A Notion alternative that keeps your notes in markdown
Notion is a powerful all-in-one workspace — databases, kanban boards, team wikis, a huge template gallery. If your team runs on it, it works.
But for personal notes, that power has a price: your content lives in proprietary blocks, exports come out messy, and AI access means the paid Notion AI, not your own assistant. OneKB keeps every note as plain markdown that you — and any MCP-capable AI — can read, write, and take with you.
| OneKB | Notion | |
|---|---|---|
| Data format | Plain markdown, one-click full zip export | Proprietary blocks; export loses structure |
| AI access | Your own AI via MCP — Claude Code, Cursor, 17 tools, free tier included | Notion AI subscription, inside Notion only |
| AI safety | Versioned AI writes + audit ledger + trash-first deletes | Page history; no AI-specific audit trail |
| Speed & focus | A notes app — editor opens fast, no workspace sprawl | An everything app — heavier, more to configure |
| Databases & boards | Not built in — folders, tags, and links instead | Best-in-class databases, kanban, calendars |
| Collaboration | Personal knowledge base + read-only share links | Real-time multi-user editing, comments |
| Price | Free; Pro $1.9/mo for higher AI throughput | Free tier; Plus $10+/seat/mo, AI extra |
Choose Notion if…
- · You need real-time team collaboration — shared docs, comments, permissions.
- · Your workflow lives in databases, kanban boards, and relational views.
- · You want one app for docs, wikis, and project management together.
Choose OneKB if…
- · Your notes are personal and you want them in markdown you actually own.
- · You want your own AI assistant working your notes — not a bundled AI add-on.
- · You value fast capture and clean export over heavyweight workspace features.