目錄
Notion AI introduced a new credit system on October 19, 2026. Under the Business and Enterprise plans, each member generally receives 1,500 Standard credits and 500 Select credits per month. Using Auto to select models automatically, manually choosing a model, and running Custom Agents all consume credits according to different rules. As a result, the changes may affect how users are accustomed to working with AI.
One of the most confusing aspects of this update is that Notion still offers several advanced models, but continued access to a particular model is now subject to a separate credit allowance. For freelancers who regularly use Notion to organize client information, prepare proposals, or analyze documents, recurring monthly tasks may need to be redistributed between Auto and manually selected models. Teams that have already deployed automated agents also need to consider whether running out of credits could disrupt their workflows.
Notion has also upgraded Auto model routing and introduced support for connecting certain paid ChatGPT subscriptions, aiming to reduce the cost of maintaining overlapping AI tools. However, whether the new pricing structure offers good value still depends on actual workloads, model requirements, and how much manual revision each task requires.
When Does Notion AI’s New Credit System Take Effect? Changes to Business and Enterprise
On October 19, 2026, Notion co-founder Akshay Kothari published Agents, rebuilt to do more for less, announcing upgrades to Notion Agent, Custom Agent, and Auto model routing, along with a new AI credit system. The changes primarily affect Business and Enterprise workspaces. Newly created workspaces became subject to the new system on the announcement date, while existing workspaces are scheduled to transition on November 2.
Under the new system, individual AI usage is divided into two allowances: Standard and Select. Separately purchased Notion credits are used to cover usage beyond individual allowances, certain high-consumption models, and agent tasks funded by the team. The standard allocation is 1,500 Standard credits and 500 Select credits per member per month, although actual amounts may vary depending on the plan or purchasing arrangement. Enterprise customers, in particular, should review their existing contracts and renewal terms.
For existing Business members, this change directly affects model selection. Users who previously relied on a particular model for complex tasks must now consider whether their Select allowance can support an entire month of usage. For everyday tasks such as summaries, translations, and document organization, Notion is encouraging greater use of Auto.
Free and Plus plans do not receive the same monthly Standard and Select allowances under this update. Both plans continue to offer primarily limited access to AI trial features. Anyone considering a subscription change should first confirm whether the AI features they need will remain available rather than judging the value of upgrading or downgrading solely by the number of credits offered.
Standard vs. Select vs. Notion Credits: What Are the Differences and How Do They Work?
Although Notion AI’s new system is often described as a “dual-credit system,” users actually need to understand three types of credits. Standard and Select are individual monthly allowances included with Business and Enterprise seats. Notion credits, by contrast, are additional resources controlled by workspace administrators and can cover specific models, agents, and usage beyond the included allowances.
The differences between the three types of credits are as follows:
| Credit Type | Standard Monthly Allowance | Main Use Cases | Management |
| Standard credits | 1,500 credits per member | Notion Agent using Auto, AI writing, translation, and certain editing features | Individual allowance, resets monthly |
| Select credits | 500 credits per member | Manually selecting models included in the plan and running personally funded Custom Agents | Individual allowance, resets monthly |
| Notion credits | Depends on workspace purchases or contractual arrangements | Usage beyond individual allowances, high-consumption models, and workspace-funded agents | Allocated by administrators, who also control spending |
Standard and Select are independent allowances. They cannot be converted into each other or transferred to another workspace member. Both reset monthly according to the billing cycle, and unused credits do not carry over to the following month. If one allowance is exhausted, the other remains available, but its credits cannot be used directly to replenish the depleted allowance.
For example, if a user has 1,000 Standard credits remaining but has exhausted their Select credits, Notion Agent can still run using Auto, while manually selecting a model may become restricted. If the administrator has not enabled workspace Notion credits to cover additional usage, affected tasks must wait until the next allowance reset or switch to another workflow supported by the available credits.
Standard Credits: The Allowance for Auto and Everyday Document Tasks
Standard credits are primarily used for tasks where Notion automatically selects the model. These include conversations with Notion Agent using Auto, document summaries, translations, AI blocks, page editing, and certain AI database formulas. Auto does not use the same model for every task. Instead, it selects an appropriate model from those permitted in the workspace based on task difficulty and execution requirements.
Consequently, a simple translation and a search across multiple databases may consume different amounts of credits, even when both use Auto. Tasks that require reading numerous pages, organizing complex background information, or performing multiple steps may cost more. Nevertheless, Auto generally uses fewer credits than manually selecting an expensive model.
Another feature that will soon affect Standard usage is AI Meeting Notes. Notion plans to begin charging Standard credits for AI Meeting Notes on December 1, 2026, using approximately 10 credits per hour of meetings as an illustrative estimate. If a user needs to process 40 hours of meetings each month, this estimate suggests a consumption of approximately 400 Standard credits. Actual usage, however, will depend on the system's recorded figures.
Not all database AI features immediately deduct credits. According to Notion's current official guidance, basic AI Autofill does not currently reduce individual credit balances. Custom Agent Autofill, which offers more advanced agent capabilities, has separate billing rules that users need to review. Because these features differ in both their processing capabilities and how their costs are funded, sharing the Autofill name does not mean they consume credits in the same way.
Select Credits: Limits on Manual Model Selection and Personal Custom Agents
Select is likely to be the most controversial allowance introduced in this update because it directly limits how much users can choose and use specific models. In Notion Agent, selecting a model included in the plan, such as Claude Opus 5.5, instead of using Auto consumes Select credits rather than Standard credits.
This creates a clear distinction between having permission to select a model and being able to use it extensively. A subscription may provide access to a particular model, but if each execution consumes a substantial number of credits, 500 credits may not cover a full month's work. This is especially relevant for users who frequently rely on advanced models for lengthy research or complex projects.
Personal Custom Agents also generally consume the owner's Select credits. Even if an agent is configured to use Auto or is shared with other members, its default credit source may still be the owner's allowance. This differs from how Auto is billed in ordinary Notion Agent conversations, making it important to distinguish between the two when configuring automated workflows.
Notion Credits: Additional Workspace Credits and High-Consumption Models
Notion credits are managed centrally at the workspace level. They primarily cover AI usage that exceeds individual included allowances and can also directly fund workspace-sponsored Custom Agents or models officially classified as high-consumption.
For example, high-consumption models such as Claude Fable 5 do not draw directly from an individual's 500 Select credits. Instead, an administrator must first enable the model and ensure that the workspace has available Notion credits. These models are not automatically enabled by default, and administrators can limit allowances for individual members or groups to prevent any one user from consuming too much of the budget.
This arrangement allows teams to distinguish ordinary AI tasks from more expensive model requirements, but it also introduces additional administrative considerations. Even when a user still has Standard or Select credits available, any model categorized as consuming workspace credits must comply with the administrator's access permissions and budget restrictions.
Are 500 Select Credits Per Month Enough? Comparing Notion's Official Task Estimates
How much work can be completed with 500 Select credits per month cannot be determined simply by counting conversations. Notion AI's credit consumption depends on the task content, context length, model selection, and processing steps. Even instructions of similar length may result in substantially different credit charges.
Notion provides estimated credit consumption figures for Auto and Opus 5.5 in its official documentation, offering users an initial understanding of the costs associated with different tasks.
| Task Complexity | Common Tasks | Estimated Auto Consumption | Estimated Opus 5.5 Consumption |
| Simple | Email polishing, translation, searching meeting notes | Approximately 5 credits | Approximately 50 credits |
| Moderate | Work reports, project tracking, document organization | Approximately 10 credits | Approximately 85 credits |
| Complex | Database creation, strategic analysis, CRM management | Approximately 25 credits | Approximately 150 credits |
Source: Notion's official Manage your AI credits documentation. These figures are estimated credit consumption levels for different tasks, not fixed charges applied to every execution.
How Many Complex Tasks Can 500 Credits Handle with Opus 5.5?
If each complex task consumes 150 credits, 500 Select credits can fully cover approximately three tasks, leaving 50 credits that may be sufficient for simpler work. If most tasks are moderately complex and consume around 85 credits each, the allowance can support approximately five tasks. For users who frequently select Opus 5.5, this monthly allocation may genuinely be insufficient.
Consider a typical freelance planning project. If a freelancer conducts in-depth analysis twice a week and uses a manually selected model to process substantial research materials each time, that amounts to approximately eight tasks per month. Based on Notion's official example for complex tasks, the estimated consumption could reach 1,200 Select credits, exceeding the included allowance by 700 credits.
These figures are budget simulations rather than a fixed Notion credit calculation formula. Some tasks may require only one generation, while others involve repeatedly adding information, revising instructions, or asking an agent to continue researching. Credit consumption can therefore vary even between tasks with the same description.
Nevertheless, the example illustrates how the new system affects heavy users. If manually selecting a model is a regular weekly requirement, the 500-credit allowance must be managed carefully. If users only select a specific model occasionally for particularly demanding tasks, however, the Select allowance may be sufficient.
Why Are Some Business Users on Reddit Questioning the New System?
Following the October 19 announcement, a post titled The new Select credits make me question why I'm paying for Business appeared in Reddit's r/Notion community. The author explained that one reason for maintaining a Business subscription was the ability to use familiar advanced models for work.
The new system does not completely eliminate model selection. However, when Select credits cover only a few complex tasks, a gap emerges between the number of models available in the selection menu and how often those models can actually be used. The author also reported that switching to Auto resulted in response speeds and writing styles that were less suitable for their established workflow, prompting them to reconsider the value of the Business subscription.
These observations reflect an individual's experience. They do not establish that Auto delivers inferior quality overall, nor do they mean every Business user will encounter the same problems. However, the discussion highlights a particular need: some users depend on a consistent model to maintain uniform results. In those circumstances, improving Auto's cost efficiency may not fully replace the value of manual model selection.
Why Is Notion Auto Cheaper? The Reason Behind Its Claimed 90% Cost Reduction
Faced with Select credit limitations, Notion's primary solution is to encourage users to adopt Auto. Following the upgrade, Auto evaluates the nature of each task to select suitable models and execution methods, aiming to avoid using the most expensive model for every operation.
For example, simple translations, text polishing, and short summaries generally do not require the same model resources as complex research. When tasks involve searching extensive information, creating databases, or carrying out multiple steps, the system may select a more capable model. If the initially selected model cannot make effective progress, Auto can also reroute the task during execution and continue processing it with another model.
Notion states that, in internal tests covering more than 20 common work scenarios, Auto achieved results comparable to advanced models such as Opus 5.5 and Astra at an average cost approximately 90% lower. These figures come from Notion's internal testing and do not mean every task will achieve the same savings. They also do not establish that long-form Traditional Chinese writing, professional analysis, or complex data organization will perform identically.
Is Auto a Better Choice Simply Because It Costs Less Than a Manually Selected Model?
For workspaces that process large volumes of routine documents, Auto does offer a cost advantage. If tasks primarily involve organizing meeting content, generating summaries, categorizing data, or searching workspace information, users can generally start with Auto and determine whether a manually selected model is necessary based on the results.
However, costs should not be compared solely by the credits consumed in a single execution. Suppose Auto completes a proposal using 25 credits but requires an additional 30 minutes of manual revision. A manually selected model might consume 150 credits yet produce output much closer to the required delivery standard. In that case, the total cost of each approach must also account for the time spent on manual revisions.
Another consideration is output consistency. Auto may select different models depending on task difficulty, and users cannot necessarily control the exact combination of models used each time. For work with strict requirements regarding writing style, professional terminology, or formatting, it is advisable to maintain consistent quality standards rather than decide to switch entirely based on a single test.
A reasonable approach under the new system is therefore to assign easily standardized tasks to Auto first, then identify which tasks genuinely require a particular model. Users should not assume in advance that every complex task must consume Select credits.
How Does Custom Agent Consume Credits? Shared Agents May Affect the Entire Team's Allowance
Custom Agent costs are harder to estimate than those of ordinary AI conversations because agents can repeatedly execute tasks according to schedules or trigger conditions. They may continue consuming credits even when nobody actively opens a conversation.
For example, an agent that organizes meeting notes once a week may require significantly fewer resources than one that checks hundreds of client records every day, updates project statuses, and sends notifications. Notion's charges depend on the volume of data accessed, execution steps, and trigger frequency. The more often an agent runs, and the more complex its tasks, the higher its cumulative costs will generally be.
Under the new system, Custom Agents use their owners' Select credits by default. Even if an agent is shared with other team members and triggered by different people, credits may still be deducted from the original creator's allowance. Administrators can instead allocate workspace Notion credits to an agent so that shared workflows do not depend entirely on one member's monthly 500-credit allowance.
There is also a transitional arrangement. According to Notion's official guidance, existing Custom Agents created before November 2, 2026, will continue consuming shared workspace credits. Therefore, users should not assume that all older agents will immediately begin consuming their creators' Select credits after the transition.
What Happens When a Custom Agent Runs Out of Credits?
When a Custom Agent uses an individual's Select allowance and those credits are exhausted, the system determines whether it can continue charging Notion credits based on the availability of additional credits and the administrator's settings. If no other credits are available, the agent may pause until the allowance resets or the administrator provides additional budget.
The consequences of such interruptions vary by workflow. If an agent only produces an internal summary once a week, missing one or two executions may not cause significant problems. However, if it maintains customer follow-up statuses, organizes order data, or sends notifications, an extended interruption could leave information outdated and potentially affect subsequent decisions made by staff.
For this reason, agent costs should be assessed not only by the credits consumed per execution but also by execution frequency and the consequences of interruptions. For agents that an entire team depends on, a more suitable approach is to allocate a dedicated workspace budget, establish spending limits, and conduct regular reviews. This helps prevent high-frequency processes from continuously consuming credits without anyone noticing.
Can ChatGPT Plus, Pro, or Go Subscribers Reduce Their Notion AI Costs?
Alongside its changes to the credit system, Notion has introduced the ability to connect personal ChatGPT subscriptions. Eligible Business and Enterprise members can connect their ChatGPT Plus, Pro, or Go accounts to Notion Agent and use their existing ChatGPT plan's usage allowance when selecting certain GPT models.
This integration is particularly useful for people who already subscribe to both services. For example, someone who uses a paid ChatGPT plan for everyday work but also wants to access workspace documents or process data directly in Notion can run certain GPT model tasks through their connected ChatGPT subscription. Not every task needs to consume the credits included with Notion.
However, connecting ChatGPT does not mean that every Notion AI feature can use the subscription. Under the official rules, the connected ChatGPT plan is used only when a supported GPT model is manually selected in Notion Agent. Selecting Auto still consumes Notion Standard credits, while manually selecting a non-GPT model follows the applicable Notion credit rules.
Custom Agents also cannot currently use this ChatGPT subscription connection as a direct payment method. For workspaces that have already created extensive automated agent workflows, unused capacity in an individual ChatGPT plan cannot offset every agent-related cost.
The integration also requires a Business or Enterprise workspace, and the person connecting the account must be a full member. Guests are not eligible. Under the current official requirements, users who downgrade to Notion Plus should not assume they can continue using the same integration.
For people paying for both Notion Business and a ChatGPT subscription, the practical approach is to first determine how many tasks can be handled by connected GPT models before deciding whether they need to maintain their previous level of Select usage. If most work relies on non-GPT models or Custom Agents, the potential savings from this feature will be relatively limited.
Is Notion Business Still Worth It? Evaluating Three Types of Workflows
Whether Notion Business is worth maintaining cannot be determined solely by its monthly allowance of 1,500 Standard credits and 500 Select credits. In addition to AI features, Business includes advanced collaboration and administrative capabilities. The practical value of these features differs for individual users, small studios, and enterprise teams.
If Notion is primarily used to manage personal articles, organize research materials, or maintain a small number of projects, users should first determine whether their daily work genuinely requires paid AI features to interact directly with the workspace. For teams that already rely on Notion as their primary information management platform and use agents to update content across pages, the convenience of integration and the cost of automation should be evaluated together.
Auto May Be Sufficient for Everyday Document Organization
For users who frequently summarize, translate, search information, or perform simple text edits, Auto can serve as the primary option. These tasks generally have relatively clear criteria for evaluating results. If the output meets the requirements, manually selecting an advanced model every time may be unnecessary.
For example, users can rely on Standard credits for general meeting summaries and project status updates, reserving manually selected models for documents that genuinely require detailed analysis or precise revisions. If monthly task volume is relatively low, this distribution may keep both credit allowances within acceptable limits.
Frequent Long-Form Writing and Research May Make Select a Limiting Factor
The situation is different for users who regularly handle lengthy proposals, professional research, or extensive Traditional Chinese text polishing. These tasks sometimes require continuous access to long contexts and repeated paragraph revisions, while also placing higher demands on a model's comprehension and writing style.
When a particular model genuinely reduces revision time, Select becomes more valuable. However, whether 500 credits are sufficient must be estimated from actual workloads. If additional Notion credits are required every month, users should calculate subscription fees, additional credit purchases, and manual revision time together before comparing Notion with other AI tools.
This is particularly relevant for people who already subscribe separately to ChatGPT or Claude. They can examine which tasks must be completed inside Notion and which can be processed using external AI tools before transferring the results back into the workspace. This helps avoid paying unnecessary overlapping fees simply because integrated workflows are convenient.
Teams That Rely Heavily on Custom Agents Should Prioritize Workspace Budgets
For teams that already use Custom Agents to organize information, classify cases, or update projects regularly, the focus shifts from individual credit allowances to overall budget management. As long as agents continue operating, costs accumulate according to execution frequency and task complexity. Teams also need to verify that the results remain reliable.
If an agent consumes a substantial number of credits each month but saves considerable time on repetitive work, allocating additional workspace Notion credits may still be justified. Conversely, if an agent merely reorganizes small amounts of data every day, reducing its execution frequency, narrowing its search scope, or even retaining manual processing may better match actual requirements.
What Should You Do If Notion AI Credits Run Out? Check Usage Before the New System Takes Effect
For existing Business and Enterprise workspaces, the most important preparation before the transition on November 2, 2026, is identifying which AI processes are currently running and which type of credits they will use afterward. Waiting until Select credits are exhausted or Custom Agents stop working before reviewing usage could already affect daily operations.
Users can start by visiting Settings → Notion AI → Usage to review their individual Standard and Select allowances, current consumption, and reset dates. Next, they can list their frequently used AI tasks and distinguish those suitable for Auto from those requiring manual model selection. Existing Custom Agents should be reviewed separately to confirm their Credit source, ensuring that ongoing credit consumption from automated execution is not overlooked.
Test Auto with Real Tasks and Establish a Monthly Credit Budget
When comparing Auto with a manually selected model, choose several tasks that are regularly repeated, such as article polishing, long-document summaries, or project information organization, and test them using the same source materials and instructions. Recording the credits consumed, completion time, number of manual revisions, and final quality for each execution will generally provide a more realistic picture than relying directly on official estimates.
A monthly budget can initially be estimated using the formula "average credits consumed per execution × number of monthly executions." For example, if an Auto task consumes an average of 10 credits and runs four times each working day, assuming 22 working days per month, its estimated consumption would be approximately 880 Standard credits. If these tasks need to process more data or involve additional execution steps, actual consumption may increase. It is therefore advisable to leave some credits in reserve rather than allocate the entire allowance in advance.
Users who frequently select models manually can estimate Select requirements using the same method. Suppose a task consumes an average of 85 credits and runs twice a week. Over four weeks, it could require 680 credits, exceeding the included 500-credit allowance. If the excess work cannot be transferred to Auto, users may need to reduce execution frequency, use a connected ChatGPT plan, or request additional workspace credits.
Check Custom Agent Credit Sources and Administrator Settings
Users can review a Custom Agent's usage and current Credit source under Credits on the agent's page. If an agent consumes an individual's credits but actually serves the entire team, the owner can ask an administrator to switch it to a Workspace budget so that execution costs are covered centrally by the workspace.
Administrators can also adjust credit-related settings under Settings → Notion AI and review workspace credit usage through Settings → Access & billing → Notion credits. This information helps identify agents or members with higher consumption, allowing administrators to decide whether to change models, reduce execution frequency, or increase budgets.
Notion has also announced plans for an AI Command Center, which will eventually consolidate management capabilities covering members, features, agent usage, and spending limits. However, as of October 22, 2026, the complete AI Command Center remains a forthcoming feature. The existing credit management interface should be distinguished from integrated functionality that has not yet officially launched.
For workspaces with important processes dependent on agents, it is advisable to establish manual backup procedures and regular quality checks in addition to monitoring credits. Even when additional Notion credits are enabled, execution may still be limited by individual spending caps, agent budgets, or remaining workspace credits. Users should not assume that every task will automatically continue running without interruption.
Is Notion AI's New Credit System Worth the Cost? It Depends on Model Requirements and Actual Workloads
Notion AI's latest update introduces separate credit management for everyday AI tasks and manually selected models. Standard primarily covers Auto, document editing, and certain routine features, while Select provides access to manual model selection and personally funded Custom Agents. When workloads exceed the included allowances, additional workspace Notion credits become a consideration.
For most routine document tasks, Auto may be the more credit-efficient option. However, users who consistently depend on advanced models for lengthy research, proposals, or professional analysis may find that 500 Select credits per month are insufficient. Workspaces that rely heavily on Custom Agents must also pay attention to credit sources, budget limits, and interruption risks to prevent continuously running processes from consuming excessive resources.
In practice, users can begin by tracking an entire billing cycle, recording credit consumption and manual revision time for each type of task. They can then determine which tasks are suitable for Auto and which still justify using a specific model. If additional credits must be purchased every month, comparing Notion subscription fees, external AI subscriptions, and workspace automation costs together will help determine whether the current plan meets actual needs.
FAQs
It took effect on October 19, 2026, for newly created Business and Enterprise workspaces. Existing workspaces are scheduled to transition on November 2.
The standard allocation is 1,500 Standard credits and 500 Select credits per member per month. Actual allowances for Enterprise customers or special contracts depend on workspace settings.
Standard primarily covers Auto in Notion Agent and everyday AI editing. Select covers manually selected models included in the plan and personally funded Custom Agents. Notion credits are managed by the workspace and cover additional usage, certain high-consumption models, and team-funded agents.
No. The two individual allowances cannot be converted into each other, transferred to other members, or carried over to the following month.
Not necessarily. In Notion's official example of a complex task using Opus 5.5, approximately 150 credits per execution would allow three complete tasks. Simpler tasks consume fewer credits, and the actual number of executions depends on task content, model selection, and processing steps.
According to official estimates, simple tasks consume approximately 5 credits with Auto versus 50 credits with Opus 5.5. Moderate tasks consume approximately 10 versus 85 credits, while complex tasks consume approximately 25 versus 150 credits. These are not fixed rates.
Not necessarily. Personally funded Custom Agents use their owners' Select credits by default. Even if an agent is configured to use Auto, this does not automatically mean it consumes Standard credits.
Under Notion's official transition rules, existing Custom Agents created before November 2, 2026, will continue consuming shared workspace credits. Users should still review each agent's Credit source individually.
If an administrator allows additional charges against workspace Notion credits, eligible tasks can continue running. If no additional credits are available or a spending limit has been reached, affected features or agents may pause until credits become available again.
Yes, but the user must be a full member of a Business or Enterprise workspace. The connected ChatGPT plan is used only when a supported GPT model is manually selected in an individual Notion Agent. Custom Agents are not supported.
Under the current official requirements, this integration requires a Business or Enterprise workspace. Users therefore should not assume that it will remain available after downgrading to Plus.
Notion plans to begin charging Standard credits for AI Meeting Notes on December 1, 2026. Its official estimate is approximately 10 credits per hour of meetings, although actual consumption will depend on billing records.
Individual allowances can be reviewed under Settings → Notion AI → Usage. For Custom Agents, open Credits on the agent's page to check its Credit source. Administrators can review workspace usage under Access & billing → Notion credits.