I found a powerful alternative to Obsidian and I can't stop raving about it

I've been a loyal user of Obsidian thanks to its flexibility and wide range of customization options. However, as my workflow grew, its limitations became much more apparent. Then I came across Capacities and my world changed. This isn't just another note app; It's a game-changer with a unique organization method, AI features and more. The capabilities not only match Obsidian's strengths, but also exceed them in ways I never thought possible.

Here are the top reasons why I jumped ship and can't stop raving about this incredible obsidian alternative.

7 Cross-platform availability

Since I often work with different operating systems, cross-platform availability is always at the top of my priority list. This is one of the reasons why I didn't consider Craft (a powerful note-taking app) since it's not available on Android. Capacities has covered the basics here.

Capacities offers native apps for Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, with Linux and tablet versions coming soon. Unlike Obsidian, it also has a web app so you can easily access your productive studio from any device.

6 Integrated AI support

While Obsidian is a feature-rich solution, it lacks trendy AI add-ons to improve your note-taking. This program allows you to invoke an AI chat within each note to help it understand the context of your current work. If you've used Notion AI before, you'll feel right at home with Capacities' AI integration.

You can type / or + and perform quick actions such as: E.g. summarize, continue writing, list key findings, correct grammar, and more. Capacities are also useful during the object creation process (more on this below). It can populate relevant properties and even suggest tags to help you build a well-curated knowledge base. There is also the option to activate your own key from an OpenAI subscription for unlimited AI access.

5 Visually appealing user interface

Although Obsidian is quite powerful, the default UI feels a bit dated. Although you can import a special theme from the built-in store, not everyone wants to go to such a hassle. In comparison, Capacities has a sleek, modern design with a clean, uncluttered interface.

4 Intuitive object-oriented approach

While at first glance Capacities looks like a Notion and Obsidian clone, it takes a completely different approach to organizing your relevant notes. It uses objects that are the basic building blocks of your knowledge base. Think of them as digital representations of anything you want to store and organize information about. By default, it contains objects of type Projects, Web Links, Images, and Pages. These objects have relevant note properties. For example you find status, Time frameAnd Employees Properties in the Project object.

You will also find icon, image banner and tag properties for the Pages object. You also have the flexibility to create different objects for your common note types – this is similar to creating a template for yourself. For example, if you want to keep track of all your recipes, click + as shown or New guy next to objects and create your own new object with the required properties.

You can give it a relevant name, assign an icon, name and color and click Create object type. You can now go to the object settings and add the properties you want for all your recipes. You can add an icon, cover photo, date/time, checkbox, and more depending on your needs. This is what it looks like when you create such an object.

You can also set a custom layout and page layout for your object. For example, if it's a Person object, you can choose a profile layout that's easy to edit and read. For reference, check out the screenshot below. The possibilities are endless here and it's entirely up to your imagination to create and manage custom objects for your workflow.

3 Project management skills

This is where the flexibility of Capacities comes into play. Obsidian is exclusively a Markdown-based text editor. With Capacities you can create a project object with relevant properties such as status, time frame, employees, notes, checkboxes, notes and more and manage your small projects like a pro.

You can also create an object for each project and keep all relevant notes, documents and project-related information in a single place. There is an option to explore the diagram view to see the relationships between different aspects of your project. You can invite others with different sharing permissions and manage your projects like a pro. Overall, it is a complete solution for your personal and professional needs.

2 Robust personal knowledge management

The capacities are significantly superior to Obsidian when building a PKM. Let me explain why. As I discussed earlier, thinking in terms of “objects” reflects how we naturally organize information. This means you can easily structure your knowledge database optimally.

You can link relevant notes in Capacities, promoting the creation of a knowledge graph without manual effort. For example, if you are working on a client project, you can link project-related pages such as client information, schedule and budget, etc. and create a specific view for your project.

Like Obsidian, there is a graph view that creates a visual representation of your knowledge network. In the end we have tags that allow us to categorize and organize our objects and notes like a pro.

1 A powerful free plan to get you started

Like Obsidian, Capacities has a robust free plan that gives you access to all the essential tools. You can create unlimited rooms, objects, and blocks, enable cross-platform sync, and explore other add-ons without committing to a paid plan. If you want to unlock the AI ​​assistant, task actions, unlimited media uploads, and more, upgrade to Capacities Pro for $10 per month.

Speed ​​up your workflow

Switching from Obsidian to Capacities felt like an upgrade from a trusty old toolbox to a sleek, futuristic workshop. It streamlined my workflow, enabled hidden connections between my ideas, and made project and knowledge management a breeze. While Obsidian has a special place in my heart for its speed and straightforward approach, Capacities won me over with its intuitive design.

And the best part? The company is just getting started. Capacities has exciting new features in the pipeline such as dedicated task management and tablet support. Check out our dedicated guide if you are looking for more such productivity tools to speed up your day.