active designers). Notion: $1,200 (Pro at $120/user/year, but one workspace covers 10 users). Notion is more cost-effective at scale because each user license unlocks the entire workspace, while Whimsical charges per-user.
How to Choose Between Whimsical and Notion
Primary Purpose: Whimsical has Flowcharts, wireframes, and diagrams, while Notion has All-in-one workspace (docs, databases, tasks).
Consider: Learning Curve (Hours to Proficiency)
Learning Curve (Hours to Proficiency): Whimsical has 1-2 hours, while Notion has 4-6 hours.
Free Plan Limitations: Whimsical has Up to 5 projects, limited templates, while Notion has Unlimited blocks, unlimited pages.
Collaboration Real-time Users: Whimsical has Up to 20 concurrent editors, while Notion has Unlimited concurrent editors.
Database Functionality: Whimsical has Basic shape/object organization, while Notion has Advanced relational databases with rollups, relations, formulas.
API Access Tier: Whimsical has Limited to Pro plan and above, while Notion has Available on all paid plans.
Consider: Diagram Creation Speed (Templates Available)
Diagram Creation Speed (Templates Available): Whimsical has 80+ pre-built templates, while Notion has 15-20 relevant workspace templates.