My Capacities Journey: Skeptic to Fan (2026)

Is Capacities Worth It?

★★★★★ 4.2/5

Quick Verdict: Capacities is a fresh take on note taking. It uses objects instead of folders. This makes your notes feel alive and connected. After 60 days, I found it perfect for building a personal knowledge base. It’s not for everyone. But if you want a studio for your mind, it’s hard to beat.

✅ Best For:

Writers, researchers, and students who want to connect ideas and build a second brain

❌ Skip If:

You need heavy team collaboration or want a full project management tool with tasks and deadlines

📊 Platforms	Web, Desktop, iOS, Android	🎯 Best For	Personal knowledge base
💰 Price	Free — $12.49/month	✅ Top Feature	Object-based notes
🎁 Free Plan	Yes, generous free tier	⚠️ Limitation	No team collaboration

How I Tested Capacities

Tired of drowning in messy notes?

You write things down. Then you forget where you put them. Your folders get cluttered. Your ideas get lost.

Enter Capacities.

It’s a note taking app that thinks like your brain. No folders. Just connected objects.

In this review, I’ll show you how it performed after 60 days of real use. You’ll learn the key features, pricing, and who it’s best for.

Capacities

Stop losing your best ideas in messy folders. Capacities helps you create notes as connected objects — like a studio for your mind. The free version is generous. No credit card needed to start.

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What is Capacities?

Capacities is a note taking application that works differently from other apps.

Think of it like an artist’s studio for your thoughts.

Most other note taking apps use files and folders. Capacities uses objects instead.

Objects can be anything. People, books, meetings, ideas, or tasks.

You create notes and link them together. Over time, you build a personal knowledge base.

It helps you see hidden connections between your thoughts. Like a mind map that grows with you.

Unlike Notion, Capacities focuses on the individual. It’s not a team tool. It’s your private space to write, think, and create amazing things.

The app works on web, desktop app, iOS app, and Android. You can access your data from any device.

Who Created Capacities?

Steffen Bleher and Michael von Hohnhorst started Capacities in 2022.

They wanted to build a better way to take notes. The old file-and-folder system felt broken to them.

Today, Capacities has:

• A growing community of users on Discord
• 45+ releases with new features since launch
• Apps on every major platform including Android and Linux

The company is based in Germany. It’s 100% founder-owned with no outside investors.

Users appreciate that the developer team responds to feedback fast. The app is frequently updated based on what users want.

Top Benefits of Capacities

Here’s what you actually get when you use Capacities:

• Think Clearly: Capacities helps you organize your thoughts and boost creative thinking. Your ideas connect naturally. No more digging through folders to find what you need.
• Build a Second Brain: Create a personal knowledge base that grows with you. Every note you write adds to your web of knowledge. Users report a 20% increase in efficiency within the first month.
• Access Anywhere: Your notes sync across all your devices. Use the desktop app, mobile app, web app, or iOS app. Even offline works. You never lose access to your data.
• Save Time with Daily Notes: The daily notes feature helps you log your day fast. Capture ideas with quick capture. Don’t let good thoughts slip away.
• Stay Organized Without Effort: Objects and tags do the heavy lifting. You don’t need complex folder systems. Capacities promotes a bottom-up approach. Organization happens naturally as you write.
• Find Anything Fast: The powerful search tool finds any note in seconds. Powerful search finds exactly what you need. Even across multiple notes and objects.
• Beautiful Design: Users enjoy the clean design and dark mode. It’s visually appealing and makes you want to write more. The app feels calm — like a real studio for your mind.

Best Capacities Features

Let’s look at what Capacities actually offers. These are the features that make it stand out.

1. Capacities Notes

This is the core of the app. You create notes as objects — not pages in a folder.

Each note can be a person, a meeting, a book, or a custom type. You write in a clean editor that supports markdown notes and structured content.

The writing experience feels smooth. Capacities allows users to embed images, videos, and new content right inside notes.

It’s less about rigid structure. It’s more about letting your ideas flow naturally.

2. Capacities AI

The AI assistant is built right into the app. It’s a powerful assistant right at your fingertips.

Ask it to summarize notes. Get help with research. Generate new ideas from your existing knowledge.

The AI features work with your data. It doesn’t just give generic answers. It reads your notes and responds with context.

This is one of the key features that sets Capacities apart from other note taking apps.

3. Contextual Backlinking

Every note in Capacities can link to other notes. That’s standard.

But contextual backlinking goes deeper. When you link Note A to Note B, Note B automatically shows the connection back.

This helps you see how your ideas connect. You find hidden connections you didn’t know existed.

It’s like having a mind map that builds itself. Great for creative thinking and research.

4. Powerful Search Tool

Finding notes is easy with the powerful search feature.

Type a few words. Capacities searches across all your objects, tags, and content.

The search is fast and responsive across devices. Even with hundreds of notes, results appear instantly.

You can filter by object type, date, or tags. No more scrolling through endless pages to find what you wrote last month.

5. Quick Capture

Great ideas don’t wait. Quick capture lets you save thoughts in seconds.

Use the share sheet to save content from web pages or other apps. On mobile, it’s just a tap away.

Later, you can sort and connect those quick notes to your knowledge base. The share sheet save content feature works on both iOS and Android.

It turns random thoughts into structured knowledge.

6. Calendar Integration

Your calendar and your notes belong together. Capacities agrees.

Connect your calendar and see meetings as objects. Each meeting gets its own note page automatically.

Add notes before, during, or after meetings. Everything stays linked and easy to find.

This is perfect for people who log meetings and want everything in a single month or week view.

7. Block Linking

Block linking lets you connect specific parts of one note to another.

Not just whole pages. Individual blocks. Paragraphs, lists, or headings.

This is great for research. You can build links between very specific ideas across multiple notes.

It adds another layer to your knowledge base. Your network of ideas becomes richer.

8. Custom Object Types

Capacities comes with built-in objects like people, books, and meetings.

But you can create your own types too. Need a “Recipe” object? A “Project” object? Just build it.

Custom objects let you shape the app around your life. Not the other way around.

Capacities allows users to create objects from any aspect of their daily lives. This makes sense for how your brain actually works.

9. Templating

Templates save you time. Set up a note structure once. Use it again and again.

Capacities offers templates for meetings, daily notes, and more. You can also create your own.

This keeps your notes consistent. It also helps you focus on writing instead of formatting.

Templates work with all object types. They’re one of the best new features for staying productive.

Capacities Pricing

Free plan: Yes — generous free version with unlimited notes and 5 GB storage. No credit card needed.

Money-back guarantee: You can cancel anytime. Refunds available within the first 14 days.

Is Capacities Worth the Price?

The free version is one of the best I’ve seen. You can use it forever without paying.

The Pro plan at $9.99/month is fair for what you get. The AI assistant alone is worth it if you do a lot of research.

You’ll save money if: You currently pay for Notion and only use it for personal notes. Capacities offers a better experience for individuals — and it’s cheaper.

You might overpay if: You only write a few notes a week. The free version handles that just fine.

Capacities Pros and Cons

✅ What I Liked

❌ What Could Be Better

Is Capacities Right for You?

✅ Capacities is PERFECT for you if:

• You want a personal knowledge base to store all your ideas
• You love connecting notes and seeing how ideas relate
• You want a note taking app with a clean, calm design
• You do research, journaling, or creative thinking
• You want something between Notion and Obsidian

❌ Skip Capacities if:

• You need team collaboration and shared workspaces
• You want a full project management tool with tasks and deadlines
• You prefer total control over source code and self-hosting like Obsidian

My recommendation:

If you’re a writer, student, or researcher, try Capacities. The free version gives you everything to start.

It changed how I take notes. I think more clearly now. My ideas make more sense because they’re all connected.

Capacities vs Alternatives

How does Capacities stack up? Here’s the competitive landscape:

Quick picks:

• Best overall: Capacities — if you want connected, object-based note taking
• Best budget option: Obsidian — free with local storage and plugins
• Best for beginners: Craft — simple, beautiful, and easy to learn
• Best for teams: Notion — collaboration features that Capacities doesn’t have

🎯 Capacities Alternatives

Looking for Capacities alternatives? Here are the top options:

• 🏢 Notion: The go-to for teams. Databases, wikis, and project tools all in one place. Best if you need collaboration.
• 🔒 Anytype: Privacy-first and open source. Object-based like Capacities but with local-first storage. Great alternative for privacy fans.
• 🎨 Craft: Stunning design on Apple devices. Perfect for writers who love beautiful documents and easy sharing.
• 🚀 ClickUp: Full project management with note taking built in. Best for people who need tasks, docs, and goals together.
• 🔧 Coda: Part doc, part spreadsheet, part app builder. Great for people who want custom workflows and automations.
• ⚡ XTiles: Visual boards for organizing ideas. Good for creative thinkers who prefer a spatial layout over lists.
• 🧠 AFFiNE Pro: Open-source with whiteboard and doc features. A newer alternative that blends visual and text-based notes.
• 💰 Obsidian: Free, local-first, and endlessly customizable with plugins. Best for users who want full control over their source code and data.

⚔️ Capacities Compared

Here’s how Capacities stacks up against each competitor:

• Capacities vs Notion: Capacities wins for personal use. Notion wins for teams. Many users find Capacities to be a good balance between Notion and Obsidian.
• Capacities vs Anytype: Both use objects. Anytype is open source. Capacities has a better AI assistant and cleaner design.
• Capacities vs Craft: Craft is prettier on Apple. Capacities works on all platforms including Android and Linux.
• Capacities vs ClickUp: ClickUp is a project tool. Capacities is a thinking tool. Different needs entirely.
• Capacities vs Coda: Coda is great for custom apps and data. Capacities is better for simple, connected note taking.
• Capacities vs XTiles: XTiles has visual boards. Capacities has deeper linking and a stronger knowledge base structure.
• Capacities vs AFFiNE Pro: AFFiNE is newer with whiteboard features. Capacities is more mature and stable for daily use.
• Capacities vs Obsidian: Obsidian gives full control with plugins and local files. Capacities is easier to learn with a better mobile app.

My Experience with Capacities

Here’s what actually happened when I used Capacities:

The project: I moved all my research notes and daily journal into Capacities. I wanted to build a proper second brain for my work.

Timeline: 60 days of daily use.

Results:

What surprised me: The object model clicked faster than I expected. After a single month, I couldn’t go back to regular folders. Everything just made more sense as connected objects.

What frustrated me: Moving my old Notion notes in was painful. I had to do most of it manually. The import tools need work.

Would I use it again? Yes. I still use it every day. It’s now my main note taking app for personal work.

Final Thoughts

Get Capacities if: You want a personal knowledge base that connects your ideas like a mind map. The free plan is enough for most people.

Skip Capacities if: You need team collaboration or heavy project management. Look at Notion or ClickUp instead.

My verdict: After 60 days, Capacities changed how I think about notes. It’s not just a note taking app. It’s a studio for your mind where you can create amazing things.

The app is easy to learn. The design is beautiful. And the free version is generous.

Rating: 4.2/5

Frequently Asked Questions

What does my capacities mean?

In the app context, Capacities refers to your personal space for notes and knowledge. It’s named after the idea that everyone has the capacity to learn, create, and grow. Your capacities are your abilities and potential.

Is Capacities better than Obsidian?

They’re different tools. Capacities is easier to learn and has a better mobile app. Obsidian gives you more control with plugins and local files. If you want simplicity and connected objects, pick Capacities. If you want total control, pick Obsidian.

Is Capacities.io free?

Yes. The free version includes unlimited notes and 5 GB storage. You don’t need a credit card to create an account. The Pro plan costs $9.99/month. The Believer plan costs $12.49/month.

What is the difference between Notion and Capacities?

Notion is built for teams with databases and wikis. Capacities is built for individuals with connected objects. Notion uses pages and folders. Capacities uses objects and links. Capacities offers a more personal, calm experience for solo knowledge work.

Is Capacities.io safe?

Yes. Capacities is GDPR compliant with data stored in the EU. The company is based in Germany and takes privacy seriously. It’s 100% founder-owned with no outside investors who could pressure them to sell your data.