Capacities
FreemiumObject-based note-taking app that organizes thoughts around typed entities like people, books, ideas, and projects
What is Capacities?
Capacities is a newer note-taking app (launched 2022, Berlin-based) that tries to solve the "messy notes" problem with a completely different mental model: instead of folders or tags, every piece of content you capture is a typed Object. You don't just write a note about a book — you create a Book object with fields like author, rating, and status, linked to a list of highlights, linked to People who recommended it, linked to Projects where you used ideas from it. Out of the box, Capacities comes with sensible default types like Daily Note, Page, Person, Book, Movie, Podcast, Meeting, Tag, and more, and you can create custom types with your own properties. The result feels like a cross between Notion's databases and Obsidian's knowledge graph, but with far less setup required — the structure is already there. Capacities added AI chat with your content in 2024, letting you ask questions across your entire space and get answers with citations. The daily notes flow, combined with inline object creation, is especially loved by journalers, researchers, and anyone trying to build a "second brain" without spending weeks configuring Notion databases. Capacities is cloud-based (data synced via their servers) with a free tier, a Pro plan at around $12.49/month, and a Believer plan at $300 for five years. It is one of the most opinionated yet accessible note apps on the market in 2026.
⚡ Quick Verdict
Knowledge workers who want the structure of a database without configuring Notion — especially readers, researchers, and daily journalers
Teams needing real-time collaboration, or users who want local-first markdown files
Free · Pro $12.49/mo (annual) · Believer $300/5 years
Yes — core features, limited object types, 10 GB storage
Object types give you the benefits of a database without any setup work
Cloud-only (no local files) and AI chat is limited by credits on lower tiers
Bottom line: Capacities scores 4.3/5 — The best note app for people who tried Notion databases and gave up because it was too much work. Pro ($12.49/mo) is worth it if you use Capacities daily.
Pricing
Free: Core features, basic object types, 10 GB storage, daily notes, backlinks, up to 3 custom types, limited AI chat credits. Good enough to evaluate the app and use lightly.
Pro — $12.49/month (annual, ~$15 monthly): Unlimited custom types, unlimited AI chat credits, advanced queries, full templates, 200 GB storage, PDF annotation, version history, offline mobile, advanced properties, priority support.
Believer — $300 one-time (5 years): Everything in Pro for a one-time payment equivalent to $5/month. Best value for committed users. Supports long-term development.
Education — 50% discount available for students and academics with valid .edu email on Pro.
Key Features
- Typed objects — every piece of content is a structured type with properties
- Daily notes flow with automatic linking to people, projects, and tags mentioned
- Built-in types for Book, Movie, Podcast, Person, Meeting, Tag, Project, and more
- Custom types — create your own object types with custom properties
- AI chat across your content with citations back to source objects
- Queries — filter and group objects dynamically in pages
- PDF annotation that turns highlights into linked objects
- Collections — filter and group objects across types
- Cross-platform — macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, web
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Structured out of the box — no weeks of Notion database setup required
- Daily notes flow encourages consistent capture and linking
- AI chat works well with typed objects as context
- Believer plan ($300/5yr) is one of the best values in the note-taking space
- Active, responsive developer team shipping updates frequently
Cons
- Cloud-only — no local markdown files or local-first option
- Team collaboration is limited compared to Notion
- AI chat credits are limited on free and some lower tiers
FAQ
Is Capacities worth the $12.49/month Pro plan?
For users who actually stick with it, yes. Pro unlocks unlimited custom object types, unlimited AI chat, 200 GB storage, PDF annotation, and advanced queries. At $12.49/month billed annually it is priced similarly to Notion with AI, and the object-based model saves days of database configuration work. Best value for users who take notes daily and want structure without manual setup.
How is Capacities different from Notion?
Capacities ships with pre-built typed objects (Book, Movie, Person, Project, etc.) and every piece of content you create gets a type automatically. In Notion you would build those databases yourself, configuring properties and relations manually. Capacities is more opinionated and gives you structure immediately. Notion is more flexible but requires more setup. Pick Capacities if you want structure without work. Pick Notion if you want to build custom systems.
Does Capacities have AI?
Yes. Capacities added AI chat in 2024, letting you ask questions across your entire space and receive answers with citations linked back to the objects the AI referenced. Pro unlocks unlimited AI credits; free and lower tiers have a monthly cap. Capacities AI uses OpenAI models under the hood. It's also integrated into PDF annotation for summarizing highlights.
Can Capacities replace Obsidian?
For structured note-taking and daily journaling, yes. For local-first markdown and complete data ownership, no. Obsidian stores files on your disk and has a huge plugin ecosystem. Capacities is cloud-based with structured objects and built-in AI. Pick Capacities if you want built-in structure and don't mind cloud storage. Pick Obsidian if privacy, longevity, and customization matter most.
Does Capacities work offline?
Partially. Desktop apps have offline support — you can create and edit notes offline, and they sync when you reconnect. Mobile offline is limited on the free plan but works on Pro. AI features require an internet connection since they call cloud LLMs. Capacities is not local-first in the Obsidian sense — your data lives on their servers — but it is generally reliable offline for reading and writing.
What are Capacities Spaces?
Spaces are Capacities' version of separate workspaces. You can have multiple spaces for different contexts (personal, work, a specific project) and each space has its own objects, types, and data. Free plan includes 1 space; Pro allows multiple spaces. Spaces can be shared with other Pro users for light collaboration, though Capacities is not primarily a team tool like Notion or ClickUp.
Is the Believer plan worth it?
If you plan to use Capacities for more than 24 months, yes. At $300 for 5 years, it works out to $5/month, compared to $12.49/month on the annual Pro plan. That's a savings of roughly $450 over five years. It is non-refundable and locks you in, so only pay it if you have tried the free or Pro plan for a few months and are confident Capacities is your long-term note tool.
📋 Good to know
Sign up at capacities.io, create your first Space, start with daily notes and let object types emerge from your writing. Import from Notion, Obsidian, or markdown is supported.
GDPR compliant (Berlin-based). Data encrypted in transit and at rest, stored on EU servers. AI features use OpenAI but content is not used for training. Export at any time as markdown.
Pro ($12.49/mo annual) for unlimited types, AI, and storage. Believer ($300/5yr) if you know you'll stick with Capacities for 2+ years — best value in the space.
Moderate. The object model takes a few days to internalize but the app guides you with sensible defaults.