Is Capacities or HEY better?

Neither clearly leads. Capacities starts at Free and HEY at $99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Capacities or HEY?

Capacities has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Capacities and $99/year for HEY.

Does Capacities or HEY run on more platforms?

Capacities runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android. HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android.

Can I use Capacities for free?

Yes. Capacities has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HEY starts at $99/year.

What is Capacities best used for?

Capacities is most often used for productivity, collaboration, task management, organization. Of those, productivity and collaboration are not what HEY is typically brought in for.

What can Capacities do that HEY cannot?

Capacities covers Object-based notes, Daily notes, Properties and relations, Graph view. HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode.

Productivity · head to head

Capacities vs HEY

Capacities

Productivity

A studio for your mind with object-based notes

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

HEY

Productivity

Flat annual subscription email service from 37signals, with its own hey.com domain and a distinctive Screener

From: $99/year
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Capacities has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Capacities pro plan pricing not prominently displayed on website; HEY there is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.
They diverge on capability: Capacities covers Object-based notes, HEY covers The Screener.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Capacities and HEY actually diverge.

Attributes where Capacities and HEY differ
Attribute	Capacities	HEY
Starting price	Free	$99/year
Pricing model	Unknown	Per user per month
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android	Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android
Founded	2020	Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Capacities

Object-based notes
Daily notes
Properties and relations
Graph view
AI assistant
Readwise
Web clipper
GDPR

Only in HEY

The Screener
Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
Reply Later stack
Focus and Reply mode
Screen sharing style clips
No tracking pixels

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Capacities

Productivitynot HEY
Collaborationnot HEY
Task managementnot HEY
Organizationnot HEY

HEY

Someone who wants to replace Gmail or iCloud Mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inboxnot Capacities
A user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversationnot Capacities
A family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plannot Capacities
A small company wanting HEY for Work on its own domain with the Screener model for the whole teamnot Capacities

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Capacities

Pro plan pricing not prominently displayed on website
Smaller community and ecosystem compared to Notion or Obsidian
Limited third-party integration marketplace

HEY

There is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.
Adopting HEY means changing your actual email address, not just installing a new client, which is a bigger migration than switching apps on an existing address.
The Screener and categorisation model is a real departure from a standard inbox, and some users take time to adjust or find it gets in the way for high volume mail.
Short vanity addresses carry steep additional annual fees, up to 999 US dollars a year for a two character address.
It does not connect to or manage existing Gmail, Outlook or iCloud accounts, so it cannot be used as a general client the way Mimestream or Apple Mail can.

Pricing, plan by plan

Capacities

Free

FreeFree
- Unlimited spaces and objects
- Device synchronization
- Unlimited custom object types
Pro$10/month
- Everything in Free
- Unlimited notes
- Advanced graph views
Believer$149.88/year
- Everything in Pro
- Beta access to new features

HEY

$99/year

HEY for You$99/year
- One hey.com email address
- Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
- Billed annually only, no monthly option
HEY for Families$179/year
- Covers up to five family members
- Same features as HEY for You per member
HEY for Work$12/month
- Per user, for organisations on a company domain
- Admin controls for a team

Which should you pick?

Choose Capacities if

You need object-based notes.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android.
You also want daily notes.

Capacities review

Choose HEY if

You need the screener.
You work on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
You also want imbox, feed and paper trail.

HEY review

Questions people ask

Is Capacities or HEY better?: Neither clearly leads. Capacities starts at Free and HEY at $99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Capacities or HEY?: Capacities has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Capacities and $99/year for HEY.
Does Capacities or HEY run on more platforms?: Capacities runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android. HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Capacities for free?: Yes. Capacities has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HEY starts at $99/year.
What is Capacities best used for?: Capacities is most often used for productivity, collaboration, task management, organization. Of those, productivity and collaboration are not what HEY is typically brought in for.
What can Capacities do that HEY cannot?: Capacities covers Object-based notes, Daily notes, Properties and relations, Graph view. HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Capacities: What platforms does Capacities support?

Capacities is available on Web, Desktop (macOS, Windows, Linux), and Mobile (iOS, Android), allowing seamless work across devices.

Source

HEY: Can I use HEY with my existing Gmail address?

No. HEY provides its own hey.com email address; it is not a client layered over an existing Gmail or other account.

Capacities: Does Capacities have a free plan?

Yes, Capacities offers a free plan with unlimited spaces, objects, and blocks, device synchronization, unlimited custom object types, and 5GB media uploads total.

Source

HEY: Is there a free plan?

No. HEY offers a trial but bills annually only, with no free tier and no month to month option for individuals.

Capacities: What AI features does Capacities include?

Capacities includes an AI Assistant available on Pro and higher plans for brainstorming, summarization, and contextual Q&A about your notes.

Source

HEY: What is the Screener?

A feature that holds mail from any new sender until the user explicitly approves them, before it appears in the inbox at all.

Capacities vs HEY

Capacities

HEY

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Capacities

Only in HEY

What people use each for

Capacities

HEY

Where each one falls short

Capacities

HEY

Pricing, plan by plan

Capacities

HEY

Which should you pick?

Choose Capacities if

Choose HEY if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Capacities

More on HEY

Keep looking

Other head to heads