Ever feel overwhelmed by scattered notes and endless digital documents?
Many of us struggle to keep our thoughts, ideas, and tasks organized in today’s fast-paced world.
This problem often leads to wasted time searching for information and missing important details.
But what if an AI note-taking app could simplify all that?
Two major players stand out: Capacities vs Microsoft OneNote.
Overview
To give you the best advice, we took a deep dive into both Capacities and Microsoft OneNote.
We really investigated their main features, ease of use, and AI tools.
This hands-on testing helps us show you which one truly fits your note-taking style in 2025.
Capacities is a rising star, with over 100,000 users discovering its unique approach.
Pricing: It has a free plan. Premium plan starts at $9.99/month.
Key Features:
- Object-Based Organization
- Graph View
- Content Linking
Over 100 million are already using Microsoft OneNote to streamline notes
Pricing: It has a free plan. Custom Pricing Plans are Available.
Key Features:
- Freeform Canvas
- Handwriting Recognition
- Microsoft 365 Integration
What is Capacities?
Capacities is a fresh take on note-taking.
It helps you link your ideas like a web. Think of it as a studio for your mind.
It’s built for creating connections between everything you learn.
Also, explore our favorite Capacities alternatives…
Capacities is a rising star, with over 100,000 users discovering its unique approach to knowledge management.
Key Benefits
- Object-based structure for clear connections.
- Powerful graph view to visualize your knowledge.
- Content linking creates a network of information.
- Over 50+ content types to capture varied data.
Pricing
- Basic: Get started, basic features.
- Pro: $9.99/month
- Beliver: $12.49/month
Pros
Cons
What is Microsoft OneNote?
Microsoft OneNote is like a digital binder.
You can throw anything into it. It’s perfect for capturing thoughts on the go.
It works great across all your devices.
Also, explore our favorite Microsoft OneNote alternatives…
Ready to get organized? Over 100 million people are already using Microsoft OneNote to streamline their notes. See why they’ve made the switch – join the millions who are boosting their productivity!
Key Benefits
OneNote has its special strengths:
- Freeform Canvas: Write or draw anywhere. It’s like endless paper.
- Handwriting Recognition: Converts notes to text. Great for pen users.
- Deep Microsoft Integration: Works seamlessly with Office. Perfect for existing users.
- Audio Recording: Embed voice notes directly. Capture meetings easily.
- Web Clipper: Save web pages quickly. Keep research organized.
Pricing
Custom Pricing
Pros
Cons
Feature Comparison
Now that we’ve looked at each app individually, let’s put them head-to-head.
This comparison will help you see how Capacities and OneNote stack up across key features.
Helping you choose the best note-taking tool for your workflow and personal knowledge management.
1. Note Organization
- Capacities: This note-taking tool uses an “object-based” system. You create notes as “objects” (like people, projects, or books) and link them together. It’s a fresh way to organize your personal knowledge management, focusing on connections rather than strict folders. Your workflow becomes about building a rich web of interconnected information.
- Microsoft OneNote: OneNote offers a more traditional notebook, section, and page structure. It mimics a physical binder, making it familiar to many. You can create notes freely on a canvas, arranging them however you like. It’s excellent for those who prefer a less rigid system and a freeform workspace.
2. AI Capabilities
- Capacities: It has an AI-powered assistant that helps you summarize content and discover hidden connections within your notes. This generative AI can also help you brainstorm ideas and fill in details, boosting your productivity.
- Microsoft OneNote: OneNote is integrating AI through Copilot. This AI-powered feature (often requiring a Microsoft 365 subscription) can summarize notes, create lists, and help draft content. It’s designed to enhance your existing workflow within the Microsoft ecosystem.
3. Collaboration & Sharing
- Capacities: While it allows sharing of pages and objects, Capacities focuses more on individual knowledge management. Real-time collaboration features are present but not as central to its design as they are in some other tools.
- Microsoft OneNote: OneNote excels at real-time collaboration. You can easily share entire notebooks or individual pages with others, allowing multiple people to create notes and edit together. It fits well into a shared workflow, especially within teams already using Microsoft products.
4. Rich Media & Attachments
- Capacities: This platform lets you embed various media directly into your notes, including images, videos, and web links. It handles PDF files well, allowing you to integrate diverse content into your “objects.”
- Microsoft OneNote: OneNote offers a robust freeform canvas for all types of media. You can insert images, audio recordings, and even draw directly on your notes. It has excellent support for inking, making it a powerful note-taking tool for those who use a stylus or prefer sketching.
5. Integrations & Ecosystem
- Capacities: While newer, Capacities is building integrations. It aims to connect with popular services and offers an API for more advanced features and custom setups. In its approach to networked thinking, it’s often compared to Obsidian and Evernote.
- Microsoft OneNote: OneNote is deeply embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem. It works seamlessly with other Microsoft products like Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams. Its integration with Google Drive is less direct but still possible.
6. Offline Access
- Capacities: It offers good offline support for creating and editing notes. However, some AI-powered features might need an internet connection to work fully.
- Microsoft OneNote: OneNote provides reliable offline access across all devices. You can continue to create notes and work on your notebook even without an internet connection, and it will sync once you’re back online.
7. User Interface & Experience
- Capacities: Capacities has a modern, clean interface that encourages visual organization through its object-based system. Some users find its unique structure takes a bit of getting used to, but it offers a fresh perspective on a digital workspace.
- Microsoft OneNote: OneNote’s interface is familiar to anyone who has used Microsoft Office. Its digital notebook metaphor is intuitive and straightforward. While it might appear less sleek than newer apps, its ease of use for basic note-taking tool functions is a strong point.
Final Verdict
So, after looking closely at Capacities vs Microsoft OneNote, which one wins?
For most people, we lean towards OneNote. Why?
It’s super easy to use, especially if you already use Microsoft products. It’s free for basic use and lets you write or draw anywhere on the page.
Capacities is cool, especially for linking ideas, but it can be a bit complex.
OneNote’s simple design and wide use make it a powerful choice for everyday notes.
We’ve dug deep into both so that you can trust our pick for your note-taking needs.
More of Capacities
Here’s how Capacities stands against other popular note-taking and productivity tools, highlighting their standout features:
- Capacities vs Sembly: Sembly focuses on AI meeting transcription, summaries, and action items.
- Capacities vs Notion AI: Notion AI offers highly customizable workspaces with powerful AI for content generation.
- Capacities vs Fireflies AI: Fireflies AI excels at automated meeting transcription and AI-powered summaries of calls.
- Capacities vs ClickUp: ClickUp is an all-in-one platform for task, project, and team management with robust AI.
- Capacities vs Taskade: Taskade provides a collaborative workspace with tasks, notes, and mind maps, powered by AI.
- Capacities vs Notejoy: Notejoy offers fast, simple real-time collaboration with quick search capabilities across notes.
- Capacities vs Notta: Notta specializes in accurate real-time transcription and AI summaries for audio and video.
- Capacities vs Craft: Craft focuses on beautiful, block-based document creation with strong visual organization features.
- Capacities vs MeetGeek: MeetGeek automates meeting summaries, highlights, and action items using AI.
- Capacities vs Mem AI: Mem AI provides smart search and automatically connects notes, building a personal knowledge base.
- Capacities vs Evernote: Evernote is a classic note-taking app with strong web clipping and powerful search across diverse content.
More of Microsoft OneNote
Here’s how Microsoft OneNote stacks up against other popular alternatives, focusing on their standout features:
- Microsoft OneNote vs Notion AI: Notion AI offers unmatched flexibility for building custom workspaces and generating content using AI.
- Microsoft OneNote vs Sembly: Sembly excels in AI-driven meeting transcription and smart summaries of conversations.
- Microsoft OneNote vs Fireflies AI: Fireflies AI focuses on automated meeting transcription, summaries, and action item extraction.
- Microsoft OneNote vs ClickUp: ClickUp is an all-in-one project management platform with robust task management and AI features.
- Microsoft OneNote vs Taskade: Taskade combines tasks, notes, and mind maps in a collaborative workspace with AI power.
- Microsoft OneNote vs Notejoy: Notejoy provides fast, simple real-time collaboration, optimized for quick team note-sharing.
- Microsoft OneNote vs Notta: Notta specializes in highly accurate real-time transcription and AI summaries for audio/video.
- Microsoft OneNote vs Craft: Craft offers beautifully designed, block-based documents with strong visual linking and organization.
- Microsoft OneNote vs MeetGeek: MeetGeek automates meeting summaries, highlights, and action items using advanced AI.
- Microsoft OneNote vs Mem AI: Mem AI uses AI to automatically connect notes, suggest related information, and smart search.
- Microsoft OneNote vs Evernote: Evernote is a long-standing note-taker with strong web clipping, tagging, and powerful search.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Capacities better for personal knowledge management than OneNote?
Capacities vs OneNote for personal knowledge management depends on your style. Capacities excels with its object-based linking for deep connections. OneNote offers a more flexible, freeform canvas perfect for general note-taking and quick captures.
Does OneNote offer better collaboration features than Capacities?
Yes, generally. OneNote, especially within the Microsoft ecosystem, provides robust real-time collaboration. It’s designed for sharing notebooks and pages easily among multiple users. Capacities offers sharing, but OneNote’s collaboration is more seamless for teams.
Can I use AI features in both OneNote and Capacities?
Absolutely. Both OneNote vs Capacities integrate AI. Capacities has a built-in AI Assistant for summarization and connections. OneNote uses Microsoft Copilot for similar tasks, often requiring a Microsoft 365 subscription for full access.
Is there a free version for Capacities and OneNote?
Yes, both offer free versions. OneNote is largely free with core features and cloud storage. Capacities also has a generous free plan that includes unlimited notes and decent media storage, making both accessible without initial cost.
Which is better for drawing and inking, OneNote vs Capacities?
Microsoft OneNote is significantly better for drawing and inking. Its freeform canvas and advanced pen support make it ideal for handwritten notes, sketches, and diagrams. Capacities focuses more on structured text and linked information.
