pumaDB vs Notion

Memory for agents, workspace for teams.

pumaDB and Notion both preserve useful context, but they serve different workflows. pumaDB gives agents and server-side apps a hosted JSON memory API. Notion gives teams a collaborative AI workspace for docs, wikis, projects, databases, meetings, and automations.

pumaDB

Hosted JSON memory API

Notion

Collaborative AI workspace

Quick read

Choose pumaDB when an agent needs a small memory store it can call directly. Choose Notion when people need a shared workspace for organizing work.

Notion is where teams organize work. pumaDB is where agents remember state.

Best fit

Use the tool that matches the size of the job.

Choose pumaDB for

Hosted MCP memory for agents without a workspace integration project
Structured JSON records such as preferences, project facts, source links, task state, snippets, and config notes
Server-side REST calls from Workers, API routes, CLIs, scripts, and agent infrastructure
Reviewable memory with row versions, restore, typed safe memory, and explicit cleanup
Small machine-readable state that agents can filter and update without navigating pages or blocks

Choose Notion for

Team docs, wikis, project plans, meeting notes, and collaborative knowledge bases
Human-editable pages, blocks, databases, properties, relations, templates, and views
Workspace search, Notion AI, custom agents, app connections, and workflow automations
Project tracking with boards, calendars, lists, filters, sorting, and team permissions
A broad productivity workspace that combines writing, planning, sharing, and team operations

Detailed comparison

Where they differ.

Area pumaDB Notion

Primary job A small hosted JSON database for agent memory and lightweight server-side app state. A collaborative workspace for team docs, wikis, projects, databases, AI tools, and automations.

Data model Named JSON tables. Current account limits are 20 tables, 1,000 rows per table, 25 MB per account, and 64 KB per row. Pages and blocks organized into workspaces, databases, properties, relations, views, templates, docs, wikis, and projects.

Query behavior CRUD, simple equality filters, sorting, counting, batch writes, and short-lived viewer links for larger results. Workspace search, database filters and sorts, linked databases, views, relations, rollups, and AI-assisted answers across workspace content.

Agent interface Hosted Streamable HTTP MCP, local stdio MCP, REST API, and CLI are built into the product surface. Agents can use Notion through official APIs, connectors, automations, or custom tooling, but the core product is a human collaborative workspace.

Collaboration model Designed for agents and server-side apps to share small, explicit records across sessions. Designed for people and teams to collaborate in shared pages, databases, permissions, comments, mentions, and workspace workflows.

Shape of memory Structured rows are easy for agents and apps to validate, update, filter, restore, and treat as durable state. Flexible pages, blocks, and databases are easy for teams to read, edit, organize, present, discuss, and reuse.

AI layer Stores memory as explicit JSON records. It does not run workspace search, meeting notes, automations, or AI agents. Positions Notion AI around workspace search, custom agents, meeting notes, writing help, app connections, and automating busywork.

Recovery model Every update and delete archives the previous row. The last 10 versions are kept for 30 days and can be restored. Relies on workspace/page history, permissions, trash, export, and plan-specific admin or enterprise controls.

Positioning

A practical way to think about the split.

pumaDB is the memory primitive

It is useful when an agent needs durable state that stays explicit: preferences, task state, project facts, resource references, code snippets, commands, config examples, and small records your own app already understands.

Notion is the team workspace

It is useful when the job is writing docs, managing projects, maintaining wikis, collaborating in databases, using AI search, taking meeting notes, and automating team workflows.

Sources

What this comparison is based on.

Product pages change over time. This page compares pumaDB's current documented behavior in this codebase with Notion's public project documentation.

Notion home Notion databases pumaDB docs pumaDB install

Start small

Add hosted memory without standing up a database.

Connect pumaDB over hosted MCP, or call the REST API from trusted server-side code.

Install pumaDB Read the API docs