What is the difference between Capacities and Standard Notes?

Capacities is best for Users wanting object-based note-taking with structure, while Standard Notes is best for Privacy-focused users wanting encrypted notes. Capacities starts at Free and Standard Notes starts at Free.

Is Capacities or Standard Notes cheaper?

Capacities starts at Free with a free tier. Standard Notes starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Standard Notes?

Both Capacities and Standard Notes offer free tiers.

Capacities vs Standard Notes

Capacities is note-taking app built around objects and types instead of pages and folders, while Standard Notes is end-to-end encrypted note-taking app with extensible editors and self-hosting option. Standard Notes is open source and can be self-hosted, giving you full control over your data. Capacities is built for users wanting object-based note-taking with structure, whereas Standard Notes targets privacy-focused users wanting encrypted notes.

At a glance

	Capacities	Standard Notes
Best for	Users wanting object-based note-taking with structure	Privacy-focused users wanting encrypted notes
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Daily Notes	✓	—
E2E Encryption	—	✓
Editors	—	✓
Object-Based	✓	—
Relations	✓	—
Self-Hosted	—	✓
Tags	✓	✓

Capacities

Strengths

Object-based canvas treats every element as a manipulable node for precise control
Includes Daily Notes as a core feature, purpose-built for note taking workflows
Free for personal use — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes relations alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Moving notes out to another platform can be difficult — export options vary
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Capacities → Full review

Standard Notes

Strengths

Open source and transparent
End-to-end encryption by default — messages are unreadable even to the server operator
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
Free with basic editors — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Self-hosting requires Linux admin skills and ongoing server maintenance
Moving notes out to another platform can be difficult — export options vary
Community support can be slower than the dedicated support teams at commercial alternatives

Try Standard Notes → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Both tools offer free tiers, so you can test each before committing. Capacities's free plan: Free for personal use. Standard Notes's free plan: Free with basic editors.

Feature gaps: Capacities offers Daily Notes, Object-Based and Relations that Standard Notes lacks. Standard Notes brings E2E Encryption, Editors and Self-Hosted that Capacities does not have. Both share Tags.

Team fit: Both tools target individuals teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Open source: Standard Notes is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Capacities is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: Capacities's biggest strengths are: object-based canvas treats every element as a manipulable node for precise control. includes daily notes as a core feature, purpose-built for note taking workflows. Standard Notes's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. end-to-end encryption by default — messages are unreadable even to the server operator.

Watch out for: With Capacities, users commonly note that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade. With Standard Notes, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Capacities if...

You need a tool built for users wanting object-based note-taking with structure
You specifically need Daily Notes and Object-Based
You care about includes daily notes as a core feature, purpose-built for note taking workflows
The free tier works for you: free for personal use

Choose Standard Notes if...

You need a tool built for privacy-focused users wanting encrypted notes
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need E2E Encryption and Editors
You care about end-to-end encryption by default — messages are unreadable even to the server operator
The free tier works for you: free with basic editors