Capacities vs OneNote
A studio for your mind vs notebooks and section tabs
OneNote is a digital binder: notebooks, section tabs, and free-form pages. Capacities is object-centric: you decide what a note is, then link it. OneNote wins on ink and a canvas page. Capacities wins on types, queries, and a network that does not live in one notebook.
Written by Steffen
Coming from OneNote? Read our detailed switching guide in the docs.
Quick comparison
At a Glance
Side by side
Feature Comparison
Knowledge Organization
Ink and Microsoft
Plans compared
Pricing
CapacitiesFree tier
Core features, unlimited objects, all platforms, offline access
Pro
- AI assistant
- Queries
- Calendar integration
Free tier
OneNote app is free with a Microsoft account
Microsoft 365
- More OneDrive storage
- Word, Excel, Outlook in the same subscription
What each excels at
Strengths
Every tool has areas where it shines. Here's an honest look at what each product does best.
Capacities
No notebook tree to maintain
Objects are not owned by a section tab. Links and types replace the binder.
Queries over sections
Find every Meeting this month without opening five notebooks.
Linux and a calmer editor
A block editor on Linux, Windows, Mac, and phones. Not a canvas you scroll forever.
OneNote
Ink and a free-form page
If the page is a whiteboard with handwriting, OneNote is the tool.
Already in Microsoft 365
Schools and workplaces that live in Outlook often already have OneNote.
Familiar binder model
Notebooks and tabs match how many people already file paper.
Honest trade-offs
Known Limitations
No product is perfect. Here are the common frustrations users report for each tool.
Capacities
No ink canvas
Common issueHandwriting-first class notes should stay in OneNote or a dedicated ink app.
Not a 365 replacement
ModerateCapacities will not replace Outlook, Word, or a school OneDrive.
OneNote
Export is not Markdown
Common issueCapacities does not import .onepkg, Word, or PDF as-is. You convert first.
The tree becomes the product
ModerateLarge notebooks get hard to search and harder to reuse across classes or years.
Linux gap
ModerateNo first-class Linux app.
Best fit
Who Is It For?
Different tools serve different needs. Here's who benefits most from each.
Capacities is ideal for
Personal knowledge, not a course binder
You want meetings, people, and sources as types, not as tabs.
Cross-platform without Microsoft
Linux, or a life that is not 365.
OneNote is ideal for
Lectures and ink
A stylus on a free-form page is the workflow.
School or work 365
The notebook is already shared in the Microsoft tenant.
Bottom line
The Verdict
Stay on OneNote if ink and a binder are the point. Move to Capacities if you want typed objects and queries, and you can accept a conversion-first import.
Choose Capacities if…
- You are done filing pages into section tabs
- You want types, backlinks, and queries
- You need Linux or you do not want a Microsoft account
Choose OneNote if…
- Handwriting on a canvas is how you take notes
- Your school or job issues OneNote
- You are not willing to convert exports to Markdown
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated: 2026-10-05. Fact-checked: 2026-10-05.
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