Capacities is a note-taking and personal knowledge management app that structures information as typed objects — books, people, projects, daily notes, quotes — rather than flat pages. Every piece of content has a type with defined properties, and those types link together into a connected knowledge graph. AI writing and organization features are built into the Pro plan. It is a strong choice for people who find tools like Notion too freeform and Obsidian too technical.
What It Does
Where most note-taking apps give you blank pages, Capacities gives you a type system. When you create a note, you choose what it is: a Book, a Person, a Daily Note, a Media item, a custom type you define. Each type has structured properties (an Author field on Books, a Date field on Daily Notes) that Capacities uses to auto-generate connections, calendar views, and filtered galleries.
This object-oriented structure means notes link with semantic meaning — “this book was written by this person, referenced in this project” — rather than just hyperlinks. The knowledge graph view shows these connections visually.
AI features on the Pro plan include:
- AI writing assistant: generate, rewrite, expand, summarize, or rephrase selected text
- AI chat: ask questions across your notes (“what did I write about X last month?”)
- Auto-tagging suggestions: AI proposes tags and properties for new notes
- Content generation: create structured notes from a prompt (e.g., fill in a book template from a title)
Who It’s For
- Researchers and academics who need to link ideas across sources with structured metadata
- Writers and journalists maintaining character databases, source networks, and project notes
- Knowledge workers who want more structure than Notion pages but less friction than Obsidian’s plain-text vault
- People who think in systems — Capacities rewards users who want to define information types and let structure emerge from those definitions
It is not a good fit for teams (primarily a solo tool), for users who need a Kanban or project management layer, or for anyone who wants full data portability via plain Markdown files.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited notes, core object types, web + desktop + mobile, no AI |
| Pro | €9/month | AI features, advanced views, priority sync, full export, custom object types |
Prices verified 2026-04-14. Annual billing available at a discount. Pricing in EUR; converts to approximately $10/month at current rates.
Key Features
- Typed objects: define custom note types with their own properties, views, and templates
- Daily notes: structured journaling with automatic cross-linking to referenced objects
- Bi-directional links: every link creates a backlink; the knowledge graph is always current
- Inline databases: filter and view collections of objects (all Books, all People) as galleries, tables, or lists
- AI writing assistant: built into the editor for Pro users; generate and rewrite without leaving the app
- Web clipper: save web content as structured objects (Article type, Book type, etc.)
- Cross-platform: web, desktop (Mac/Windows), and mobile (iOS/Android) with offline support
Limitations
- Solo tool primarily — no real-time collaboration; not designed for team workspaces
- No plain-text storage — notes are stored in a proprietary database, not Markdown files; portability depends on export quality
- Learning curve — the object-type system requires upfront setup investment; takes weeks to feel natural
- Small community compared to Obsidian or Notion — fewer templates, tutorials, and third-party plugins
- No native spreadsheet/database view comparable to Notion’s full-featured databases
- AI features are basic — the AI writing assistant is functional but not differentiated from generic tools
Bottom Line
Capacities earns its place for a specific type of user: someone who thinks structurally about their knowledge, wants typed objects rather than flat pages, and is working solo. The free plan is genuinely generous. The object-based model is legitimately differentiated from every other PKM tool — once you internalize it, going back to untyped notes feels like regression. But if you need collaboration, plain-text portability, or advanced databases, look elsewhere.
Best Alternatives
| Tool | Best For | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Obsidian | Plain-text portability, deep plugin ecosystem | Free (core) |
| NotebookLM | AI-first research with source grounding | Free |
| Notion AI | Team collaboration + AI in a flexible workspace | Free tier / $10+/mo |
| Roam Research | Hardcore networked thought, daily notes focus | $15/mo |
FAQ
Is Capacities free? Yes. The free plan includes unlimited notes, all core object types, and cross-platform sync. AI features (writing assistant, AI chat over notes) require the Pro plan at €9/month. The free plan is usable indefinitely — it is not a trial.
How is Capacities different from Notion? Notion organizes information as pages inside databases. Capacities organizes information as typed objects in a knowledge graph — every note is both a document and a database entry. Capacities is better at surfacing connections between ideas across your entire knowledge base. Notion is better at collaboration, project management, and structured data entry. Many users keep both.
Does Capacities work offline? Yes. The desktop and mobile apps support offline use with sync resuming when connectivity is restored.
Sources
- Capacities pricing page (verified 2026-04-14)
- Capacities changelog