Your notes are scattered across separate files, your ideas disappear into folders, and you miss connections that are really there. Capacities approaches this differently: it works with objects instead of documents. A tool that claims to be a “studio for your mind.”
Who is behind Capacities?
Capacities Labs GmbH was founded in 2020 by Steffen Bleher and Michael von Hohnhorst, based in Sankt Wendel, Germany. The idea emerged from frustration with how traditional note-taking apps work. Computers force you to think in folders and hierarchies, while your brain works in networks and connections. They wanted to bridge that gap.
Their solution: a system that works with objects. Not a document about a book, but the book itself as an object with properties. Not a note about a person, but that person as an entity you can link everywhere. A fundamentally different way of knowledge management that aligns with how you actually think.
The company is fully bootstrapped, meaning funded by users without external investors. The community has now grown to more than 10,000 members. All data is stored on encrypted servers within the EU, which is a conscious choice for many European users. It remains a relatively small team focused on that one core idea: making object-based thinking accessible.
Who is Capacities for?
Capacities is built for people who work with knowledge and ideas. Researchers who need to manage sources and find connections. Students who want to connect lectures, literature, and their own insights. Content creators who collect inspiration and organize projects. Knowledge workers who want to build their second brain without getting stuck in folder structures.
The tool is specifically not suitable for large organizations or teams that need to collaborate in real-time. There are no collaboration features, no shared workspaces, no permissions. This is a personal knowledge environment. Also, if you mainly need simple to-do lists and shopping lists, this is overkill. Capacities requires an investment of time to master object thinking.
What can Capacities do?
The free version offers unlimited notes and objects with 5GB media storage. For AI features, unlimited storage, and priority support, you need a paid plan. Here are the core features:
- Object-based notes: You don’t create documents about things, but the things themselves. A person is an object with properties, a book is an object with author and publication date. You can reuse and link those objects everywhere without copying.
- AI Assistant and Chat: The built-in AI helps you with writing, summarizing, and answering questions about your notes. You can have a conversation with your own knowledge base, which is especially useful when you want to quickly find something or look for connections.
- Graph view: A visual network view that shows how your notes and objects are connected to each other. Not just a beautiful visualization, but also a way to discover unexpected connections between ideas you had stored separately.
- Daily notes: Each day automatically gets its own page where you can quickly jot down thoughts. No barrier to getting started, just type. Later you can still link those loose thoughts to objects or projects.
- Calendar integration: Your notes and objects can be linked to dates. Useful for tracking when you read something, when an idea emerged, or when you met a person. The timeline becomes part of your knowledge structure.
- Offline mode: The desktop and mobile apps work without an internet connection. You can just keep working on the train or during a flight, everything synchronizes once you’re back online.
- Task management integrations: Link your notes to external task managers. Capacities itself is not a full-fledged task management app, but you can create tasks and synchronize them with tools that are built for that.
- WhatsApp and Telegram integration: Send ideas directly from your messaging apps to Capacities. That loose idea during a conversation or that interesting link someone sends won’t get lost in your chat history anymore.
- Export options: You can export your entire knowledge base to Markdown, HTML, or JSON. You’re not locked into the platform, all your work remains accessible if you ever want to switch.
The tool is available as a web application and has native apps for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. The interface is modern and visually appealing, which users say feels much faster than Notion.
How much does Capacities cost?
Capacities has a free basic plan with no limit on the number of notes or objects. You get 5GB storage for media such as images and PDFs. For most users who mainly store text, that’s enough to get started seriously. AI features are not included in the free plan.
The Pro subscription costs 11,99 dollars per month or 9,99 dollars per month with annual payment (119,88 dollars total). This gives you unlimited storage, access to the AI assistant, and priority support. There’s also a Believer plan for 14,99 dollars per month or 12,49 dollars per month with annual payment (149,88 dollars total). This is intended for users who want to provide extra support to the project and get the same features as Pro.
New users can try it free for 14 days with all Pro features. Enough time to discover if the object-based approach suits you. There are no lifetime deals or team subscriptions, which makes sense given the focus on individual use.
What should you watch out for?
The biggest shortcoming is the absence of collaboration features. You can’t share notes with team members, there are no shared workspaces, and no ability to work together in real-time. If you want to collaborate with others on knowledge management, you’ll need to choose a different tool.
Importing from other apps is limited and often difficult. Especially switching from Notion or Evernote requires manual work. The structure is so different that a direct migration doesn’t work well. You have to reorganize your content according to object thinking, which can be time-consuming.
There is no native iPad app, only an iPhone app that works on tablets but isn’t optimized for the larger screen. For people who work a lot on a tablet, this feels like a missed opportunity. The interface doesn’t scale ideally.
Database functionality is more limited than in Notion. You can’t create formulas, perform advanced calculations, or set up complex relationships between databases. Capacities is built for knowledge management, not for project management or spreadsheet-like operations.
The learning curve for object-based thinking is steeper than with traditional note-taking apps. You have to adjust your workflow and get used to a different way of organizing. That requires patience and experimentation before it feels natural.
Capacities alternatives
Depending on your priorities, there are other tools that might be a better fit:
- Obsidian: Choose this if you want complete control over your data and don’t need cloud sync. Your notes are stored locally as markdown files, the tool is completely free, and you can choose where your files are stored. Less out-of-the-box structure, but more freedom.
- Notion: Choose this if you work with a team and need extensive databases. Notion is stronger in collaboration and project management, with powerful database functionality and formulas. Less suitable for network thinking, more for structured projects.
- Logseq: Choose this if you prefer an outliner workflow and open-source software. Logseq works with bullets and daily logs, is completely free and transparent. The learning curve is steeper and the interface less polished, but you get more technical control.
Frequently asked questions
A few practical questions that often come up:
Is my data safe with Capacities?
Yes, Capacities is a German company that stores data on encrypted servers within the EU. They fall under GDPR legislation, which means strict privacy rules apply. For European users who value data sovereignty, this is an important advantage over American alternatives.
Does Capacities work offline?
Yes, the desktop and mobile apps have an offline mode. You can create and edit content without an internet connection, everything syncs automatically once you’re back online. Useful for working on the go or in places with poor connectivity.
Can I export my notes?
Yes, you can export your entire knowledge base to Markdown, HTML, or JSON formats. You’re not locked into the platform and can always take your data with you if you decide to switch to another tool.
Conclusion
Capacities is a strong choice if you’re looking for a personal knowledge environment that aligns with how your brain works. The object-based approach feels more natural than folders and hierarchies, the interface is fast and visually appealing, and the EU hosting is a plus for privacy-conscious users. The free plan is generous enough to get started seriously.
But it’s not for everyone. Without collaboration features, it’s ruled out for teams. The limited import options make switching difficult. And the learning curve requires patience before object thinking becomes second nature. Capacities requires an investment in time and adjustment of your workflow.
Ideal for researchers, students, and knowledge workers who work solo and want to build their second brain. Less suitable if you mainly want to collaborate or need complex databases. Try the free version and give yourself a few weeks to get used to the new way of thinking.
