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Productivity · head to head

Capacities vs Obsidian

Capacities logo

Capacities

Productivity

A studio for your mind with object-based notes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Obsidian logo

Obsidian

Research

A powerful knowledge base on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Capacities pro plan pricing not prominently displayed on website; Obsidian sync is a paid add-on at $4 per month billed annually rather than part of the app
  • They diverge on capability: Capacities covers Object-based notes, Obsidian covers Bidirectional linking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Capacities and Obsidian actually diverge.

Attributes where Capacities and Obsidian differ
AttributeCapacitiesObsidian
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, AndroidWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
CategoryProductivityResearch

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2020).

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
  • Web clipper
  • GDPR
  • German hosting

Only in Obsidian

  • Bidirectional linking
  • Graph view visualization
  • Markdown support
  • Local file storage
  • Plugin ecosystem
  • Custom CSS themes
  • Templates
  • Search and tags

Both cover

  • Readwise

What people use each for

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

Capacities

  • Productivitynot Obsidian
  • Collaborationnot Obsidian
  • Task managementnot Obsidian
  • Organizationnot Obsidian

Obsidian

  • Local-first markdown note taking with no account requirednot Capacities
  • Linking notes into a personal knowledge graphnot Capacities
  • Syncing a vault across devices with end-to-end encryption on the paid add-onnot Capacities
  • Publishing a public site from a vaultnot Capacities
  • Extending the editor with community pluginsnot 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

Obsidian

  • Sync is a paid add-on at $4 per month billed annually rather than part of the app
  • Publishing to the web is a further $8 per month per site
  • Commercial use asks for a $50 per user per year licence, though the vendor states it is not required
  • Collaboration is limited compared with a hosted notes tool, since the vault is local files first

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

Obsidian

Free
  • Obsidian Sync$4/month
    • Sync notes across devices
  • Obsidian Publish$8/month
    • Turn notes into a website

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 Obsidian if

  • You need bidirectional linking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
  • You also want graph view visualization.
Obsidian review

Questions people ask

Is Capacities or Obsidian better?
Neither clearly leads. Capacities starts at Free and Obsidian at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Capacities or Obsidian?
Capacities starts at Free and Obsidian at Free.
Does Capacities or Obsidian run on more platforms?
Capacities runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android. Obsidian runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
Can I use Capacities for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Obsidian is typically brought in for.
What can Capacities do that Obsidian cannot?
Capacities covers Object-based notes, Daily notes, Properties and relations, Graph view. Obsidian covers Bidirectional linking, Graph view visualization, Markdown support, Local file storage. Both handle Readwise.

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
Obsidian: Is Obsidian free?

Yes. The core Obsidian application is 100% free for personal and commercial use with no limitations. You can use unlimited vaults and every core feature without payment.

Source
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
Obsidian: What file format does Obsidian use?

Obsidian stores every note as a plain Markdown file. Because it uses standard Markdown instead of a proprietary format, your notes remain portable and can be edited with many other Markdown editors.

Source
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
Obsidian: Can I collaborate with others in Obsidian?

The core application does not include built-in team collaboration features. However, Obsidian offers optional add-ons and can be used with version control systems or cloud storage for collaboration.

Source
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