Can I import my Heptabase data into Capacities?

Heptabase Pro supports export. You can import the exported Markdown content into Capacities. Note that spatial whiteboard layouts can't be preserved — you'll want to reorganize cards into typed object collections.

Does Capacities have a whiteboard or canvas?

No. Capacities focuses on structured knowledge through typed objects, properties, and linked collections. If spatial visual thinking is central to your workflow, Heptabase is better suited for that.

Is Capacities free to use?

Yes. Capacities has a free tier with core features, unlimited objects, and all-platform access. Heptabase has no free tier — only a 7-day free trial.

Both have strong AI. Heptabase excels with Deep Research mode and AI auto-tagging on canvases. Capacities excels with context-aware chat over your connected notes, AI image analysis, and MCP connectors for external AI tools.

Does Capacities work on iPad?

Yes. Capacities has native iOS and iPadOS apps with full offline support. Some Heptabase users report iPad-specific bugs, which Capacities doesn't share.

Can I annotate PDFs in Capacities?

Not currently. Capacities supports PDF embedding but not in-app highlighting or annotation. If PDF annotation is central to your research workflow, Heptabase has a clear advantage here.

Which is better for long-term note-taking?

Capacities' structured object model scales well for large knowledge bases without visual clutter. Heptabase's canvases provide excellent spatial overview but require ongoing spatial maintenance as your library grows.

Capacities vs Heptabase

A studio for your mind vs a visual canvas for thinkers

Heptabase is a visual note-taking tool built around infinite whiteboards, card-based organization, and spatial thinking. Capacities is a focused knowledge studio built around connected objects. Both are popular among researchers and knowledge workers, but they offer fundamentally different ways to organize and discover knowledge — spatial vs structured.

Quick comparison

At a Glance

Capacities

Heptabase

Core Philosophy

Object-based knowledge studio

Visual canvas for spatial thinking

Best For

Researchers, writers, lifelong learners

Visual thinkers, academics, researchers

Platform

Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Web

Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android

Pricing Model

Free core + Pro at $9.99/month

7-day trial + Pro at $8.99/month

Data Model

Typed objects with properties & links

Cards on infinite whiteboards with tags

Offline Support

Full offline access

Offline available

Organization Paradigm

Objects, properties, and typed collections

Spatial arrangement on infinite canvases

Side by side

Feature Comparison

Knowledge Organization

Feature

Capacities

Heptabase

Custom object / card types

Capacities

First-class typed objects with properties

Heptabase

Cards with tags but no typed schema

Bi-directional links

Capacities

Automatic two-way links on every object

Heptabase

Card linking with backlink panel

Daily notes

Capacities

Built-in daily note with timeline view

Heptabase

Journal feature with daily entries

Graph view

Capacities

Visual knowledge graph with tag network

Heptabase

Cards on whiteboards serve a similar spatial role

Canvas / whiteboard

Capacities

Not available

Heptabase

Core feature — infinite whiteboards with card arrangement

Multiple views (list, gallery, table)

Capacities

List, gallery, table, card views

Heptabase

Card view and tag-based filtering

AI Features

Feature

Capacities

Heptabase

AI assistant / chat

Capacities

Context-aware, uses connected notes and backlinks

Heptabase

AI chat with Deep Research mode

AI property auto-fill

Capacities

Included in Pro

Heptabase

AI auto-tagging for cards

AI image analysis & OCR

Capacities

Extract text and metadata from images (rolling out to Pro)

Heptabase

Not available

MCP / external AI connectors

Capacities

Connect ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor to your space

Heptabase

Official MCP server for AI agent integration

PDF annotation & highlighting

Capacities

PDF embedding only

Heptabase

In-app PDF highlighting with linked cards

Writing & Editing

Feature

Capacities

Heptabase

Block-based editor

Capacities

Rich blocks with toggles, quotes, math, code

Heptabase

Card editor with blocks

Code blocks with syntax highlighting

Capacities

100+ languages, Mermaid diagrams, line numbers

Heptabase

Basic syntax highlighting

Embedded media (images, PDFs, audio)

Capacities

Native embed support

Heptabase

Embeds plus PDF annotation

Search & Navigation

Feature

Capacities

Heptabase

Full-text search

Capacities

Offline, exact match, block search

Heptabase

Search across cards and whiteboards

Queries / filtered views

Capacities

Saved queries with variables (Pro)

Heptabase

Tag-based filtering

Unlinked mentions

Capacities

Auto-detects title mentions (Pro)

Heptabase

Not available

Collaboration

Feature

Capacities

Heptabase

Real-time collaboration

Capacities

Personal knowledge tool, no team features

Heptabase

Real-time co-editing on whiteboards (included in all paid plans)

Shared workspaces

Capacities

Not available

Heptabase

Team workspaces with shared whiteboards

Plans compared

Pricing

Capacities

Free tier

Core features, unlimited objects, all platforms, offline access

Pro

$9.99/monthbilled annually

AI assistant & auto-fill
Queries & filtered views
Calendar integration
Task management
Unlinked mentions

Heptabase

Free tier

No free tier — 7-day free trial only

Pro

$8.99/monthmonthly

Unlimited whiteboards & notes
100 AI credits/month
PDF highlights
Collaborator invites

Premium

$17.99/monthmonthly

Unlimited AI chats & PDF OCR
AI Tutor
1,800 AI credits/month
Everything in Pro

What each excels at

Strengths

Every tool has areas where it shines. Here's an honest look at what each product does best.

Capacities

Structured objects that scale

Typed objects with properties create a structured knowledge base that grows reliably — without the visual clutter of arranging cards on canvases.

Better value for money

Capacities Pro at $9.99/month billed annually is competitively priced. Heptabase Pro starts at $8.99/month but its Premium plan (with full AI) jumps to $17.99/month.

Rich queries and multiple views

Saved queries with variables, plus list, gallery, table, and card views give you more ways to slice and browse your knowledge than tag-based filtering.

Polished outliner and editor

Users switching from Heptabase consistently praise Capacities' editor quality, calling it 'phenomenal' compared to Heptabase's 'meh' outliner.

External AI integration via MCP

Connect ChatGPT, Claude, and Cursor directly to your knowledge base. Both tools support MCP, but Capacities' object-based structure provides richer context to AI agents.

Heptabase

Infinite whiteboard canvases

Heptabase's core feature — spatially arrange cards, images, and connections on unlimited whiteboards. For visual thinkers, this is transformative.

PDF annotation and highlighting

Read and annotate PDFs directly in Heptabase, with highlights automatically linked back to your card system.

Spatial memory for learning

Researchers report better long-term retention when they spatially arrange concepts on a whiteboard rather than in linear lists.

Real-time team collaboration

Shared whiteboards with real-time co-editing let teams visually collaborate on research and knowledge building.

Deep Research AI mode

AI-powered semantic search and research workflows help surface connections across your card library.

Honest trade-offs

Known Limitations

No product is perfect. Here are the common frustrations users report for each tool.

Capacities

No whiteboard or canvas

Common issue

Capacities has no spatial canvas for visual thinking — the single most cited reason users switch to Heptabase.

No PDF annotation

Moderate

PDFs can be embedded but not highlighted or annotated within Capacities. Researchers who work heavily with academic papers may find this limiting.

No team collaboration

Moderate

Capacities is designed for personal knowledge management. Teams that need shared workspaces and co-editing need to look elsewhere.

Heptabase

Visual canvases can get cluttered

Moderate

As your knowledge base grows, infinite whiteboards require constant spatial reorganization. Some users find this unsustainable compared to structured, typed collections.

"Tired of organizing cards on a messy canvas? Object types automatically organize your knowledge."

— User comparison

Premium pricing

Moderate

At $8.99/month for Pro and $17.99/month for Premium, Heptabase is among the more expensive PKM tools — especially for full AI features.

"Premium PKM shouldn't cost $100+ a year."

— Reddit r/PKMS

iPad and mobile issues

Moderate

Users report bugs in the iPad app and a mobile experience that lags behind the desktop version.

Import and export friction

Moderate

Getting data into and out of Heptabase can be cumbersome, with complex visual relationships and nested whiteboard data that don't translate easily.

Best fit

Who Is It For?

Different tools serve different needs. Here's who benefits most from each.

Capacities is ideal for

Text-first researchers

If your research workflow is centered on reading, writing, and connecting ideas through typed objects — not spatial arrangement — Capacities provides a more scalable structure.

Budget-conscious knowledge workers

More affordable Pro plan with AI, queries, and all platform access at a lower price point than Heptabase.

Writers and journalers

A polished editor, daily notes with timeline, and distraction-free writing environment built for long-form thinking.

AI-powered workflows

MCP connectors let you integrate your knowledge base with ChatGPT, Claude, and Cursor for AI-assisted research.

Heptabase is ideal for

Visual and spatial thinkers

If you think by arranging ideas in space, Heptabase's infinite whiteboards are purpose-built for how your brain works.

Academic researchers

PDF annotation, whiteboard mind-mapping, and Deep Research AI create a powerful workflow for processing academic literature.

Teams doing collaborative research

Shared whiteboards with real-time co-editing let research teams visually synthesize findings together.

Zettelkasten practitioners

Card-based organization on whiteboards closely mirrors the spatial arrangement of a physical Zettelkasten.

Bottom line

The Verdict

Capacities and Heptabase are both excellent tools for researchers and knowledge workers, but they solve the organization problem in opposite ways. Heptabase bets on spatial thinking — letting you see and arrange knowledge visually on infinite canvases. Capacities bets on structured thinking — using typed objects and properties to create a scalable knowledge graph. The right choice depends on whether your brain prefers seeing ideas in space or finding them through structure.

Choose Capacities if…

You prefer structured, typed collections over spatial canvas arrangement
You want rich queries and multiple views (gallery, table, list) for browsing knowledge
Budget matters — Capacities Pro is more affordable
You need a polished outliner and block editor for long-form writing
External AI integration (MCP with ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor) is important

Choose Heptabase if…

Spatial thinking and visual arrangement are core to how you process information
You need in-app PDF annotation with highlights linked to your notes
Team collaboration on shared whiteboards matters to your workflow
You follow a Zettelkasten or card-based method that benefits from spatial layouts
Deep Research AI mode aligns with your academic research workflow

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

All Comparisons

Last updated: 2026-04-15

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