Notion vs Airtable for Location Tracking: A Detailed Comparison
Notion vs Airtable location tracking compared: native features, map views, pricing, and export options. Find the best tool for your geo data.
For Notion vs Airtable location tracking, Notion wins on simplicity and export flexibility with its native Place property that stores coordinates automatically, while Airtable offers a built-in Map view but may require additional setup for geocoding. Choose Notion if you want seamless GPS export to KML, GPX, or GeoJSON; choose Airtable if you need complex automations and prefer visualization within the same tool.
Both Notion and Airtable have become go-to tools for organizing personal and professional data, but they take fundamentally different approaches to handling locations. If you're building a database of places, whether for travel planning, real estate research, sales territories, or any other geographic use case, the choice between these platforms will significantly impact your workflow. Here's how they compare across the dimensions that matter most for location tracking.
Native Location Features Compared
Notion introduced the Place property type, giving users a dedicated field for geographic data. When you add a Place property to a database, you get an autocomplete search powered by location data, storing not just the address but also latitude and longitude coordinates. This structured approach means your location data is immediately usable for mapping and export without any transformation. For a deep dive into this feature, see our complete guide to the Notion Place property.
Airtable offers address field types and a Map view for visualization. To get latitude and longitude coordinates from addresses, you may need to use Airtable's geocoding features or connect a third-party service. The specifics of how geocoding works and any associated limits depend on your Airtable plan.
The practical difference becomes clear when you try to do something with your locations. Notion's Place property gives you mappable coordinates from the moment you enter an address. Airtable's approach may require additional steps depending on your workflow and plan.
Map Visualization Options
Neither platform offers built-in map visualization that matches dedicated mapping tools, but both have paths to getting your data on a map. Airtable provides a native Map view that plots your records based on address or geocoded fields. It's functional for basic visualization, showing markers on a map within the Airtable interface. The Map view's capabilities and any limitations depend on your plan and dataset size.
Notion has no native map view at all. Your Place properties store coordinates, but Notion itself won't plot them. This is where external tools become essential. Notion to Maps connects directly to Notion databases and renders all your Place properties on an interactive map, with support for clustering, custom styling, and export to standard formats. The tradeoff is that you're using two tools instead of one, but the mapping experience can be more flexible than built-in options.
For users who need to share maps publicly or embed them in websites, the external tool approach offers flexibility. Airtable's Map view is tied to the Airtable interface and sharing model, while a dedicated mapping tool can generate standalone embeds and public URLs. Learn how to create shareable city guides from Notion for an example workflow.
Pricing Considerations for Location Tracking
Both platforms offer free tiers, but the limitations differ in ways that matter for location tracking. Notion's free plan includes the Place property for all users. You can build a database with many locations without paying, though you'll hit limits on file uploads and some collaboration features.
Airtable's free tier has record limits per base, which can feel constraining for substantial location databases. Additionally, geocoding features that convert addresses to coordinates may consume credits or require paid plans depending on your usage. Check Airtable's current pricing page for the latest limits, as these change over time.
At the paid tiers, Airtable's pricing scales with records and features, while Notion charges per user with unlimited content. For a single user building a large location database, Notion may cost less. For teams that need Airtable's more sophisticated automation and integration features, the calculation shifts.
Export Capabilities for GPS and Mapping
Getting your data out of these platforms reveals another significant difference. Airtable exports to CSV readily, and with the right field configuration, you can include coordinates for mapping elsewhere. However, there's no native export to geo-specific formats like KML, GPX, or GeoJSON. You'll need to transform your CSV manually or use a conversion tool.
Notion's export options are similarly limited natively, offering Markdown, PDF, and CSV. But because the Place property stores structured coordinate data, tools like Notion to Maps can read your database directly and export to KML for Google Earth, GPX for GPS devices, GeoJSON for web mapping libraries, or CSV with properly formatted coordinates. The structured nature of Notion's Place property makes these transformations straightforward.
If portability matters to you, if you want your location data to flow into hiking apps, car GPS units, or other mapping tools, the path from Notion is more direct than from Airtable. Our guide on exporting Notion to Garmin devices shows the complete workflow.
Mobile Experience for Adding Locations
Both platforms have capable mobile apps, but the experience of adding locations differs. Notion's mobile app supports the Place property with the same autocomplete search as desktop, making it easy to add locations while you're out discovering them. The Place field captures coordinates immediately.
Airtable's mobile app handles address fields well. How geocoding works on mobile depends on your setup and plan. If your workflow depends on geocoded data, you may need to verify that coordinates are captured the way you expect.
For users who frequently add locations from their phones, Notion's immediate coordinate capture provides a straightforward experience. You're not dependent on a secondary process to make your data map-ready.
Which Should You Choose?
The right choice depends on what surrounds your location data. If you're already invested in Notion for notes, projects, and documentation, adding location tracking there keeps everything in one ecosystem. The Place property is genuinely well-designed, and the export paths through tools like Notion to Maps are mature.
Airtable makes more sense if you need its stronger relational database features, complex automations, or specific integrations that Notion lacks. The Map view, despite its limitations, provides visualization without leaving the platform, which matters for some workflows.
For pure location tracking with an emphasis on mapping and export, Notion with a dedicated mapping tool offers a streamlined workflow. For location data that's deeply intertwined with complex business processes and automations, Airtable's broader feature set may be worth exploring.
Neither platform is a full-featured GIS tool, and users with professional mapping needs will eventually outgrow both. But for the vast majority of personal and small business location tracking, either can work well. The question is which fits better with how you already work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Notion or Airtable better for tracking locations?
Notion is better for location tracking if you prioritize export flexibility and simple coordinate capture. Its Place property automatically stores lat/lon coordinates that can be exported to GPS formats. Airtable is better if you need a built-in map view and complex automations, though geocoding may require additional setup depending on your plan.
Can I export Airtable locations to GPX for GPS devices?
Airtable doesn't export directly to GPX. You'll need to export to CSV, ensure you have latitude and longitude columns, then use a conversion tool like GPS Visualizer or GPSBabel to create a GPX file. With Notion, tools like Notion to Maps can export directly to GPX without intermediate conversion steps.
Does Notion have a map view for locations?
Notion does not have a native map view. The Place property stores coordinates, but you need an external tool to visualize them on a map. Notion to Maps connects to your Notion database and displays all Place properties on an interactive map with clustering, filtering, and export options.
How many locations can I store in Notion vs Airtable?
Notion has no practical limit on database records - you can store tens of thousands of locations in a single database. Airtable's free tier limits records per base (check current limits on their pricing page), and larger databases require paid plans. For extensive location databases, Notion's unlimited records on free tier is a significant advantage.
Can I use Notion for real estate location tracking?
Yes, Notion works well for real estate location tracking. Create a database with Place properties for addresses, add custom properties for price, bedrooms, status, and notes. Use Notion to Maps to visualize properties on a map, share with clients via link, or export to Google Earth for virtual tours with satellite imagery.