Notion AI vs Obsidian vs Slab For Knowledge Ops
Compare Notion AI, Obsidian, and Slab for startup knowledge ops, agent hand-offs, and compliance.
PD
Priya Desai
Knowledge Systems Lead
TL;DR
- Notion AI excels at collaboration and AI authoring but needs guardrails.
- Obsidian suits technical teams needing local-first control.
- Slab wins on opinionated knowledge sharing and compliance-friendly structure.
Jump to Evaluation framework · Platform analysis · Implementation tips · Recommendations
Notion AI vs Obsidian vs Slab For Knowledge Ops
Choosing a knowledge base impacts your AI knowledge base management strategy. We evaluated each platform against governance, extensibility, collaboration, integrations, compliance posture, and price.
Evaluation framework
Criteria: governance, AI extensibility, collaboration, integrations, compliance posture, price.
Data sources
Vendor roadmaps (2024), G2 reviews (2024), Athenic customer interviews.
Platform analysis
| Criteria | Notion AI | Obsidian | Slab |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governance | Granular permissions | Local-first vaults | Structured topics + approvals |
| AI Extensibility | Native AI + API | Plugin ecosystem | API + workflows |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type II | Self-managed | SOC 2, HIPAA add-on |
| Pricing (2024) | From $8/user | Free, Catalyst $20 | From $8/user |
Implementation tips
- Notion AI: configure AI blocks, create approved prompt library, enforce page templates.
- Obsidian: host vault on secure storage, sync with Git, configure plugins via
/integrations. - Slab: enable topic approvals, connect Slack, align with /use-cases/knowledge.
How do you integrate with Athenic?
Use the MCP integration to sync knowledge updates to Product Brain.
Recommendations
- Choose Notion AI for collaborative teams needing AI authoring.
- Opt for Obsidian when you need local-first control and developer flexibility.
- Pick Slab for regulated environments with clear approvals.
Key takeaways
- Match platform to governance and compliance needs.
- AI extensibility matters only if prompts are governed.
- Sync whichever platform you choose with Athenic loops.
Q&A: Notion AI vs. Obsidian vs. Slab
Q: When is Notion AI the safest bet? A: Use it when you need collaborative authoring, databases, and AI assistance in one workspace -and you can manage access with granular permissions.
Q: Why would a team prefer Obsidian? A: Local-first storage, markdown control, and plugin flexibility make it ideal for engineering and research teams that need git-backed workflows.
Q: What makes Slab the compliance-friendly option? A: Topic approvals, read receipts, and structured hierarchies help regulated teams prove who published what and when.
Q: Can you swap platforms later? A: Yes, as long as you export in markdown or HTML and maintain a prompt library outside the tool; syncing with Product Brain keeps evidence portable.
Summary & next steps
Audit requirements, pilot the top two, integrate with Athenic knowledge workflows.
Internal links
- /use-cases/knowledge
- /blog/ai-knowledge-base-management
- /blog/competitive-intelligence-research-agents
External references
- Notion Security and Compliance – details on SOC2, SSO, and workspace governance.
- Obsidian Help Center – guidance on vault management, community plugins, and sync options.
- Slab Security & Compliance – overview of approvals, audits, and enterprise controls.
- G2 Knowledge Management Software Grid 2024 – peer reviews comparing Notion, Obsidian, and Slab.
Crosslinks
- See also /blog/ai-knowledge-base-management