Quick Links
You might not need a Notion subscription if you’re an individual or a small team. As long as you know the limitations of the free plan in terms of everyday use, it might be all you need.
1Unlimited Pages and Blocks for Individuals
When you use the free version of Notion as an individual, you can create as many pages and blocks (e.g., text, headings, checkboxes, bullet points) as you want. So if you’re worried that at some point you’re going to hit a limit, don’t be.
The only time you are limited on the free plan is if you create a team workspace, which has a limit of 1,000 blocks. However, you can work around this by creating multiple team workspaces if needed.
2Unlimited Storage Space
The free plan on Notion allows you to upload as many files as you want. However, you may only upload 5 MB at a time, while there’s no upload limit for the paid plans. But this isn’t as restrictive as you’d think, since, if you’re the average user, you won’t be uploading large files anyway.
Besides, there are ways to get around it. For instance, large files can always be compressed or uploaded to cloud storage (e.g.,Google Drive or OneDrive) and then embedded in Notion.
37-Day Page History
Notion’s free plan includes a seven-day page history that allows you to view and restore previous versions of your pages from within the past week. The Plus and Business plans extend this period to 30 and 90 days, respectively. However, the seven-day window is usually enough for most users.
For instance, if I’m going to revise my content, I will most likely do it within a few days of making the changes. So if I want to revert to an older version, it will happen within those seven days.
Also, you’re able to always get around this limitation by exporting your pages whenever you make critical changes. You will always have a backup this way, which can help build a long-term archive of your pages beyond just seven, 30, or 90 days.
4You Can Still Integrate It With Your Favorite Apps
If you are on the free plan, you can still integrate Notion with several of your favorite apps, such as Slack, Asana, Jira, and Figma. The biggest limitation of the free plan in this regard is the ability to create database automation. The only app you can do that with for free is Slack, but if you want to create custom automations for all types of scenarios, you will need to pay.
But if all you need is basic integration with the apps you already use and automation with Slack, which many teams use, the free plan has you covered.
5Plenty of Free Templates to Choose From
Whether you are using the free or paid plans, you still have access to the sametemplates on Notion. While there are paid templates available, there aren’t any premium templates that are exclusive to paid members.
The one problem you will run into is templates with custom database automations. While they will run on the free plan, you won’t be able to edit or delete them unless you upgrade to a paid plan.
But if the template already does what you need, you won’t need to modify it, which is great for the average user.
6You Can Invite Up to 10 Guests
On the free plan, Notion allows you to add up to 10 guests, temporary collaborators who aren’t a part of your organization, to your Notion workspace. The paid plans allow you to add 100 or more. Unless you are looking to build a very large team, 10 guests should be enough for most cases.
Besides, you’re able to always remove inactive guests or create multiple workspaces to accommodate more people. Notion is flexible enough to let you structure collaborative spaces in ways that make sense to you when you reach your limits.
When deciding on whether you need afree or paid plan on Notion, it’s always best to assess your needs. If you arenew to Notion, I suggest starting with the free plan for a month to see if it’s enough for you. If you find yourself consistently bumping into limitations that affect your workflow, then you’re able to consider upgrading to a paid plan.
