LayersvsNotion Complete comparison
Projects, docs, calls and chat, AI, pricing and deployment — from an EU cloud to your own server. Based on public data.
Where Layers goes further than Notion
Everything in one window
Docs, tasks, calls, chat, calendar, mail, drive and editors behind one sign-in. In Notion the calendar is a separate app, and there are no calls or chat.
Calls next to the work
A call starts from the group chat, and projects stay open while it runs. Notion can take notes on Zoom, Meet or Teams calls but can’t place calls itself.
Your data, your choice
A Docker image for an air-gapped network, or a cloud in an EU data center on every plan. Notion runs only in the AWS cloud; EU storage is Enterprise only.
Agents create tasks
Over MCP an agent creates tasks with assignees and due dates, pages and forms. Notion has an MCP server too, but its projects are built on databases.
Why teams switch
What Layers has out of the box
No need to buy calls, a messenger and a calendar separately and wire them together.
Calls and chat
A call is one button in the group chat
Notion has no calls or chat of its own: teams meet in Zoom or Meet and talk in Slack. In Layers, Start a call sits in the group header: you join, colleagues follow, and everyone gets a tile with their name.
All about communication →
Calendar
Meetings and task deadlines in one week
Notion Calendar is a separate app that shows your Google, iCloud or Outlook calendars. In Layers the calendar is part of the workspace: meetings and your tasks by due date share one week. Timed ones sit in the grid, all-day ones in the All day row.
More about Calendar →Projects
Tasks as a ready module, not a database
In Notion, projects are built on databases. In Layers they are a module of their own: one click on the Board tab and the same tasks line up in status columns. Nothing is copied.
More about Projects →Agents over MCP
An agent creates tasks with assignees and due dates
Notion has an MCP server too. In Layers an agent works with more than pages: it breaks a plan into tasks, sets assignees and due dates, and the tasks land in the backlog just like ones created by hand.
More about AI →Point by point
Layers vs Notion, feature by feature
Fourteen capabilities across docs, communication, AI and data. Based on public data as of October 4, 2026.
Docs and tasks
Docs and wiki
Team knowledge base
Yes. Pages and databases are the core of Notion
Yes. Page tree, the / menu, version history, publishing with a PIN
Projects and tasks
Sprints, boards and deadlines
Yes. Built on databases: Timeline, dependencies, sprints
Yes. A ready module: sprints, board, milestones, task keys
Forms
Surveys and requests
Yes. On all plans; conditional logic on Business and Enterprise
Yes. Surveys and quizzes, logic between steps
.docx and .xlsx editors
Documents and spreadsheets as files
No. No own editors: a .docx can only be imported into a page
Yes. SumDoc and SumSheet open files right from Drive
Drive
Team files
Partly. Files are page attachments; up to 5 MB per file on Free
Yes. Folders, preview of images, video and PDF without downloading
Communication
Video calls
Team and guest meetings
No. No own calls; AI Meeting Notes records Zoom, Meet or Teams calls
Yes. Calls from chat, guests by link; recording from the Plus plan
Chat
Team messaging
No. Comments and discussions on pages, no messenger
Yes. Groups, threads, reactions, calls from chat
Calendar
Meetings and deadlines
Partly. Notion Calendar is a separate app on top of Google, iCloud or Outlook
Yes. Meetings and your task deadlines in one week
AI and agents
AI assistant
Answers about the team’s work
Partly. Full access on Business and Enterprise; a trial on Free and Plus
Yes. The assistant on every plan; the credit allowance depends on the plan
MCP server
Claude, Cursor and other agents
Yes. Official MCP server
Yes. Tasks, pages and forms via a scoped token
Data and access
Self-hosting
Run it yourself
No. Cloud only: Notion runs on AWS
Yes. A Docker image you can install air-gapped
EU data storage
Where the data lives
Partly. Enterprise only; data is stored in the US by default
Yes. The platform runs in an EU data center on every plan
Linux app
Team computers
No. No app; Notion suggests the browser
Yes. deb, rpm and AppImage
Free for a team
Start without paying
Partly. With two or more members — a 1,000-block limit, files up to 5 MB
Yes. Up to 20 people, no time limit: 5 GB, files up to 25 MB
One window for the whole team
Tasks, docs, calls, chat and mail in one workspace.
What it costs
The models differ: Notion charges per member and unlocks features on higher plans; Layers gives every module on every plan, and the price depends on team size.
Notion
$10 · $20
Plus · Business — per member per month, billed yearly
- Monthly — $12 and $24
- Full AI on Business and Enterprise
- EU storage on Enterprise only, price on request
- No calls, chat or self-hosting
From notion.com/pricing as of October 4, 2026.
Layers
$9
per person per month — teams up to 50
- Business, up to 500 people — $39
- Every module and AI on every plan
- Cloud in an EU data center
- Self-hosted — pricing on request
From layers.md/pricing.
Free for teams of up to 20, no time limit, no card.
Self-hosted
Notion is cloud only. Layers runs on your server too
Notion runs in the AWS cloud, and EU data storage is Enterprise only. The Layers cloud runs in an EU data center on every plan. Self-hosting is a Docker image for an air-gapped network, and the admin panel shows who signed in and from which device.
How to start
Free for up to 20 people
Every module, no time limit, no card: 5 GB per workspace, files up to 25 MB.
Start free →Your own server
A Docker image for an air-gapped network; the first 90 days are a trial. Pricing on request.
Discuss self-hosting →How is Layers different from Notion?
Notion is docs, databases and tasks built on them. Layers puts calls, chat, calendar, mail, drive, forms, flows and the SumDoc and SumSheet editors in the same window as docs and projects. And Layers can be deployed on your own server.
How much does Layers cost compared with Notion?
Layers is free for teams of up to 20, with no time limit. The paid cloud starts at $9 per person per month, with every module included. Notion as of October 4, 2026: Plus — $10, Business — $20 per member per month billed yearly, Enterprise — on request. Notion’s full AI is on Business and Enterprise.
Can Notion run on my own server?
No. According to Notion’s help center, the service runs in the AWS cloud and the company has no data centers of its own. Layers installs on your server as a Docker image: the first 90 days are a trial, then a licence. Pricing on request: we'll discuss your team size, support and licence terms — write to us.
Where is the data stored?
In the Layers cloud — in an EU data center, on every plan. On your own server — with you. Notion stores data in the US by default, and EU data residency is Enterprise only.
Does Layers include AI on the free plan?
Yes. The AI assistant is on every plan; the credit allowance depends on the plan. Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients connect with a token — no AI key needed.
Which devices does Layers run on?
In the browser, on macOS, Windows and Linux, on iPhone, iPad and Android. And on your own server.
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Notion is a trademark of Notion Labs, Inc. Compared using public data as of October 4, 2026. Layers is not affiliated with Notion Labs, Inc.; Notion’s plans and features may change. Logos and names belong to their owners and are used only to identify the product in this comparison.
Sources on Notion: notion.com/pricing, help/security-and-privacy, help/data-residency, help/notion-ai-faqs, help/ai-meeting-notes, help/guides/comments-and-discussions, product/calendar, help/forms, help/sprints, help/understanding-block-usage, help/images-files-and-media, help/notion-for-desktop, developers.notion.com/docs/get-started-with-mcp.