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Capacities Review

Worth it

Should I use Capacities?

Capacities is a note-taking and knowledge management app that organizes your ideas as connected objects instead of files and folders. Available free on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. - capacities.io

· 1 month ago

Individuals who want object-based, connected notes should start with the free plan — it is low-risk and well reviewed. Teams, enterprises, and anyone needing end-to-end encryption should look elsewhere.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 14 public sources: reviews, Reddit threads, official docs, and pricing pages.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo direct evidence of support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
ProNot stated in reviewed sources

Best for

  • Individual researchers and writers
  • Object-based thinkers tired of folders
  • Students building connected notes
  • Single-user personal knowledge management

Not for

  • Teams needing shared workspaces and permissions
  • Enterprises wanting SSO and admin controls
  • Anyone storing sensitive notes needing end-to-end encryption
  • People who just want a simple, zero-setup notes list

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

No end-to-end encryption: notes readable server-side; avoid sensitive data

medium

Manual backups mean recent work is lost if you forget to export

medium

AI, smart queries, and calendar sit behind Pro; free-tier caps frustrate some users

medium

Tiny bootstrapped team (~$573K projected revenue); verify export options before committing

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Cross-platform: Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
  • Users call the free tier extremely generous
  • Named favorite for object-based note-taking in PKM comparisons
  • Picked by Platformer among top productivity apps
  • Pro adds AI notes, smart queries, calendar

Cons

  • Not end-to-end encrypted; vendor can read notes
  • Backup is manual, per user reports
  • Offline support only arrived with release 45
  • Some excited early users eventually quit the app
  • Object model requires onboarding effort

Sources & method

- 14 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed; data is encrypted in transit and at rest but not end-to-end encrypted, per official docs.

official x2review x7security x2news x3
  • No end-to-end encryption, Vendor explicitly documents that notes are not end-to-end encrypted; data is readable server-side by design.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 14

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Generous free tier; Pro adds AI extras
  • Ease of use: 3/5. Object model needs onboarding; some users churned
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Objects, AI, smart queries, calendar, offline
  • Support quality. No direct evidence of support quality
  • Security posture: 3/5. Encrypted in transit; lacks end-to-end encryption
  • $0 Starting price Free plan; paid Pro tier
  • Yes Free tier Free plan across all platforms
  • $573K Projected revenue Crunchbase, this year
  • 5 Platforms Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android

Pricing

Free

$0

  • Object-based notes and spaces
  • All five platforms

Pro

Not stated in reviewed sources

  • AI-powered notes
  • Smart queries
  • Calendar

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed; data is encrypted in transit and at rest but not end-to-end encrypted, per official docs.

  • No end-to-end encryptionVendor explicitly documents that notes are not end-to-end encrypted; data is readable server-side by design.10

What users say

Reviews are largely enthusiastic — many call it their favorite note app — though a vocal minority quit over workflow fit, limits, and manual backup.

“my new favorite note-taking app”
YouTube review
“Capacities has manual backup!”
BeingPaperless blog
“This has been the best for my needs”
Reddit, r/PKMS
Full analysis

Based on 14 public sources: reviews, Reddit threads, official docs, and pricing pages.

Great free personal note app for object-thinkers; wrong for teams, enterprises, or end-to-end-encryption needs.

Methodology

Based on 14 public sources: reviews, Reddit threads, official docs, and pricing pages.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. I tried Capacities and here's why I'm never going back — Android Policeandroidpolice.com
    review
  2. Capacities App Review: Best Note-Taking App? — YouTubeyoutube.com
    review
  3. I tried Capacities for Mac: My Thought Process — BeingPaperlessbeingpaperless.com
    review
  4. I used Capacities for a month — Reddit r/capacitiesappreddit.com
    review
  5. Why I was excited about Capacities but stopped using it — Redditreddit.com
    review
  6. The free version of Capacities is not OCD-friendly — Redditreddit.com
    review
  7. Three apps that made me more productive this year — Platformerplatformer.news
    news
  8. Capacities Pricingcapacities.io
    official
  9. Capacities Procapacities.io
    official
  10. Why Capacities is not end-to-end encrypted — Docsdocs.capacities.io
    security
  11. Data Protection at Capacities — Docsdocs.capacities.io
    security
  12. Capacities — Crunchbase profilecrunchbase.com
    news
  13. Capacities — European Alternativeseuropean-alternatives.eu
    news
  14. Top Capacities Alternatives — memex.gardenmemex.garden
    review

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