Notion AI vs ChatGPT: Decoding The Best AI Solution

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the massive number of AI productivity tools claiming to boost your efficiency? Well, we are almost in an era where time is valued as currency. And if nothing, these AI assistants like Notion AI or ChatGPT help us save tons of hours required for content creation.

While Notion is popularly known as a project management tool, it has launched its new feature, Notion AI. Built on OpenAI’s GPT-3.5, like ChatGPT, the Notion AI helps you to summarize content, write drafts, brainstorm ideas, or even fix spelling and grammar.

Now, ChatGPT can do all of it. Thus, the confusion- Notion AI vs ChatGPT, which one is better?

The answer to the question is not a straightforward one! That’s why we have this blog.

Here, we’ll explore the unique capabilities of Notion AI and ChatGPT. We are going to weigh their pros-cons and provide you with the insights needed to make an informed decision.

Of course, we’ll look at practical scenarios for different use cases, dig deeper into user experiences, and take a close look at the cost-effectiveness.

Whether you’re a startup founder, a digital nomad, or a creative mind, get ready to discover which AI companion can turn your productivity pain points into a thing of the past.

Notion AI vs ChatGPT: Key Differences

What are Notion AI and ChatGPT?

Notion AI

Notion AI isn’t just a workspace; it’s a game-changer in organizing work. The tool is created with one goal – to merge human-like insight with digital speed. Think of it as a virtual helper that not only sorts your notes and tasks but also predicts your needs and makes routine tasks easier.

The essence of Notion AI is to offer a smooth, natural experience. It’s like an extension of your brain, designed to simplify life. Whether it’s handling a big project, brainstorming your next big idea, or just lining up your daily tasks, Notion AI is about making task management easier.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT comes from the GPT family, known for mimicking human conversation. OpenAI developed ChatGPT to be more than a question-answer bot. It’s trained on a wide range of internet texts to understand the context and subtleties of language.

ChatGPT has grown to handle detailed chats, like writing emails, coding, or poetry. It’s built on the GPT-3.5 model, which can offer responses that feel incredibly human.

Not sure how can you make the most out of the AI writing tool? Here is a guide on how to use ChatGPT?

Both Notion AI and ChatGPT represent the cutting edge of AI development, but they serve different needs and excel in different scenarios. However, when it comes to popularity and use cases, ChatGPT has better numbers to support its cause. As OpenAI claimed, over 80% of the Fortune 500 businesses use ChatGPT.

We will delve further into the capabilities of these generative AI tools. The best tool for you will hinge on how you work and think and what you need your AI assistant to achieve.

Want to know more about the most suitable alternative to ChatGPT for different use cases? Check out the best ChatGPT alternatives.

Notion AI vs. ChatGPT: Comparing core functions and capabilities

Before we dive in, let’s get some basic understanding. Both Notion AI and ChatGPT are diverse AI tools designed to make our lives easier. These ChatGPT apps help automate tasks, generate text, answer questions, and more, all with the power of artificial intelligence.

So here in this section of our Notion AI vs ChatGPT comparison guide, we will take a close look at the tools’ usability for different use cases, availability, and price.

Let’s find out which of these AI writing assistants can make life easier for you,

1. Availability and pricing

While comparing both ChatGPT and Notion AI, the most important factor that we can start with is the availability and cost-effectiveness of the tools.

To use Notion AI, you must first create an account on the platform. Once you’ve signed up, there is this option to add the Notion AI feature to your plan. Notion is free on the basic plan, but the AI feature requires a payment of $10 per month for free membership users. For premium subscribers, the cost varies depending on your subscription type – $10 monthly or $8 monthly if you’re an annual subscriber.

On the other hand, ChatGPT offers some basic features for free. However, if you’re willing to spend a little, $20 per month gets you the ChatGPT Plus, which gives you priority access and additional features.

While Notion AI seems to be a cheaper option compared to ChatGPT’s paid plan, it’s not as versatile as ChatGPT can be for you. Apart from that, you can use ChatGPT for free but can’t access the AI feature in Notion for free.

2. Idea generation

As a content creator, one of my favorite features of these AI tools is the ability to brainstorm. With Notion AI, you can find quite a few tools for drafting ideas – for articles, social media posts, or even press releases. It has this Draft with AI feature that offers built-in templates. Just type in your subject, and voila, a list of potential topics appears!

Here’s how you can leverage it:

• Topic suggestions: Simply enter a keyword related to your niche, and Notion AI will present you with a variety of topics to explore. This feature is particularly useful when you’re facing writer’s block or need to diversify your content.
• Content outlines: Beyond topics, Notion AI can help structure your thoughts by providing outlines. Input your choice of topic, and it will suggest headings and subheadings, giving you a clear roadmap for your article or post.
• Interactive brainstorming: Engage with the AI by asking follow-up questions. If a suggested topic piques your interest, ask for more details or related concepts to deepen your pool of ideas.

ChatGPT also offers a similar feature. After logging into your account, you can prompt the AI to generate a list of ideas based on your input. It takes more of a conversational approach when it comes to generating ideas. You need to write specific instructions for the AI assistant and ask it to act like an expert in your field of discussion, and it will come up with valuable inputs.

Here is what you can do with ChatGPT,

• Interactive dialogue: Start by typing a prompt related to your content topic. ChatGPT will respond with a list of ideas, much like a brainstorming session with a colleague. The more specific your prompt, the more tailored the suggestions.
• Diverse perspectives: ChatGPT’s training on a vast array of internet text allows it to offer diverse perspectives. Whether you’re looking for trendy, niche, or evergreen content ideas, ChatGPT can cater to your needs.
• Real-time refinement: As you interact with ChatGPT, you can refine the suggestions in real time. Not quite hitting the mark? Provide feedback, and ChatGPT will adjust its responses accordingly.

Idea generation in action

Let’s say you’re a food blogger looking for the next big topic. You might input “healthy desserts” and receive a list of trending diet-friendly sweets.

Now, with Notion AI, it might take a lot of work to expand on that idea! You can see from the screenshot below that upon asking Notion AI to come up with the recipe for the first few items,

In the case of ChatGPT, it could take you to write a more detailed prompt where you need to ask ChatGPT to behave like a chef or dietician and ask for “healthy dessert ideas,” and it will offer a dialogue of suggestions. Then, you can ask the AI assistant to expand on those suggestions and ask for recipes for the interesting items.

3. Summarizing and organizing

One thing I love about Notion AI is its ability to summarize your pages. It’s a handy tool when you want to keep your notes organized and easily understandable. However, I found it a tad rough around the edges and required a bit of tweaking to get a satisfying summary.

You will find the summarising feature more useful when:

• Reviewing extensive notes: After a long brainstorming session or meeting, Notion AI can quickly provide a summary that captures the key points, saving you the effort of sifting through pages of text.
• Preparing executive summaries: When you need to present the gist of a project or report to stakeholders, Notion AI can help craft a concise overview that highlights the most critical information.

ChatGPT also offers a summarizing feature. You can ask the AI to provide summaries on a variety of topics or even summarize your entire conversation till that point.

It’s particularly suitable for:

• Summarizing discussions: If you’ve had a lengthy chat with ChatGPT, you can ask it to summarize the conversation, which is useful for recalling advice or steps provided during the interaction.
• Research summaries: Provide ChatGPT with text on a specific topic, and it will give you a neat summary. This is especially handy for students and researchers dealing with large volumes of information.

4. Answering questions

Now, this is where ChatGPT shines. It’s incredibly useful when you have broader questions that need answers. You can ask a wide range of questions, from why people like or dislike certain things or even asking about the most common exercise regimens. However, you must double-check the information, as it may not be 100% accurate.

You can make ChatGPT work like that knowledgeable friend who is always there to engage in a one-on-one conversation.

The feature becomes particularly useful when it comes to:

• General knowledge: Whether it’s historical facts, scientific concepts, or cultural trivia, ChatGPT can answer your queries. The best part? The answers you get are not only informative but also easy to understand.
• Problem-solving: Stuck on a problem? ChatGPT can be your go-to help! Be it a coding challenge or a math equation, the AI chatbot can guide you through potential solutions.
• Get diverse perspectives: For more subjective inquiries, ChatGPT can do a much better job than Notion AI. For example, you can use ChatGPT to brainstorm gift ideas or discuss the themes of a novel and offer diverse perspectives.

Notion AI, on the other hand, is more suited for explaining parts of the text on your pages. It’s not mainly designed for answering random questions.

However, you may find Notion AI useful for:

• Clarifying concepts: If you’re reviewing notes or documents in your Notion workspace and come across a complex idea. You can simply use Notion AI to help break it down into more understandable terms.
• Answer to focused queries: Suppose you are working on a specific document in your Notion workspace. Now, you have come across this marketing jargon that you need help understanding. Rather than reaching the document owner, you can simply ask Notion AI specific questions related to the content you’re working on; the AI can provide targeted explanations.

5. Translation: bridging language gaps

Both Notion AI and ChatGPT offer translation features. But with Notion AI, it’s a much easier option to access. You can translate your pages into different languages, which can be a real boon for language learners.

Here is a glimpse of the translation feature from Notion AI:

You can use the Notion AI assistant for,

• Page translation: Instantly translate the content of your pages, making it easier to share information with international teams or clients.
• Learning aid: Language learners can use Notion AI to practice reading and writing in different languages by translating their notes and comparing them with the original text.
• Customizable: Tailor the translation settings to maintain the tone and style of the original content, ensuring that nuances aren’t lost in translation.

ChatGPT also allows you to translate words, phrases, and your entire conversation into other languages. However, ChatGPT’s translation feature is not as easy to access as Notion AI. But it can be handy if you want to translate any document outside your workspace.

For example, you can use ChatGPT  for the following tasks and make the most out of it,

• Translate on the go: You can quickly translate words, phrases, or sentences during a conversation, making it a handy tool for travelers or anyone who needs immediate translation assistance.
• Learning language: With ChatGPT, you can engage in a dialogue in a foreign language. It can offer translations and corrections as you practice.
• Cultural nuance: ChatGPT can often grasp cultural subtleties, which can be crucial for accurately translating idiomatic expressions.

6. To-Do lists: staying on top of tasks

If you love staying organized, you will, of course, find the ability to create to-do lists in both Notion AI and ChatGPT really useful. Especially with Notion, it’s very easy to create a to-do list. It has a feature called ‘Find action items.’ You can use it to generate a list of necessary tasks.

On the other hand, ChatGPT requires a little more context to create personalized lists. For example, to get a to-do list, you need to create a well-defined prompt that explains your tasks and ask ChatGPT to create a to-do list for you.

7. Stability: can you rely on them?

When it comes to reliability, Notion AI is much more consistent compared to ChatGPT. It’s available whenever you need it and can be used on various pages within your workspace. ChatGPT, however, had some initial hiccups but has become more stable over time. However, it can sometimes hit full capacity, limiting your access unless you upgrade to ChatGPT Plus.

Notion AI vs ChatGPT – The final verdict

Notion AI excels in workspace integration, making it ideal for tasks like summarizing documents, translating text, and managing to-do lists. Its user-friendly interface ensures a smooth experience within your project space.

Whereas ChatGPT comes with broader capabilities. It is perfect for dynamic idea generation and answering diverse questions. However, if you want to use it effectively, you need to master the tool. For users who are okay with going through a steep learning curve, ChatGPT is a powerful tool.

Now, regarding both tools’ availability and stability, Notion AI is more consistent. Free ChatGPT users can face accessibility issues due to high demand.

Ultimately, the choice between Notion AI vs. ChatGPT depends on your specific needs. Notion AI is great for seamless workspace integration, whereas ChatGPT suits those seeking a versatile AI assistant. Exploring alternatives to both might also be beneficial for a comprehensive solution.

For that matter, you can check out some Notion AI alternatives or find the best ChatGPT alternatives!

Talking about finding a comprehensive solution, if you want the best of both worlds, Writesonic can be your ideal choice. As one of the best productivity tools and AI assistants available, Writesonic brings the convenience of Notion AI and the versatility of ChatGPT together in its own unique essence.

Writesonic offers its own AI assistant, Chatsonic, which has better potential than ChatGPT and can do anything ChatGPT has to do for you. Apart from that, with Writesonic, you get the other suits of tools. From writing a factually correct informative blog post in minutes to optimizing it with the right keywords and other SEO factors, Writesonic is simply the best choice for those who are trying to use Notion AI or ChatGPT for content creation.

Satwick Ghosh

Satwick Ghosh, Staff writer @ Writesonic. An SEO content marketing expert skilled in AI marketing tools. Crafting content, and busting myths with AI writing through result-driven content strategies.