About 23; min
Notion, Confluence, and SharePoint are the three knowledge management platforms that enterprises argue about. Notion is the modern darling. Confluence is the developer wiki standard. SharePoint is the Microsoft default that nobody loves but everybody uses.
For companies choosing where to put their documentation, SOPs, and institutional knowledge, the choice affects every employee’s daily experience for years. Here’s what each costs and where each shines in 2026.
Quick Pricing Comparison
| Plan | Notion | Confluence | SharePoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Unlimited pages (block limits) | Up to 10 users | N/A (included in M365) |
| Standard/Plus | $10/user/mo | $6.05/user/mo | $5/user/mo (SharePoint Plan 1) |
| Business | $15/user/mo | $11.55/user/mo | $10/user/mo (SharePoint Plan 2) |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Part of M365 E3/E5 |
SharePoint is cheapest standalone ($5/user). Confluence is mid-range ($6.05). Notion is most expensive ($10). But most companies already pay for Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace — and SharePoint is included in M365 Business Basic ($6/user) alongside Teams, OneDrive, and Office apps. If you already pay for M365, SharePoint’s incremental cost is $0.
Notion: The Modern Workspace
Notion has been covered in multiple articles on this site. For knowledge management specifically: Notion treats documentation as part of a broader workspace that includes databases, project boards, and meeting notes. The wiki isn’t a separate product — it’s one use of a flexible platform.
Notion for Enterprise Knowledge Management
- Strengths: Beautiful editor, embedded databases, templates for every doc type, fast search across workspace, Notion AI ($10 add-on) answers questions from your docs
- Weaknesses: Search quality degrades above 10,000 pages. No verified/approved doc workflow (custom property workaround needed). Version history limited to 30–90 days. No Jira-level integration depth
- Best for: Companies under 200 employees who want one tool for docs + projects + wikis. Marketing, design, and ops teams who value flexibility over structure
Confluence: The Developer Wiki
Confluence is purpose-built for team documentation. Every page has unlimited version history (Notion caps at 30–90 days). Space-level permissions control who sees which documentation areas. The Jira integration links requirements docs to development work. For engineering teams, Confluence is the proven standard.
Confluence for Enterprise Knowledge Management
- Strengths: Unlimited version history on all plans. Deep Jira integration (link docs to issues, embed Jira boards). 900+ Marketplace apps (draw.io, Gliffy, Comala for doc approval workflows). Space-level permissions for departmental separation. Page restrictions for sensitive content
- Weaknesses: Editor is less flexible than Notion’s. Templates are more rigid. The interface feels older. Onboarding new non-technical employees takes longer. Search works but isn’t as fast as Notion’s
- Best for: Engineering-heavy organizations using Jira. Companies needing unlimited version history for compliance. Teams with 200+ employees where structured permissions matter
SharePoint: The Microsoft Default
SharePoint’s biggest advantage isn’t a feature — it’s distribution. Over 400 million people use Microsoft 365. If your company already pays for M365, SharePoint is included at no extra cost. Every employee already has access. No new vendor, no new account, no additional license.
SharePoint for Enterprise Knowledge Management
- Strengths: Included with M365 (no incremental cost for most companies). Deep Office integration — co-author Word/Excel/PowerPoint documents in SharePoint libraries. Power Automate workflows for document approval. Granular permissions (site, library, folder, file level). Compliance features (retention policies, sensitivity labels, DLP) that Notion and Confluence lack
- Weaknesses: The editing experience is clunky compared to Notion’s fluid blocks. Building a wiki in SharePoint requires significant configuration (communication sites, hub sites, navigation). The “modern experience” is better than classic SharePoint but still feels enterprise-heavy. Nobody describes SharePoint as “delightful to use”
- Best for: Microsoft-heavy organizations where M365 is already deployed. Regulated industries needing compliance features (financial services, healthcare, government). Companies that store knowledge primarily in Word/Excel documents rather than wiki pages
The Real Decision Framework
The tool choice usually follows the existing tech stack, not feature comparisons:
| Your Company Uses… | Default Wiki Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Jira + Atlassian | Confluence | Native Jira integration, shared admin console, Marketplace apps |
| Microsoft 365 | SharePoint | Already paid for, Teams integration, Office document co-authoring |
| Neither / Startup | Notion | Most flexible, best UX, one tool for docs + projects + databases |
| Google Workspace | Notion or Google Sites | Google Sites is free but limited. Notion is the better wiki for Google shops |
Cost Comparison: 100-Person Company
| Platform | Monthly | Annual | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SharePoint (if M365 exists) | $0 extra | $0 extra | Included in existing M365 licenses |
| SharePoint Plan 1 (standalone) | $500 | $6,000 | Standalone SharePoint without M365 |
| Confluence Standard | $605 | $7,260 | Wiki only (add Jira for $815/mo) |
| Notion Plus | $1,000 | $12,000 | Wiki + databases + projects included |
| Notion Plus + AI | $2,000 | $24,000 | AI Q&A across workspace adds $10/user |
For a 100-person company already on M365, SharePoint saves $7,260–$24,000/year compared to Confluence or Notion. The money saved can fund better content — the wiki is only as good as what’s written in it, regardless of which platform hosts it.
Feature Comparison for Knowledge Management
| Feature | Notion | Confluence | SharePoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Editor quality | Best (block-based) | Good (improving) | Basic (page layouts) |
| Version history | 30–90 days | Unlimited (all plans) | 500 versions (configurable) |
| Permissions | Teamspace + page level | Space + page level | Site + library + file level (most granular) |
| Search quality | Good (degrades at scale) | Good | Good (Microsoft Search) |
| AI Q&A from docs | $10/user add-on | Atlassian Intelligence (included) | Copilot ($30/user add-on) |
| Document approval workflow | No (custom workaround) | Comala plugin ($5/user) | Power Automate (included) |
| Compliance (retention, DLP) | No | Basic (Atlassian Guard) | Best (M365 compliance center) |
| Jira integration | Basic (embed) | Native (best) | Third-party connector |
| Office doc co-authoring | No | Via Office 365 connector | Native (best) |
| Marketplace/Apps | Limited (integrations) | 900+ apps | Power Platform + apps |
| Offline access | Yes (desktop app) | No | Yes (synced to OneDrive) |
| Learning curve | Low | Medium | High (admin setup) |
Who Should Pick What
Pick Notion If:
- Your company is under 200 employees and growing
- You want one tool for docs + databases + light project management
- Editor quality and UX matter to employee adoption
- Your team doesn’t use Jira or Microsoft 365 heavily
- You’re willing to pay $10/user for the best writing experience
Pick Confluence If:
- Your engineering team uses Jira (the integration is too valuable to ignore)
- Unlimited version history is a compliance or audit requirement
- You need marketplace apps (draw.io diagrams, approval workflows, Gliffy charts)
- $6.05/user (40% cheaper than Notion) matters at your team size
- Structured space-based organization fits your departmental documentation model
Pick SharePoint If:
- Your company already pays for Microsoft 365 ($0 incremental cost)
- Compliance features (retention policies, sensitivity labels, DLP) are required by regulation
- Your knowledge lives in Word/Excel/PowerPoint files, not wiki pages
- Power Automate workflows for document approval are needed
- Teams integration means the wiki is accessible where employees already work
Best writing experience: Notion — the editor is in a class of its own. If employee adoption depends on “people actually enjoy writing docs here,” Notion wins.
Best for engineering teams: Confluence at $6.05/user — Jira integration, unlimited version history, and 900+ marketplace apps. The proven choice for 200+ employee tech companies.
Best value (if on M365): SharePoint — $0 incremental cost with the strongest compliance features. Not the prettiest wiki, but the cheapest and most controllable for regulated enterprises.
Honest advice: The wiki tool matters less than the content quality. A well-maintained Notion wiki beats an abandoned Confluence. An actively used SharePoint beats a beautiful but empty Notion. Pick the tool your team will actually write in.
FAQ
Can I migrate between these platforms?
Confluence → Notion: Notion has a Confluence importer (pages and spaces). Macros and Jira links don’t transfer. SharePoint → Confluence/Notion: Export as HTML/Word, then import. Formatting needs cleanup. Budget 1–3 weeks for a 500+ page migration on any path.
Does SharePoint require an IT team to set up?
For basic use (document libraries, team sites): no, any user can create a site. For a proper company wiki with hub navigation, permissions, and workflows: yes, you need an admin who understands SharePoint’s site architecture. This setup complexity is SharePoint’s biggest barrier to adoption.
Can Notion handle 500+ employees?
Technically yes, but search performance and workspace organization become challenges above 200–300 employees. Very large Notion workspaces (50,000+ pages) report slower search and occasional sync issues. Confluence and SharePoint handle enterprise scale more reliably.
What about Google Sites?
Google Sites is free with Google Workspace and handles basic internal sites and simple wikis. It lacks: version history beyond Google Docs, permissions granularity, marketplace apps, and any form of structured content management. For a quick department homepage: fine. For a company knowledge base: too limited.
