Zero-maintenance structure
In Notion, you decide where everything goes. In Synap, each capture is classified as it arrives: the right record type, the right properties, the right connections. You never touch a database schema.
Synap vs Notion
You organize. Synap organizes.
Notion is powerful, but you do all the work: structure your pages, maintain your databases, remember where you put things. Synap does that part for you, and keeps the result on a server you own.
Synap and Notion, side by side
| Topic | Notion | Synap |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | You design databases, templates and properties | Captures become typed records with properties, proposed to you |
| Where data lives | Notion's cloud | A dedicated Data Pod you own, or self-host |
| Connections | Pages and relations you link by hand | A live graph of records and typed relationships |
| Leaving | Markdown / CSV export | Standard PostgreSQL underneath; pg_dump it when self-hosted |
| Teams | Built for shared wikis | Personal-first; teams on the Custom plan |
Structuring on capture is part of Pod + AI (€100/month). On the Pod plan (€20/month), the agent you connect does the structuring through Synap's tools. Either way, changes arrive as proposals you review.
Where Notion is strong
- Great real-time collaboration
- Flexible pages and databases
- Large template gallery
Where they differ
Your data on your server
Notion stores your data in its own cloud. Synap runs on a dedicated pod: standard PostgreSQL. Self-host it and you can dump the database whenever you like; on a managed pod, ask us for a copy.
Common questions
How is Synap different from Notion?
Notion requires you to create databases, set up templates, and maintain structure by hand. Synap classifies what you capture into typed records with the right properties and relationships, so you never touch a database schema. Your data also lives on a dedicated server you own, not in Notion's shared cloud.
Does Synap replace Notion for teams?
Synap is primarily a personal workspace rather than a team wiki. Notion excels at collaborative documents; Synap excels at personal knowledge and CRM-style work where records, not pages, are the unit. The two serve different primary use cases.
Can I migrate my data from Notion to Synap?
Export your Notion workspace as Markdown and CSV. An agent connected to your pod, such as Claude Code, can read those files and write them into Synap as typed records, with links and properties. Each write arrives as a proposal you review, so nothing lands in your pod unseen. A native Notion connector is planned.
Is Synap more expensive than Notion?
A managed Synap pod costs €20/month (storage, search, governance and the Hub Protocol API), or €100/month with the intelligence service included (classification on capture, proposals, insights). Notion's paid plans range from $10 (Plus) to $20 (Business) per user per month, billed annually. Synap is priced per pod, not per seat, and includes dedicated server infrastructure Notion doesn't offer. Self-hosting is free: the backend source is public on GitHub.