Folio vs. Notion
Choose Folio when team knowledge must already be readable files in your Git repository. Notion is stronger for a mature managed workspace, flexible databases, cloud integrations and its AI ecosystem.
The workflow difference
Notion pages and databases live in Notion and can be exported to HTML, Markdown, CSV or PDF where supported. An export is not a round-trip workspace restore.
In Folio, Markdown is the working page and Git is the live source of truth. Browser, IDE and agent changes converge on those files.
Side by side
| Area | Folio | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| Source of truth | Readable files in your Git repository | Content managed in the Notion workspace |
| Deployment | Self-hosted with Docker | Managed cloud workspace |
| Documents | Markdown documents with live and source editing | Polished block-based pages |
| Wiki | Git-backed page tree, search, history and permissions | Managed wikis and verified pages |
| Structured data | Markdown-backed tables and forms | Mature databases, relations and automations |
| Git workflow | Native: Git is the working history | Export or integration rather than the live workspace |
| AI | Ask and Agent work within the self-hosted wiki | Notion AI and Notion Agent ecosystem |
| Agent instructions | .agent pages are versioned with the space | Workspace and custom-agent configuration |
| External agents | MCP access cannot exceed the token owner's permissions | MCP and API access scoped to the connected user or integration |
| Exit path | Keep the repository as readable working files | Export supported formats; not a round-trip workspace restore |
What Folio changes
- Documents, data tables, forms and Excalidraw boards live in one Git-backed tree.
- Ask, Agent, .agent instructions and MCP work with the same pages.
- A personal MCP token cannot exceed its owner's permissions.
- There is no one-click Notion importer.
Where Folio is the better choice
Choose Folio when team knowledge must live as readable Markdown files in your own repository. You self-host the workspace, documents, tables, forms and Excalidraw boards share one Git-backed tree, and Ask, Agent and MCP work on the same pages your people edit. If an export out of a managed workspace has ever cost you a migration, Folio removes that problem entirely.
Try it with one real workflow
- Choose one active team document, not an archive.
- Recreate its links and one structured table in Folio.
- Edit it once in the browser and once in an IDE.
- Ask an agent a question with read-only MCP access.
- Inspect the repository and decide whether the workflow is simpler.
Other comparisons
Try Folio with one real team wiki.
Clone it, run it, and test the workflow with your own files.