Is Arc or Notion better?

Neither clearly leads. Arc starts at Free and Notion at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Arc or Notion?

Arc starts at Free and Notion at Free.

Does Arc or Notion run on more platforms?

Arc runs on macOS, Windows, iOS. Notion runs on Web, iOS, Android.

Can I use Arc for free?

Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.

What is Arc best used for?

Arc is most often used for organizing work across multiple projects within one browser, separating personal and professional browsing with spaces, privacy-conscious web browsing without tracking, tab and window management for productivity. Of those, organizing work across multiple projects within one browser and separating personal and professional browsing with spaces are not what Notion is typically brought in for.

What can Arc do that Notion cannot?

Arc covers Spaces and Profiles, Split View, Themes, Privacy-First Design. Notion covers Rich text editing with blocks, Customizable databases, Kanban boards and calendars, Real-time collaboration.

Browser Extensions · head to head

Arc vs Notion

Arc

Browser Extensions

Chromium-based browser organized around user workflows

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Notion

Technology

All-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, wikis, and databases

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: Arc no longer receiving active feature development as of May 2025, entering maintenance mode; Notion free plan limited to 1,000 blocks for 2+ member workspaces, restricting team usage
They diverge on capability: Arc covers Spaces and Profiles, Notion covers Rich text editing with blocks.
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arc and Notion actually diverge.

Attributes where Arc and Notion differ
Attribute	Arc	Notion
Pricing model	Free	Unknown
Platforms	macOS, Windows, iOS	Web, iOS, Android
Category	Browser Extensions	Technology
Founded	Unknown	2016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Arc

Spaces and Profiles
Split View
Themes
Privacy-First Design
Chromium Updates

Only in Notion

Rich text editing with blocks
Customizable databases
Kanban boards and calendars
Real-time collaboration
Template library
File attachments
Web clipper
API access

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Arc

Organizing work across multiple projects within one browsernot Notion
Separating personal and professional browsing with spacesnot Notion
Privacy-conscious web browsing without trackingnot Notion
Tab and window management for productivitynot Notion

Notion

Project managementnot Arc
Knowledge base creationnot Arc
Note-taking and documentationnot Arc
Team collaborationnot Arc
Content planningnot Arc

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Arc

No longer receiving active feature development as of May 2025, entering maintenance mode
Limited cross-platform availability compared to mainstream browsers
Smaller ecosystem of extensions compared to Chrome
Focused on macOS and Windows, with limited iOS support

Notion

Free plan limited to 1,000 blocks for 2+ member workspaces, restricting team usage
Free tier only includes trial AI capabilities; full Notion AI requires paid plan
Page history limited to 7 days on free plan
Per-member pricing increases costs for teams compared to flat-rate competitors
Limited automation capabilities compared to dedicated workflow platforms

Pricing, plan by plan

Arc

Free

ArcFree
- Spaces and profiles organization
- Split view customization
- Themes and personalization

Notion

Free

FreeFree
- 1000 block limit (2+ members)
- 7-day page history
- 5MB file upload cap
Plus$10/month
- Unlimited blocks
- 30-day page history
- Unlimited file uploads
Business$20/month
- All Plus features
- Notion Agent
- AI Meeting Notes
Enterprise$undefined/custom
- All Business features
- Advanced controls
- Audit logs

Which should you pick?

Choose Arc if

You need spaces and profiles.
You want to start without paying.
You work on macOS, Windows, iOS.
You also want split view.

Arc review

Choose Notion if

You need rich text editing with blocks.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, iOS, Android.
You also want customizable databases.

Notion review

Questions people ask

Is Arc or Notion better?: Neither clearly leads. Arc starts at Free and Notion at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arc or Notion?: Arc starts at Free and Notion at Free.
Does Arc or Notion run on more platforms?: Arc runs on macOS, Windows, iOS. Notion runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Arc for free?: Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Arc best used for?: Arc is most often used for organizing work across multiple projects within one browser, separating personal and professional browsing with spaces, privacy-conscious web browsing without tracking, tab and window management for productivity. Of those, organizing work across multiple projects within one browser and separating personal and professional browsing with spaces are not what Notion is typically brought in for.
What can Arc do that Notion cannot?: Arc covers Spaces and Profiles, Split View, Themes, Privacy-First Design. Notion covers Rich text editing with blocks, Customizable databases, Kanban boards and calendars, Real-time collaboration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Arc: Does Arc Browser cost anything to use?

Arc is completely free to download and use with no subscription required. All features are available at no cost.

Source

Notion: What features are included in the free Notion plan?

The free plan ($0/member/month) includes trial AI capabilities, basic forms and sites, Notion Calendar access, unlimited databases, up to 10 external guests, and 7-day page history.

Source

Arc: What operating systems does Arc support?

Arc is available on macOS, Windows, and iOS. Windows and mobile versions are available for download.

Source

Notion: What is the difference between Plus and Business plans?

Plus ($10/member/month) adds custom forms, unlimited file uploads, and 30-day history. Business ($20/member/month) adds Notion Agent for autonomous tasks, AI Meeting Notes, and advanced security features.

Source

Arc: Will Arc continue to receive new features?

As of May 2025, Arc entered maintenance mode with no new features planned. The Browser Company's focus has shifted to Dia browser, though Arc continues to receive security updates.

Source

Notion: How does Notion calculate billing when team members join mid-month?

New members added mid-month incur prorated charges for the current billing period and are included in future billings.

Source

Notion: What is the refund policy for Notion subscriptions?

New users receive a full refund within 3 days for monthly plans or 30 days for annual plans. EU/UK customers get a 14-day refund window per regional policy.

Source

Notion: What happens if a payment fails on my Notion account?

Failed payments are retried up to 8 times before the account automatically downgrades to the free plan.

Source

Arc vs Notion

Arc

Notion

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Arc

Only in Notion

What people use each for

Arc

Notion

Where each one falls short

Arc

Notion

Pricing, plan by plan

Arc

Notion

Which should you pick?

Choose Arc if

Choose Notion if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Arc

More on Notion

Keep looking

Other head to heads