Quick answer
Anara - Anara is built for reading and questioning research papers. Notion is built for notes, docs and databases. Anara's free plan allows uploads of 20MB or 120 pages each. Notion's free plan allows files of 5 MB each.
How the free tiers compare
Anara's free plan has limited daily AI usage, uploads of 20MB or 120 pages, and Zotero and Mendeley connectors. Notion's free plan has trial AI, basic forms, basic sites, Notion Calendar, 7 days of page history and files up to 5 MB. Anara's Plus plan costs $12 a month, or $10 a month billed yearly. Notion's Plus plan costs $10 per member a month.
Anara vs Notion free tier, side by side
| AnaraFTV 39 | NotionFTV 52 | |
|---|---|---|
| Upload size on Free | 20MB or 120 pages per upload | 5 MB per file |
| AI on Free | Limited, daily | Trial AI capabilities |
| Extras on Free | Zotero and Mendeley connectors | Notion Calendar, basic forms and basic sites |
| First paid plan | Plus - $12/mo, or $10/mo billed yearly | Plus - $10/member/mo |
| Next plan up | Pro - $24/mo, or $20/mo billed yearly | Business - $20/member/mo |
After you outgrow the free tier
Anara Plus costs $12 a month, or $10 a month billed yearly, with extended AI limits, 100MB or 600 pages per upload and 5 collaborators per folder. Pro costs $24 a month, or $20 a month billed yearly, with 300MB or 10,000 pages per upload. Notion Plus costs $10 per member a month. Business costs $20 per member a month.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Anara | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| One person on the first paid plan | $12/mo, or $10/mo billed yearly | $10/mo |
| One person on the second paid plan | $24/mo, or $20/mo billed yearly | $20/mo for Business |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Anara when…
- You read papers and want to ask questions about the text.
- You keep references in Zotero or Mendeley and want them connected.
- You upload long PDFs. The free limit is 20MB or 120 pages each.
Pick Notion when…
- You want one place for notes, docs, projects and databases.
- You need a calendar and basic forms in the same workspace.
- You want 7 days of page history on the free plan.
Bottom line
Pick Anara to read and question research papers. Pick Notion to run your notes and projects.
Read the full listings: Anara and Notion. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.