[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":346},["ShallowReactive",2],{"compare-heptabase":3},{"id":4,"at_a_glance":5,"extension":41,"faq":42,"features":64,"hero":161,"ideal_for":165,"info":197,"meta":205,"migration_guide_path":206,"pain_points":207,"pricing":245,"seo":277,"stem":287,"strengths":288,"switching":327,"verdict":331,"__hash__":345},"compare/compare/heptabase.yaml",[6,11,16,21,26,31,36],{"dimension":7,"icon":8,"capacities":9,"competitor":10},"Core Philosophy","i-ph-lightbulb-duotone","Object-based knowledge studio","Visual canvas for spatial thinking",{"dimension":12,"icon":13,"capacities":14,"competitor":15},"Best For","i-ph-target-duotone","Researchers, writers, lifelong learners","Visual thinkers, academics, researchers",{"dimension":17,"icon":18,"capacities":19,"competitor":20},"Platform","i-ph-devices-duotone","Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Web","Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android",{"dimension":22,"icon":23,"capacities":24,"competitor":25},"Pricing Model","i-ph-currency-circle-dollar-duotone","Free core + Pro at $9.99/month","7-day trial + Pro at $8.99/month",{"dimension":27,"icon":28,"capacities":29,"competitor":30},"Data Model","i-ph-tree-structure-duotone","Typed objects with properties & links","Cards on infinite whiteboards with tags",{"dimension":32,"icon":33,"capacities":34,"competitor":35},"Offline Support","i-ph-wifi-slash-duotone","Full offline access","Offline available",{"dimension":37,"icon":38,"capacities":39,"competitor":40},"Organization Paradigm","i-ph-frame-corners-duotone","Objects, properties, and typed collections","Spatial arrangement on infinite canvases","yaml",[43,46,49,52,55,58,61],{"question":44,"answer":45},"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.",{"question":47,"answer":48},"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.",{"question":50,"answer":51},"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.",{"question":53,"answer":54},"Which has better AI?","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.",{"question":56,"answer":57},"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.",{"question":59,"answer":60},"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.",{"question":62,"answer":63},"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.",[65,96,119,135,150],{"category":66,"icon":28,"items":67},"Knowledge Organization",[68,75,79,83,87,92],{"name":69,"capacities_support":70,"competitor_support":71,"capacities_note":72,"competitor_note":73,"highlight":74},"Custom object / card types","full","partial","First-class typed objects with properties","Cards with tags but no typed schema",true,{"name":76,"capacities_support":70,"competitor_support":70,"capacities_note":77,"competitor_note":78},"Bi-directional links","Automatic two-way links on every object","Card linking with backlink panel",{"name":80,"capacities_support":70,"competitor_support":70,"capacities_note":81,"competitor_note":82},"Daily notes","Built-in daily note with timeline view","Journal feature with daily entries",{"name":84,"capacities_support":70,"competitor_support":71,"capacities_note":85,"competitor_note":86},"Graph view","Visual knowledge graph with tag network","Cards on whiteboards serve a similar spatial role",{"name":88,"capacities_support":89,"competitor_support":70,"capacities_note":90,"competitor_note":91},"Canvas / whiteboard","none","Not available","Core feature — infinite whiteboards with card arrangement",{"name":93,"capacities_support":70,"competitor_support":71,"capacities_note":94,"competitor_note":95,"highlight":74},"Multiple views (list, gallery, table)","List, gallery, table, card views","Card view and tag-based filtering",{"category":97,"icon":98,"items":99},"AI Features","i-ph-brain-duotone",[100,104,108,111,115],{"name":101,"capacities_support":70,"competitor_support":70,"capacities_note":102,"competitor_note":103},"AI assistant / chat","Context-aware, uses connected notes and backlinks","AI chat with Deep Research mode",{"name":105,"capacities_support":70,"competitor_support":71,"capacities_note":106,"competitor_note":107},"AI property auto-fill","Included in Pro","AI auto-tagging for cards",{"name":109,"capacities_support":71,"competitor_support":89,"capacities_note":110,"competitor_note":90,"highlight":74},"AI image analysis & OCR","Extract text and metadata from images (rolling out to Pro)",{"name":112,"capacities_support":70,"competitor_support":70,"capacities_note":113,"competitor_note":114},"MCP / external AI connectors","Connect ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor to your space","Official MCP server for AI agent integration",{"name":116,"capacities_support":89,"competitor_support":70,"capacities_note":117,"competitor_note":118},"PDF annotation & highlighting","PDF embedding only","In-app PDF highlighting with linked cards",{"category":120,"icon":121,"items":122},"Writing & Editing","i-ph-pen-nib-duotone",[123,127,131],{"name":124,"capacities_support":70,"competitor_support":70,"capacities_note":125,"competitor_note":126},"Block-based editor","Rich blocks with toggles, quotes, math, code","Card editor with blocks",{"name":128,"capacities_support":70,"competitor_support":71,"capacities_note":129,"competitor_note":130},"Code blocks with syntax highlighting","100+ languages, Mermaid diagrams, line numbers","Basic syntax highlighting",{"name":132,"capacities_support":70,"competitor_support":70,"capacities_note":133,"competitor_note":134},"Embedded media (images, PDFs, audio)","Native embed support","Embeds plus PDF annotation",{"category":136,"icon":137,"items":138},"Search & Navigation","i-ph-magnifying-glass-duotone",[139,143,147],{"name":140,"capacities_support":70,"competitor_support":70,"capacities_note":141,"competitor_note":142},"Full-text search","Offline, exact match, block search","Search across cards and whiteboards",{"name":144,"capacities_support":70,"competitor_support":71,"capacities_note":145,"competitor_note":146,"highlight":74},"Queries / filtered views","Saved queries with variables (Pro)","Tag-based filtering",{"name":148,"capacities_support":70,"competitor_support":89,"capacities_note":149,"competitor_note":90},"Unlinked mentions","Auto-detects title mentions (Pro)",{"category":151,"icon":152,"items":153},"Collaboration","i-ph-users-duotone",[154,158],{"name":155,"capacities_support":89,"competitor_support":70,"capacities_note":156,"competitor_note":157},"Real-time collaboration","Personal knowledge tool, no team features","Real-time co-editing on whiteboards (included in all paid plans)",{"name":159,"capacities_support":89,"competitor_support":70,"capacities_note":90,"competitor_note":160},"Shared workspaces","Team workspaces with shared whiteboards",{"headline":162,"subheadline":163,"summary":164},"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.\n",{"capacities":166,"competitor":181},[167,171,175,178],{"persona":168,"reason":169,"icon":170},"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.","i-ph-graduation-cap-duotone",{"persona":172,"reason":173,"icon":174},"Budget-conscious knowledge workers","More affordable Pro plan with AI, queries, and all platform access at a lower price point than Heptabase.","i-ph-piggy-bank-duotone",{"persona":176,"reason":177,"icon":121},"Writers and journalers","A polished editor, daily notes with timeline, and distraction-free writing environment built for long-form thinking.",{"persona":179,"reason":180,"icon":98},"AI-powered workflows","MCP connectors let you integrate your knowledge base with ChatGPT, Claude, and Cursor for AI-assisted research.",[182,185,189,193],{"persona":183,"reason":184,"icon":38},"Visual and spatial thinkers","If you think by arranging ideas in space, Heptabase's infinite whiteboards are purpose-built for how your brain works.",{"persona":186,"reason":187,"icon":188},"Academic researchers","PDF annotation, whiteboard mind-mapping, and Deep Research AI create a powerful workflow for processing academic literature.","i-ph-book-open-duotone",{"persona":190,"reason":191,"icon":192},"Teams doing collaborative research","Shared whiteboards with real-time co-editing let research teams visually synthesize findings together.","i-ph-users-three-duotone",{"persona":194,"reason":195,"icon":196},"Zettelkasten practitioners","Card-based organization on whiteboards closely mirrors the spatial arrangement of a physical Zettelkasten.","i-ph-note-duotone",{"slug":198,"competitor_name":199,"competitor_website":200,"competitor_logo":201,"competitor_color":202,"last_updated":203,"status":204},"heptabase","Heptabase","https://heptabase.com","/logos/heptabase.png","#6C5CE7","2026-04-15","draft",{},null,{"capacities":208,"competitor":221},[209,213,218],{"title":210,"description":211,"severity":212,"icon":38},"No whiteboard or canvas","Capacities has no spatial canvas for visual thinking — the single most cited reason users switch to Heptabase.","high",{"title":214,"description":215,"severity":216,"icon":217},"No PDF annotation","PDFs can be embedded but not highlighted or annotated within Capacities. Researchers who work heavily with academic papers may find this limiting.","medium","i-ph-file-pdf-duotone",{"title":219,"description":220,"severity":216,"icon":192},"No team collaboration","Capacities is designed for personal knowledge management. Teams that need shared workspaces and co-editing need to look elsewhere.",[222,230,237,241],{"title":223,"description":224,"severity":216,"icon":225,"user_quotes":226},"Visual canvases can get cluttered","As your knowledge base grows, infinite whiteboards require constant spatial reorganization. Some users find this unsustainable compared to structured, typed collections.","i-ph-squares-four-duotone",[227],{"text":228,"source":229},"Tired of organizing cards on a messy canvas? Object types automatically organize your knowledge.","User comparison",{"title":231,"description":232,"severity":216,"icon":23,"user_quotes":233},"Premium pricing","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.",[234],{"text":235,"source":236},"Premium PKM shouldn't cost $100+ a year.","Reddit r/PKMS",{"title":238,"description":239,"severity":216,"icon":240},"iPad and mobile issues","Users report bugs in the iPad app and a mobile experience that lags behind the desktop version.","i-ph-device-tablet-duotone",{"title":242,"description":243,"severity":216,"icon":244},"Import and export friction","Getting data into and out of Heptabase can be cumbersome, with complex visual relationships and nested whiteboard data that don't translate easily.","i-ph-arrow-square-out-duotone",{"capacities":246,"competitor":258},{"free_tier":247,"plans":248},"Core features, unlimited objects, all platforms, offline access",[249],{"name":250,"price":251,"billing":252,"key_features":253},"Pro","$9.99/month","billed annually",[254,255,256,257,148],"AI assistant & auto-fill","Queries & filtered views","Calendar integration","Task management",{"free_tier":259,"plans":260},"No free tier — 7-day free trial only",[261,269],{"name":250,"price":262,"billing":263,"key_features":264},"$8.99/month","monthly",[265,266,267,268],"Unlimited whiteboards & notes","100 AI credits/month","PDF highlights","Collaborator invites",{"name":270,"price":271,"billing":263,"key_features":272},"Premium","$17.99/month",[273,274,275,276],"Unlimited AI chats & PDF OCR","AI Tutor","1,800 AI credits/month","Everything in Pro",{"title":278,"description":279,"keywords":280},"Capacities vs Heptabase — Honest Comparison (2026)","An in-depth comparison of Capacities and Heptabase. Compare features, pricing, visual vs object-based approaches, and find the right PKM tool for your research.",[281,282,283,284,285,286],"capacities vs heptabase","heptabase alternative","heptabase alternative 2026","best research note-taking app","heptabase vs capacities","visual note-taking comparison","compare/heptabase",{"capacities":289,"competitor":310},[290,295,298,302,306],{"title":291,"description":292,"icon":293,"evidence_source":294},"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.","i-ph-shapes-duotone","product",{"title":296,"description":297,"icon":174,"evidence_source":294},"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.",{"title":299,"description":300,"icon":301,"evidence_source":294},"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.","i-ph-funnel-duotone",{"title":303,"description":304,"icon":121,"evidence_source":305},"Polished outliner and editor","Users switching from Heptabase consistently praise Capacities' editor quality, calling it 'phenomenal' compared to Heptabase's 'meh' outliner.","user-feedback",{"title":307,"description":308,"icon":309,"evidence_source":294},"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.","i-ph-plugs-connected-duotone",[311,314,317,321,324],{"title":312,"description":313,"icon":38,"evidence_source":294},"Infinite whiteboard canvases","Heptabase's core feature — spatially arrange cards, images, and connections on unlimited whiteboards. For visual thinkers, this is transformative.",{"title":315,"description":316,"icon":217,"evidence_source":294},"PDF annotation and highlighting","Read and annotate PDFs directly in Heptabase, with highlights automatically linked back to your card system.",{"title":318,"description":319,"icon":320,"evidence_source":305},"Spatial memory for learning","Researchers report better long-term retention when they spatially arrange concepts on a whiteboard rather than in linear lists.","i-ph-map-trifold-duotone",{"title":322,"description":323,"icon":192,"evidence_source":294},"Real-time team collaboration","Shared whiteboards with real-time co-editing let teams visually collaborate on research and knowledge building.",{"title":325,"description":326,"icon":98,"evidence_source":294},"Deep Research AI mode","AI-powered semantic search and research workflows help surface connections across your card library.",{"difficulty":328,"migration_notes":329,"import_support":330},"moderate","Cards become objects; spatial whiteboards and layouts do not import—rebuild structure with types, links, and queries.\n","Export from Heptabase Pro to Markdown, import to Capacities, then design collections to replace board layouts.\n",{"summary":332,"choose_capacities_if":333,"choose_competitor_if":339},"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.\n",[334,335,336,337,338],"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",[340,341,342,343,344],"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","p2Nrta1sjWhJKM7X9AYW47SUBYvXzdM4RK2lxxufFAw",1776952405008]