Try or ByeTry or Bye

CapacitiesvsObsidian

App64
vs
App71

Score Comparison

64
Overall
71
65
Pricing
90
70
Usability
55
68
Performance
85
60
Support
70
62
Reliability
68
55
Onboarding
40
50
Mobile
55
55
Security
92
55
Integrations
70
CapacitiesObsidian

Signals Comparison

Usability

Capacities

  • No native iPad experience in older versions(4/10)
  • Capacities web clipper only saves links, not full pages(3/10)

Obsidian

  • Plugin overload and management headaches(7/10)
  • No real-time collaboration features(7/10)
  • No web version - desktop app required(5/10)
  • No native task management; databases only arrived with Bases(6/10)
  • Plain interface lacks visual appeal(4/10)
  • Search and index miss new notes in large vaults(5/10)
Customization

Capacities

  • Notes aren't stored as Markdown files (vendor lock-in worry)(7/10)

Obsidian

No signals

Mobile

Capacities

  • Capacities mobile app is worse than desktop(7/10)

Obsidian

  • Obsidian mobile app slow to open with large vaults(6/10)
Reliability

Capacities

  • Capacities iOS app stuck on launch screen or freezing(8/10)
  • Capacities not syncing or showing the offline icon(7/10)
  • Notes look missing on a new device ('Content not downloaded')(6/10)

Obsidian

  • Free sync alternatives have corruption issues(7/10)
  • Obsidian Sync restores deleted files and creates conflict copies(8/10)
  • Obsidian stuck on 'Loading cache' or slow to start on desktop(6/10)
Pricing

Capacities

  • Why is Capacities Pro so expensive? AI, tasks and calendar are paywalled(6/10)
  • Free plan media upload limit (5 GB then 100 MB per month)(5/10)

Obsidian

  • Obsidian Sync costs $48-60/year just to use notes on your phone(6/10)
  • Sync Standard's 1 GB and 5 MB file cap push users to Sync Plus(5/10)
Onboarding

Capacities

  • Capacities learning curve: the object system takes days to click(5/10)

Obsidian

  • Steep learning curve intimidates new users(7/10)
Integrations

Capacities

  • No plugins and no team collaboration in Capacities(6/10)
  • Capacities calendar integration is limited(4/10)
  • Importing from Notion into Capacities isn't one-click(6/10)

Obsidian

No signals

Security

Capacities

  • Capacities sync can't be turned off and local data isn't encrypted(5/10)

Obsidian

No signals

Pricing Comparison

Capacities

Basic
Free

Users: 1

Storage: 5 GB media, then 100 MB/month

Limits: No AI, task management, smart queries, calendar integration, version history or Public API.

Media uploads are capped at 5 GB total, then 100 MB per month.
Pro
Popular
$11.99/mo

Users: 1

Storage: Unlimited media (fair use)

Limits: Single-user only; no team plan.

Only a light monthly AI budget is included; larger AI use needs the Plus add-on (about $8.33/month billed annually). Yearly billing is $119.88 (about $9.99/month).
Believer
$14.99/mo

Users: 1

Storage: Unlimited media (fair use)

Limits: Mainly early access and supporter perks over Pro.

Yearly billing is $149.88 (about $12.49/month). Same AI budget as Pro; Plus add-on costs extra. Cannot be bought at a discount.
Plus add-on (Pro+ / Believer+)
$99.96/yr

Users: 1

Limits: Requires Pro or Believer.

Listed as about $8.33/month billed annually on top of Pro or Believer; top-ups cost extra.

Obsidian

Free
Popular
Free

Users: Unlimited

Storage: Unlimited (local)

Limits: No built-in sync, no web version, you manage your own backups

Official cross-device sync and web publishing are paid add-ons
Sync Standard
$4/mo

Users: 1 user

Storage: 1 GB total, 5 MB per file

Limits: 5 MB file cap and 1 GB total are tight for PDFs, audio and images

$4/month only when billed annually ($48/year); $5/month on monthly billing
Sync Plus
$8/mo

Users: 1 user

Storage: 10 GB (upgradable to 100 GB), 200 MB per file

Limits: Per-user pricing; no real-time co-editing

$8/month only when billed annually ($96/year); $10/month on monthly billing; extra storage beyond 10 GB costs more
Publish
$8/mo

Users: 1 site

Limits: One-way publishing, not collaborative editing

$8/month per site only when billed annually ($96/year); $10/month on monthly billing
Catalyst
$25/mo

Users: 1 user

Limits: Supporter license; unlocks no extra features in stable builds

Commercial license
$50/yr

Users: Per user

Limits: Optional - not required for work use

Non-refundable

Feature Comparison

FeatureCapacitiesObsidian
Organization
Custom object types
Bidirectional linking

Core feature

Native database views

Bases core plugin (since 1.9, 2025); Dataview still more flexible

Security
Local-first storage

Plain Markdown files you own

End-to-end encrypted sync

Obsidian Sync only (from $4/mo billed annually)

Linking
Daily notes and backlinks
Sync
Offline support

Browser version only downloads required media by default

Visualization
Graph view

Visualize note connections

Canvas/whiteboard

Built-in canvas feature

Storage
Local Markdown files

Proprietary cloud storage; export available

Scheduled backups

App must be open at the scheduled time

Customization
Community plugins

Thousands available, quality varies

Custom themes

Extensive theme marketplace

Integrations
Plugin API
Public API

Pro

Calendar integration

Google, Microsoft 365, iCloud, CalDAV (Pro)

AI
AI assistant

Pro, with monthly AI budget

AI features

Requires third-party plugins

Publishing
Publish to web

Obsidian Publish ($8/mo annual, $10 monthly)

Mobile
Mobile apps

iOS and Android, basic experience

Collaboration
Team collaboration

View-only sharing only

Real-time collaboration

Not available

Reliability
Offline access

Full offline by default

Usability
Markdown support

Core format

Web version

No browser access

Platforms
Linux app
Productivity
Templates

Core and Templater plugin

Built-in task management

Requires plugins

Pricing
Free personal use

No feature restrictions