Is HEY or Notion better?

Neither clearly leads. HEY starts at $99/year and Notion at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, HEY or Notion?

Notion has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/year for HEY and Free for Notion.

Does HEY or Notion run on more platforms?

HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Notion runs on Web, iOS, Android.

Can I use Notion for free?

Yes. Notion has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HEY starts at $99/year.

What is HEY best used for?

HEY is most often used for someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox, a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation, a family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plan, a small company wanting hey for work on its own domain with the screener model for the whole team. Of those, someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox and a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation are not what Notion is typically brought in for.

What can HEY do that Notion cannot?

HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode. Notion covers Rich text editing with blocks, Customizable databases, Kanban boards and calendars, Real-time collaboration.

Productivity · head to head

HEY vs Notion

HEY

Productivity

Flat annual subscription email service from 37signals, with its own hey.com domain and a distinctive Screener

From: $99/year
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

Only Notion has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: HEY there is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.; Notion free plan limited to 1,000 blocks for 2+ member workspaces, restricting team usage
They diverge on capability: HEY covers The Screener, Notion covers Rich text editing with blocks.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HEY and Notion actually diverge.

Attributes where HEY and Notion differ
Attribute	HEY	Notion
Starting price	$99/year	Free
Pricing model	Per user per month	Unknown
Free tier	No	Yes
Platforms	Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Category	Productivity	Technology
Founded	Unknown	2016

Identical on both: 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 HEY

The Screener
Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
Reply Later stack
Focus and Reply mode
Screen sharing style clips
No tracking pixels

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.

HEY

Someone who wants to replace Gmail or iCloud Mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inboxnot Notion
A user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversationnot Notion
A family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plannot Notion
A small company wanting HEY for Work on its own domain with the Screener model for the whole teamnot Notion

Notion

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

Where each one falls short

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

HEY

There is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.
Adopting HEY means changing your actual email address, not just installing a new client, which is a bigger migration than switching apps on an existing address.
The Screener and categorisation model is a real departure from a standard inbox, and some users take time to adjust or find it gets in the way for high volume mail.
Short vanity addresses carry steep additional annual fees, up to 999 US dollars a year for a two character address.
It does not connect to or manage existing Gmail, Outlook or iCloud accounts, so it cannot be used as a general client the way Mimestream or Apple Mail can.

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

HEY

$99/year

HEY for You$99/year
- One hey.com email address
- Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
- Billed annually only, no monthly option
HEY for Families$179/year
- Covers up to five family members
- Same features as HEY for You per member
HEY for Work$12/month
- Per user, for organisations on a company domain
- Admin controls for a team

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 HEY if

You need the screener.
You work on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
You also want imbox, feed and paper trail.

HEY 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 HEY or Notion better?: Neither clearly leads. HEY starts at $99/year and Notion at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HEY or Notion?: Notion has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/year for HEY and Free for Notion.
Does HEY or Notion run on more platforms?: HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Notion runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Notion for free?: Yes. Notion has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HEY starts at $99/year.
What is HEY best used for?: HEY is most often used for someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox, a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation, a family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plan, a small company wanting hey for work on its own domain with the screener model for the whole team. Of those, someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox and a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation are not what Notion is typically brought in for.
What can HEY do that Notion cannot?: HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode. Notion covers Rich text editing with blocks, Customizable databases, Kanban boards and calendars, Real-time collaboration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HEY: Can I use HEY with my existing Gmail address?

No. HEY provides its own hey.com email address; it is not a client layered over an existing Gmail or other account.

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

HEY: Is there a free plan?

No. HEY offers a trial but bills annually only, with no free tier and no month to month option for individuals.

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

HEY: What is the Screener?

A feature that holds mail from any new sender until the user explicitly approves them, before it appears in the inbox at all.

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

HEY vs Notion

HEY

Notion

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in HEY

Only in Notion

What people use each for

HEY

Notion

Where each one falls short

HEY

Notion

Pricing, plan by plan

HEY

Notion

Which should you pick?

Choose HEY if

Choose Notion if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on HEY

More on Notion

Keep looking

Other head to heads