Notion is built for startups and students, with a focus on databases and kanban. Plane targets developers and open source advocates and leads with cycles and modules.

Pricing is close: Plane starts at $7/mo versus $10/mo for Notion — not a deciding factor on its own.

Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.

Notion edges out on user ratings (4.6 vs 4.2). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.

Feature-wise, Notion offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Plane takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.

Both tools are a solid fit for startups — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.

Bottom line: Notion has a slight overall edge — but if open source and self-hostable matters most to you, Plane may still be the right call.