Obsidian vs Capacities

Agent access

1. ai-native userPoint an agent at llms.txt or agent-oriented docs

   weight 2 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian—none0/10

   The axis applies to this product kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na". (na/none harmonized at arena bring-up — see pipeline/scripts/na-harmonize.ts.)

   ⚑ flag

   Capacities✓fullprobed8/10

   A live probe confirms docs.capacities.io/llms.txt returns HTTP 200 with structured, agent-readable content describing Capacities' documentation, directly matching the story of pointing an agent at an llms.txt file; this is corroborated by the broader developer docs (MCP, API) being machine-consumable and openly hosted. Missing for 10: independent third-party confirmation that agents actually consume this llms.txt successfully in practice, and no explicit vendor statement promoting llms.txt as a first-class agent onboarding feature.

   • [probe] “PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 200 at https://docs.capacities.io/llms.txt # Capacities Documentation > Documentation for Capacities, a note-taking an…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build your own app, agent, or bot and integrate it with a Capacities space by implementing a custom MCP client”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build your own app, agent, or bot and integrate it with a Capacities space by implementing a custom MCP client using the Model Context Proto…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. ai-native userRun the product headlessly / in CI for automation

   weight 2 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian!disputedcontradicted4/10

   Vendor docs claim an Obsidian Sync 'headless client' explicitly designed for CI pipelines and automated agent workflows, but the independent runtime probe found Obsidian ships no official CLI or vendor automation interface, with only community-built (unofficial) tooling for programmatic access — directly contradicting the headless-CI claim. Missing for 10: independent confirmation the headless Sync client actually exists and works, official CLI documentation, and evidence of real CI usage.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian Sync offers a headless client to sync vaults without using the desktop app. Useful for CI pipelines, agents, and automated workflow…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialprobed3/10

   Capacities exposes a REST API with bearer/OAuth auth and a hosted MCP server (verified live with 401/OAuth challenge), which could be scripted from a CI pipeline to automate content creation/export, but there is no documented CLI, container image, or explicit 'headless mode' for running the app itself in automation contexts. Missing for 10: dedicated CI/headless-mode documentation, CLI or batch-automation examples, and independent evidence of the API being used in automated pipelines.

   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API uses Bearer authentication (token-based authentication, OAuth 2.0 RFC 6750).”
   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API is a REST API that allows you access, create and manipulate your content.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json served a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec ('Capacities API (B…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): keyless JSON-RPC initialize POST to the official hosted MCP server https://api.capacities.io/mcp return…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

3. ai-native userPlug MCP servers into this product so it can use their tools

   weight 3 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian~partialprobed3/10

   Obsidian has no first-party MCP client/server integration; the only evidence is a runtime probe noting that MCP support exists solely via unofficial community plugins, with no vendor-documented feature. missing for 10: official MCP client documentation, first-party plugin support, hands-on evidence of using MCP tools inside Obsidian.

   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   Evidence consistently shows Capacities exposes itself AS an MCP server (and its own chat-connector/API) so external AI clients (ChatGPT, Claude, custom agents) can connect TO Capacities — the reverse of this story, which asks whether Capacities can consume external MCP servers to use their tools. No documentation or probe shows Capacities' AI assistant/chat feature acting as an MCP client that plugs in third-party MCP servers.

   • [claimed-docs] “Build your own app, agent, or bot and integrate it with a Capacities space by implementing a custom MCP client”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build your own app, agent, or bot and integrate it with a Capacities space by implementing a custom MCP client using the Model Context Proto…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Chat Connectors let you connect AI chat apps, like ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or Le Chat, to your Capacities space.”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://docs.capacities.io/developer/model-context-protocol”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): keyless JSON-RPC initialize POST to the official hosted MCP server https://api.capacities.io/mcp return…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

4. ai-native userConnect an agent via an official MCP server

   weight 3 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian—none0/10

   Obsidian is a note-taking platform (not itself an agent), so an official MCP server is a fair ecosystem question, but the evidence explicitly states Obsidian ships no official CLI or vendor MCP server, with MCP integrations existing only as community projects.

   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities✓fullprobed8/10

   A runtime probe confirms a live, official hosted MCP server at https://api.capacities.io/mcp that responds with proper OAuth-protected-resource metadata and read/write scopes, and Capacities' developer docs explicitly document this MCP endpoint. This is genuine first-party server infrastructure an AI agent can connect to, not just a client-side integration guide. Missing for 10: independent/community confirmation of a successful agent connection in practice, and the docs text is inconsistently worded (framing it as building a 'custom MCP client' rather than clearly as 'our official server'), which adds minor ambiguity.

   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): keyless JSON-RPC initialize POST to the official hosted MCP server https://api.capacities.io/mcp return…”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://docs.capacities.io/developer/model-context-protocol”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build your own app, agent, or bot and integrate it with a Capacities space by implementing a custom MCP client”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json served a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec ('Capacities API (B…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

5. ai-native userUse an official CLI

   weight 2 · round drawn
   Obsidian—none0/10

   Evidence explicitly confirms Obsidian ships no official CLI (the probe notes only community MCP servers exist, and no CLI is mentioned anywhere in docs). Missing for 10: any official CLI tool, documentation of CLI commands, or first-party automation interface for AI-native/agentic workflows.

   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   The axis applies to this product kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na". (na/none harmonized at arena bring-up — see pipeline/scripts/na-harmonize.ts.)

   ⚑ flag

6. ai-native userDrive the product through a documented public API

   weight 3 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian~partialprobed6/10

   Obsidian exposes a documented TypeScript Plugin API (obsidian-api on GitHub, e.g. the Vault interface) and a custom URI protocol for triggering actions like opening/creating notes, giving programmatic control over the app. However this requires building/compiling a plugin rather than calling a simple REST/HTTP API, and the probe explicitly notes Obsidian ships no official CLI or vendor MCP server, with MCP integrations being community-built. Missing for 10: a first-party REST/HTTP or MCP API surface for external agent control, and evidence of AI-native workflows actually driving Obsidian via the documented API.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian URI is a custom URI protocol supported by Obsidian that lets you trigger various actions, such as opening a note or creating a note…”
   • [github] “Vault, the interface that lets you interact with files and folders in the vault.”
   • [github] “`Vault`, the interface that lets you interact with files and folders in the vault.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build plugins to extend the existing functionality in Obsidian using TypeScript.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Plugins let you extend Obsidian with your own features to create a custom note-taking experience.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities✓fullprobed9/10

   Capacities documents a REST API with Bearer-token OAuth authentication for accessing/creating/manipulating content, and this is independently verified by a runtime probe showing a live OpenAPI 3.1 spec at api.capacities.io and a correctly bearer-gated /spaces endpoint. It also exposes an official hosted MCP server (with OAuth-scoped read/write) confirmed live via probe, giving AI-native users multiple documented, working integration paths. Missing for 10: deeper endpoint-level documentation excerpts and independent third-party developer testimonials beyond the runtime probes.

   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API is a REST API that allows you access, create and manipulate your content.”
   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API uses Bearer authentication (token-based authentication, OAuth 2.0 RFC 6750).”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json served a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec ('Capacities API (B…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): keyless JSON-RPC initialize POST to the official hosted MCP server https://api.capacities.io/mcp return…”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://docs.capacities.io/developer/model-context-protocol”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

7. ai-native userIssue scoped/least-privilege API credentials for an agent

   weight 2 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian—none0/10

   No evidence of scoped/least-privilege API credential issuance for agents; Obsidian has no official API/credential system, and community plugins run with full filesystem/network access rather than restricted permissions (obsidian-comm-10). No mention of any credentialing or permission-scoping mechanism anywhere in the docs.

   • [community] “Confirmed via Obsidian's own docs: there is no sandboxing at all for community plugins - every plugin has full access to your computer's fil…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialprobed5/10

   Capacities' API and MCP server use Bearer/OAuth 2.0 authentication, and the live MCP endpoint exposes discrete 'mcp:read' and 'mcp:write' scopes, showing some notion of least-privilege access. However, there is no documented mechanism for a user to generate multiple distinct API keys per-agent, restrict a token to specific spaces/objects, or revoke individual credentials independently. Missing for 10: docs on issuing/managing multiple scoped tokens, per-agent key rotation/revocation, and fine-grained resource-level permissions beyond read/write.

   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API uses Bearer authentication (token-based authentication, OAuth 2.0 RFC 6750)”
   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API uses Bearer authentication (token-based authentication, OAuth 2.0 RFC 6750).”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json served a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec ('Capacities API (B…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): keyless JSON-RPC initialize POST to the official hosted MCP server https://api.capacities.io/mcp return…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

8. ai-native userBuild against official SDKs

   weight 2 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian~partialprobed6/10

   Obsidian ships an official, documented Plugin API/SDK (TypeScript) with a public GitHub repo (obsidian-api) and developer docs for building plugins, themes, and extensions, giving AI-native developers a real, first-party surface to build against. However, there is no official MCP server or AI-specific SDK/CLI (confirmed absent in the probe), plugins run with full filesystem/network access without sandboxing (community-verified), and Restricted Mode blocks third-party code by default — meaning agentic integration relies on community-built connectors rather than an official agent-facing SDK. Missing for 10: an official MCP server or AI/agent SDK, an official CLI, and evidence of first-party sandboxing suitable for autonomous agent code.

   • [claimed-docs] “In this tutorial, you'll compile a sample plugin from source code and load it into Obsidian.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build plugins to extend the existing functionality in Obsidian using TypeScript.”
   • [claimed-docs] “you'll compile a sample plugin from source code and load it into Obsidian.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Plugins let you extend Obsidian with your own features to create a custom note-taking experience.”
   • [github] “Vault, the interface that lets you interact with files and folders in the vault.”
   • [github] “`Vault`, the interface that lets you interact with files and folders in the vault.”
   • [claimed-docs] “By default, Obsidian runs in Restricted Mode to prevent third-party code execution.”
   • [community] “Confirmed via Obsidian's own docs: there is no sandboxing at all for community plugins - every plugin has full access to your computer's fil…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialprobed7/10

   Capacities exposes a documented REST API with a verified live OpenAPI 3.1 spec and Bearer/OAuth authentication, plus an official hosted MCP server with live OAuth-gated endpoints — solid ground for building integrations. However, no dedicated client SDKs (e.g. Python/JS libraries) are evidenced, only the raw REST API and MCP protocol spec. Missing for 10: language-specific official SDK packages, code samples/quickstarts beyond raw API docs.

   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API is a REST API that allows you access, create and manipulate your content.”
   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API uses Bearer authentication (token-based authentication, OAuth 2.0 RFC 6750)”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json served a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec ('Capacities API (B…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): keyless JSON-RPC initialize POST to the official hosted MCP server https://api.capacities.io/mcp return…”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://docs.capacities.io/developer/model-context-protocol”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build your own app, agent, or bot and integrate it with a Capacities space by implementing a custom MCP client using the Model Context Proto…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

9. ai-native userSubscribe to events via webhooks

   weight 2 · round drawn
   Obsidian—none0/10

   No evidence in the pack of Obsidian offering webhooks or an event-subscription API; the plugin system exposes in-app events (e.g., Vault interface) but nothing about outbound webhook subscriptions, and the probe explicitly notes no official MCP/CLI or webhook-style integration exists, only community projects.

   • [github] “Vault, the interface that lets you interact with files and folders in the vault.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   Evidence shows Capacities has a REST API and MCP server for pull-based access, but no documentation or probe indicates any webhook subscription mechanism for event notifications.

   ⚑ flag

Agentic features

1. ai-native userGet AI-generated insights and suggestions from my data inside the product

   weight 2 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian—none0/10

   Obsidian's core product has no first-party AI-generated insights or suggestions feature; the only AI capability comes from third-party community plugins (e.g., Text-Generator), and community evidence explicitly notes 'no decent RAG functionality among Obsidian AI plugins,' indicating this is not a native, reliable capability of the product itself.

   • [community] “There's no decent RAG functionality among Obsidian AI plugins, but the Text-Generator plugin with links/backlinks pulled into inference cont…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialclaimed6/10

   Capacities offers concrete in-app AI features—AI Chats with context, AI Property Auto-Fill, and AI Image Analysis (OCR, categorization)—that provide AI-generated insights/suggestions on user data, and these are opt-in with privacy controls. However, these are fairly narrow (chat, auto-fill, image analysis) rather than broader proactive insight generation like automated summaries, trend detection, or knowledge-graph-driven suggestions. Missing for 10: evidence of proactive/automated insight surfacing (e.g., suggested connections, summaries across notes), independent hands-on reviews validating quality of AI suggestions, and broader coverage beyond the three documented AI features.

   • [claimed-docs] “AI Property Auto-Fill: Rather than manually filling in the properties of your custom objects, you can rely on the AI model's knowledge to au…”
   • [claimed-docs] “AI Chats: Start a chat with AI from Explore, or with a keyboard shortcut. You can pass blocks or notes as context.”
   • [claimed-docs] “AI Image Analysis: Analyze any image with one click. The AI extracts a title, description, text (OCR, including handwritten text), a color p…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Rather than manually filling in the properties of your custom objects, you can rely on the AI model's knowledge to auto-fill them for you.”
   • [claimed-docs] “AI features in Capacities are fully opt-in. If you do not activate AI, no data from your spaces is shared with any third-party AI services”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. ai-native userSet up automations that run autonomously in the background

   weight 2 · round drawn
   Obsidian—none0/10

   The evidence pack shows Obsidian's plugin architecture, URI protocol for triggering actions, and a large community-plugin ecosystem, but nothing demonstrates autonomous background automation (e.g., scheduled/triggered agent-like workflows running without user interaction). The probe explicitly notes no official CLI or vendor MCP server, and Restricted Mode by default blocks third-party code execution unless manually enabled, further undercutting any 'runs autonomously in background' claim.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian URI is a custom URI protocol supported by Obsidian that lets you trigger various actions, such as opening a note or creating a note…”
   • [claimed-docs] “By default, Obsidian runs in Restricted Mode to prevent third-party code execution.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   Evidence shows only a scheduled full-export feature and API/MCP integration points for external clients, but nothing indicating autonomous, self-triggering background automations (e.g., workflows/triggers acting on data changes) running inside Capacities.

   • [claimed-docs] “You can schedule automatic exports by going to Settings > Full Export > Automated Full Export > Add Schedule.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): keyless JSON-RPC initialize POST to the official hosted MCP server https://api.capacities.io/mcp return…”
   • [claimed-docs] “AI features in Capacities are fully opt-in. If you do not activate AI, no data from your spaces is shared with any third-party AI services”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

3. ai-native userDelegate tasks to a built-in AI assistant inside the product

   weight 3 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian—none0/10

   There is no evidence of a built-in AI assistant in Obsidian; all AI-related capability mentioned (e.g., Text-Generator plugin) is explicitly a third-party community plugin, not a native feature, and the probe confirms no official vendor MCP server or AI tooling. Community plugins requiring full filesystem access (obsidian-comm-10) are the only AI-adjacent route, but that's an ecosystem extension, not a delegated built-in assistant.

   • [community] “There's no decent RAG functionality among Obsidian AI plugins, but the Text-Generator plugin with links/backlinks pulled into inference cont…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”
   • [community] “Confirmed via Obsidian's own docs: there is no sandboxing at all for community plugins - every plugin has full access to your computer's fil…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialclaimed5/10

   Capacities ships a built-in AI assistant with AI Chats (pass blocks/notes as context), AI Property Auto-Fill, and AI Image Analysis, which are genuine in-app AI delegation features (opt-in, per capacities-docs-16/23/24/36). However, these are narrow, single-step assist functions rather than open-ended agentic task delegation (e.g., multi-step autonomous workflows or tool-use chains). Missing for 10: evidence of multi-step/autonomous task execution, any agent-like planning or tool invocation by the built-in assistant, and independent hands-on validation of these AI features' reliability.

   • [claimed-docs] “AI Chats: Start a chat with AI from Explore, or with a keyboard shortcut. You can pass blocks or notes as context.”
   • [claimed-docs] “AI Image Analysis: Analyze any image with one click. The AI extracts a title, description, text (OCR, including handwritten text), a color p…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Rather than manually filling in the properties of your custom objects, you can rely on the AI model's knowledge to auto-fill them for you.”
   • [claimed-docs] “AI features in Capacities are fully opt-in. If you do not activate AI, no data from your spaces is shared with any third-party AI services”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

4. ai-native userOperate the product with natural-language commands

   weight 2 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian—none0/10

   Obsidian's own docs describe a traditional Command Palette, keyboard shortcuts, and a plugin API, but there is no first-party natural-language command interface; the probe explicitly notes Obsidian ships no official CLI or vendor MCP server, with any LLM/NL functionality (e.g. Text-Generator plugin) coming from community plugins rather than the product itself.

   • [claimed-docs] “Tabs, Command Palette, plugins,”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”
   • [community] “There's no decent RAG functionality among Obsidian AI plugins, but the Text-Generator plugin with links/backlinks pulled into inference cont…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialprobed5/10

   Capacities supports AI chats with context, AI property auto-fill, and connects to external AI assistants (ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor) via chat connectors and a live MCP server with read/write scopes, letting AI act as an intermediary for natural-language commands. However, there is no evidence of a native in-app natural-language command palette/interface where a user directly types free-form commands to control the app itself (e.g., 'create a project page and link it to my meeting notes') — the NL interaction is mediated through external AI tools/chat rather than a first-party built-in command layer. missing for 10: first-party in-app natural-language command interface, hands-on evidence of NL commands controlling core app actions (creating/organizing objects) rather than just chat/auto-fill, independent user reports validating this workflow.

   • [claimed-docs] “Chat Connectors let you connect AI chat apps, like ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or Le Chat, to your Capacities space.”
   • [claimed-docs] “AI Chats: Start a chat with AI from Explore, or with a keyboard shortcut. You can pass blocks or notes as context.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Rather than manually filling in the properties of your custom objects, you can rely on the AI model's knowledge to auto-fill them for you.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): keyless JSON-RPC initialize POST to the official hosted MCP server https://api.capacities.io/mcp return…”
   • [claimed-docs] “AI Property Auto-Fill: Rather than manually filling in the properties of your custom objects, you can rely on the AI model's knowledge to au…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Api quality

1. ai-native userExplore an interactive API reference with runnable examples

   weight 2 · round drawn
   Obsidian—none0/10

   The axis applies to this product kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na". (na/none harmonized at arena bring-up — see pipeline/scripts/na-harmonize.ts.)

   ⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   Evidence confirms a REST API and a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1 spec exist, but there is no sign of an interactive reference (e.g., Swagger/Redoc UI, try-it-now console, runnable code snippets) — docs are plain markdown reference pages and the openapi.json is only a raw spec file, not an interactive explorer.

   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API is a REST API that allows you access, create and manipulate your content.”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://docs.capacities.io/openapi.json, https://docs.capacities.io/swagger.json, https://docs.capac…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json served a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec ('Capacities API (B…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. ai-native userDownload a machine-readable API spec (OpenAPI or equivalent)

   weight 2 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian—none0/10

   Obsidian has a plugin API and developer docs (TypeScript API reference), but no evidence of a downloadable machine-readable spec like OpenAPI/Swagger for any REST or programmatic interface; the probe explicitly notes no official CLI or vendor MCP server, and no OpenAPI spec is mentioned anywhere in the evidence pack.

   • [claimed-docs] “Build plugins to extend the existing functionality in Obsidian using TypeScript.”
   • [github] “Vault, the interface that lets you interact with files and folders in the vault.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities✓fullprobed8/10

   A live runtime probe confirms Capacities serves a genuine machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec at https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json, paired with a working bearer-gated REST API, directly satisfying the story; the docs also describe the REST API and Bearer auth. missing for 10: an explicit documentation page linking to/download-able copy of the spec (the docs subdomain's openapi.json paths 404) and independent/community confirmation of the spec's existence.

   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json served a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec ('Capacities API (B…”
   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API is a REST API that allows you access, create and manipulate your content.”
   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API uses Bearer authentication (token-based authentication, OAuth 2.0 RFC 6750).”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://docs.capacities.io/openapi.json, https://docs.capacities.io/swagger.json, https://docs.capac…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

3. ai-native userTest against a sandbox environment without touching production data

   weight 1 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian!disputedcontradicted3/10

   Obsidian's docs claim a 'Restricted Mode' that prevents third-party code execution (obsidian-docs-27), which could be read as a sandbox safeguard, but hands-on community evidence directly contradicts this: 'there is no sandboxing at all for community plugins - every plugin has full access to your computer's filesystem and can make network requests' (obsidian-comm-10), and a third party built a separate sandboxed app specifically because Obsidian plugins run with full system access on sensitive data (obsidian-comm-11). There is no documented feature for spinning up an isolated test vault/sandbox distinct from a production vault for AI-agent testing. Missing for 10: an official sandbox/test-vault feature, evidence of isolated execution for agent actions, and resolution of the restricted-mode vs. no-sandboxing contradiction.

   • [claimed-docs] “By default, Obsidian runs in Restricted Mode to prevent third-party code execution.”
   • [community] “Confirmed via Obsidian's own docs: there is no sandboxing at all for community plugins - every plugin has full access to your computer's fil…”
   • [community] “A company wrote a sandboxed alternative app because community plugins are too risky running with full system access when working on sensitiv…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   Capacities' docs describe a production REST API and MCP server with bearer/OAuth auth, but there is no mention of a sandbox, staging, or test space that lets an AI-native developer experiment without touching real production data. Missing for 10: any documented sandbox/staging environment, test API keys, or a dedicated test space feature.

   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API is a REST API that allows you access, create and manipulate your content.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json served a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec ('Capacities API (B…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): keyless JSON-RPC initialize POST to the official hosted MCP server https://api.capacities.io/mcp return…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

4. ai-native userRely on versioned APIs with a documented deprecation policy

   weight 2 · round drawn
   Obsidian—none0/10

   Evidence covers Obsidian's plugin API, developer docs, and file formats, but there is no mention of a versioning scheme or documented deprecation policy for the Obsidian API. The developer docs describe building plugins but do not address API version guarantees or backward-compatibility commitments. Missing for 10: any documentation of API versioning, semver policy, or deprecation timelines/announcements.

   ⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   Evidence confirms Capacities ships a REST API and MCP server, but nothing documents API version numbers, a versioning scheme, or a deprecation policy — the OpenAPI spec is even labeled 'Beta' with no stability guarantees mentioned.

   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API is a REST API that allows you access, create and manipulate your content.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json served a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec ('Capacities API (B…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Agent ops

1. ai-native userMy coding agent or assistant can read AND write my notes headlessly — through a documented local API, vendor API, or MCP server — without me touching the GUI

   weight 3 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian~partialprobed4/10

   Obsidian stores notes as plain local Markdown files (obsidian-docs-20, obsidian-docs-23), which lets an agent read/write vault contents directly on disk without touching the GUI — but this is not a documented API or protocol, just an emergent property of the file format. The probe explicitly confirms Obsidian ships no official CLI or vendor MCP server, with MCP servers being community-only projects (obsidian-probe-rt-1), and the only documented headless integration (Obsidian URI, obsidian-docs-8) is for triggering GUI actions, not structured read/write. Missing for 10: an official vendor-documented local API or MCP server, first-party support for programmatic note read/write, and evidence of hands-on agent integration.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian stores your notes as Markdown-formatted plain text files in a vault.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Apps come and go, but your data should last. Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian URI is a custom URI protocol supported by Obsidian that lets you trigger various actions, such as opening a note or creating a note…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities✓fullprobed8/10

   Capacities ships both a documented REST API (Bearer/OAuth authenticated, verified live with a 401 on keyless access) and an official hosted MCP server at api.capacities.io/mcp with confirmed read AND write scopes (mcp:read mcp:write), enabling headless agent read/write access without the GUI. missing for 10: independent third-party hands-on report of an agent actually using the MCP server end-to-end, and clearer documentation of write-operation specifics/limits in the API docs.

   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json served a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec ('Capacities API (B…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): keyless JSON-RPC initialize POST to the official hosted MCP server https://api.capacities.io/mcp return…”
   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API is a REST API that allows you access, create and manipulate your content.”
   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API uses Bearer authentication (token-based authentication, OAuth 2.0 RFC 6750).”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://docs.capacities.io/developer/model-context-protocol”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Ai assist

1. ai-native userConnect external LLMs and AI tools to my notes through first-party connectors or an ecosystem of AI plugins

   weight 2 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian~partialprobed5/10

   Obsidian has no first-party AI/LLM connector or vendor MCP server (confirmed by probe: 'no official CLI or vendor MCP server... MCP servers for Obsidian are community projects'), but its large community plugin ecosystem (7,275 plugins) does include AI tools like the Text-Generator plugin, cited by users as a productive LLM interface. This satisfies the 'ecosystem of AI plugins' half of the story but not the 'first-party connectors' half. Missing for 10: official first-party AI/LLM integration or vendor-maintained MCP server, broader documentation of AI plugin capabilities (e.g., RAG), and evidence these plugins are robust (community notes 'no decent RAG functionality among Obsidian AI plugins').

   • [community] “There's no decent RAG functionality among Obsidian AI plugins, but the Text-Generator plugin with links/backlinks pulled into inference cont…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use plugins to adapt Obsidian to fit your specific needs, such as support for additional file formats or integrating with a third-party serv…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Learn how to extend Obsidian with plugins built by the community.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities✓fullprobed9/10

   Capacities ships first-party AI connectors (Chat Connectors for ChatGPT/Claude/Cursor/Le Chat), a documented and runtime-verified hosted MCP server with OAuth scopes, and a REST API confirmed live via OpenAPI probe, giving multiple first-party paths to connect external LLMs/tools to notes. Missing for 10: independent hands-on user reports specifically testing these connectors/MCP server in practice, and evidence of a broader third-party plugin ecosystem beyond the officially listed chat apps.

   • [claimed-docs] “Chat Connectors let you connect AI chat apps, like ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or Le Chat, to your Capacities space.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build your own app, agent, or bot and integrate it with a Capacities space by implementing a custom MCP client using the Model Context Proto…”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://docs.capacities.io/developer/model-context-protocol”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json served a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec ('Capacities API (B…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): keyless JSON-RPC initialize POST to the official hosted MCP server https://api.capacities.io/mcp return…”
   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API is a REST API that allows you access, create and manipulate your content.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. ai-native userA built-in AI assistant can answer questions, summarize, and draft grounded in my own notes — with clear controls over what data it sees

   weight 2 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian—none0/10

   Obsidian's core product ships no built-in AI assistant; the only AI-related evidence describes third-party community plugins, and one commenter explicitly states 'there's no decent RAG functionality among Obsidian AI plugins,' undermining any grounded-in-notes assistant claim. There is no first-party documentation of an official AI feature with data-access controls.

   • [community] “There's no decent RAG functionality among Obsidian AI plugins, but the Text-Generator plugin with links/backlinks pulled into inference cont…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialclaimed7/10

   Docs confirm a built-in AI Chat that can be grounded on selected notes/blocks as context (capacities-docs-23), AI property auto-fill and image analysis (capacities-docs-24, docs-36), and explicit opt-in/data-sharing controls for AI features (capacities-docs-16). This covers Q&A and grounding-with-control well, but explicit 'summarize' and 'draft' capabilities aren't directly documented, only implied via chat/context features. missing for 10: explicit documentation of summarization/drafting workflows, independent/hands-on user validation of AI answer quality or grounding accuracy.

   • [claimed-docs] “AI Chats: Start a chat with AI from Explore, or with a keyboard shortcut. You can pass blocks or notes as context.”
   • [claimed-docs] “AI features in Capacities are fully opt-in. If you do not activate AI, no data from your spaces is shared with any third-party AI services”
   • [claimed-docs] “AI Image Analysis: Analyze any image with one click. The AI extracts a title, description, text (OCR, including handwritten text), a color p…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Rather than manually filling in the properties of your custom objects, you can rely on the AI model's knowledge to auto-fill them for you.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

1. ai-native userPerform bulk operations across many items at once

   weight 2 · round drawn
   Obsidian—none0/10

   The evidence pack shows Obsidian's file-based storage, plugin/API extensibility (Vault interface, community plugins), and Bases for database-like views, but nothing documents a bulk-operation capability (e.g., batch rename, bulk tag/metadata edit, multi-note transform) that an AI-native user could invoke across many items at once. The generic plugin API and 7,275-plugin ecosystem are extensibility building blocks, not evidence of a delivered bulk-operations feature.

   • [claimed-docs] “Bases is a core plugin that lets you create database-like views of your notes.”
   • [github] “Vault, the interface that lets you interact with files and folders in the vault.”
   • [github] “`Vault`, the interface that lets you interact with files and folders in the vault.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   The evidence shows a REST API and MCP server for programmatic access, plus scheduled full exports and selective exports, but nothing documents a bulk/batch operation capability (e.g., batch API endpoints, multi-select bulk edit/tag/delete across many items) that an AI agent could invoke at scale.

   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API is a REST API that allows you access, create and manipulate your content.”
   • [claimed-docs] “You can schedule automatic exports by going to Settings > Full Export > Automated Full Export > Add Schedule.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Export selected content as Markdown + CSV... In Capacities, go to Settings > Import Content, open the Notion guide in Migration guides, then…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json served a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec ('Capacities API (B…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. ai-native userDefine rules that trigger actions automatically on events

   weight 3 · round drawn
   Obsidian—none0/10

   Obsidian's evidence shows a plugin API, a URI protocol for triggering actions, and a large community plugin ecosystem, but there is no documented built-in rule engine or automation system that fires actions automatically on events (e.g., note-created, tag-added triggers). Obsidian URI (obsidian-docs-8) requires an external caller, not an internal event-trigger rule system, and no plugin or first-party feature is cited that implements conditional automation.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian URI is a custom URI protocol supported by Obsidian that lets you trigger various actions, such as opening a note or creating a note…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use plugins to adapt Obsidian to fit your specific needs, such as support for additional file formats or integrating with a third-party serv…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Plugins let you extend Obsidian with your own features to create a custom note-taking experience.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   Capacities offers an API, MCP server, and AI assistant features, but no evidence of a rules/trigger engine (event-based automation like 'when X happens, do Y') exists in the docs pack—only manual actions, scheduled exports, and AI-assisted fill-in features are documented.

   ⚑ flag

3. ai-native userSchedule recurring jobs or workflows

   weight 2 · round drawn
   Obsidian—none0/10

   No evidence describes any Obsidian feature for scheduling recurring jobs or workflows; core plugins (daily notes, templates, bases) and the URI protocol are for triggering/creating notes, not for time-based recurring automation. The plugin ecosystem is large but no specific scheduling/automation plugin or native scheduler is documented.

   • [claimed-docs] “Daily notes is a core plugin that opens a note based on today's date, or creates it if it doesn't exist.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian URI is a custom URI protocol supported by Obsidian that lets you trigger various actions, such as opening a note or creating a note…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use plugins to adapt Obsidian to fit your specific needs, such as support for additional file formats or integrating with a third-party serv…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   No evidence of any scheduling, cron-style triggers, or recurring workflow/automation capability aside from a manual 'automated full export' schedule which is not a general job/workflow scheduler; the API, MCP server, and AI features shown are all synchronous/manual, not recurring triggers for workflows.

   • [claimed-docs] “You can schedule automatic exports by going to Settings > Full Export > Automated Full Export > Add Schedule.”
   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API is a REST API that allows you access, create and manipulate your content.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json served a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec ('Capacities API (B…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): keyless JSON-RPC initialize POST to the official hosted MCP server https://api.capacities.io/mcp return…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

4. ai-native userVersion, review, and roll back my automations

   weight 1 · round drawn
   Obsidian—none0/10

   Obsidian offers file version history for notes (obsidian-docs-28) and third-party Git sync for backups (obsidian-comm-8), but there is no evidence of any built-in mechanism to version, review, or roll back 'automations' (e.g., plugin configs, Templater/QuickAdd scripts, or workflow definitions) — Obsidian has no native automation/workflow builder at all, only community plugins that could theoretically be automation-like but aren't documented with any versioning/rollback tooling. Missing for 10: any documented automation-specific versioning system, review/diff tooling for automation changes, or rollback mechanism tied to plugin/script configurations.

   • [claimed-docs] “Version history - View or restore previous versions of a note.”
   • [community] “The Git plugin is great for single-device backup but not great for device sync or collaboration; a real-time collaboration plugin using CRDT…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   Capacities documents templates, an API, and an MCP server for integrations, but nothing in the evidence describes an automation-building feature (workflows/triggers/actions) let alone version history, review, or rollback for such automations.

   • [claimed-docs] “Templates allow you to prefill the content of an object- you can prefill properties and blocks in your objects.”
   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API is a REST API that allows you access, create and manipulate your content.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): keyless JSON-RPC initialize POST to the official hosted MCP server https://api.capacities.io/mcp return…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Capture

1. researcherClip web pages, articles, and highlights from my browser straight into my notes with an official clipper or capture flow

   weight 2 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian✓fullclaimed9/10

   Obsidian ships an official free browser extension, the Web Clipper, explicitly documented to let users highlight pages and save web content directly into their vault, covering pages, articles, and highlights as described in the story. missing for 10: independent hands-on user reports specifically confirming the Web Clipper's reliability/quality beyond the vendor docs.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian Web Clipper is a free browser extension that lets you highlight pages and save web content to your vault.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   No evidence pack item mentions a browser extension, web clipper, or article/highlight capture flow for Capacities; the closest features are generic content-type ingestion and a mobile app for 'capture on the go', not a browser clipper. This is a reasonable axis for a note-taking/knowledge-base app (competitors ship clippers), so absence of evidence means 'none' rather than 'na'.

   • [claimed-docs] “The mobile app is a companion to desktop for day-to-day work in your space: search and capture on the go.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Any image you input into Capacities becomes an image object, that can be reused anywhere in your space.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Object types are either created automatically by Capacities, or you can create them yourself. The first group is what we call Basic Object T…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Daily notes

1. power-userI get an automatic daily note for each day, pre-filled from a template, as the default landing place for journaling and capture

   weight 3 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian✓fullcommunity8/10

   Obsidian's core Daily Notes plugin opens/creates a note for today's date and can be paired with the Templates core plugin to pre-fill content, directly matching the story [obsidian-docs-4][obsidian-docs-5]. Community evidence corroborates daily notes as a common power-user workflow (mixed freely with folders/Zettelkasten) [obsidian-comm-4][obsidian-comm-17]. Missing for 10: explicit first-party documentation confirming daily note as the literal 'default landing/startup' page, and independent confirmation of template auto-fill reliability at scale.

   • [claimed-docs] “Daily notes is a core plugin that opens a note based on today's date, or creates it if it doesn't exist.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Templates is a core plugin that lets you insert pre-defined snippets of text into your active note.”
   • [community] “As an outliner, Logseq is too opinionated about usage; Obsidian is less strict, allowing mixing Zettelkasten, daily notes, and folder struct…”
   • [community] “Used Obsidian for organizing and running tabletop RPG sessions with folders of monsters, encounters, and world notes; also good enough to re…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialclaimed6/10

   Capacities docs confirm a native daily-note concept uniquely linked to each day for quick capture (capacities-docs-21) and a general templates feature that can pre-fill properties and blocks in objects (capacities-docs-9), and daily notes surface backlinked references automatically (capacities-docs-8). However, the docs never explicitly confirm that a template is auto-applied to the daily note by default or that the daily note is the default landing page/capture surface on app open. Missing for 10: explicit documentation of template-to-daily-note binding, and confirmation that the daily note is the default landing view.

   • [claimed-docs] “A daily note is a note that is uniquely linked to one day. It often serves as a quick and simple way to write down ideas or things to rememb…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Templates allow you to prefill the content of an object- you can prefill properties and blocks in your objects.”
   • [claimed-docs] “The next section shows all references of that day, including objects with properties to that day and mentions of the day in your writing.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Editor

1. power-userDefine reusable templates (with variables like date and title) and apply them when creating recurring kinds of notes

   weight 2 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian✓fullclaimed8/10

   Obsidian ships a first-party Templates core plugin for inserting reusable text snippets, and a Daily notes core plugin that creates date-based notes automatically, together covering variable-driven, recurring note templates (date/title insertion is a documented core feature of these plugins). Missing for 10: no explicit doc snippet showing custom variable syntax beyond date/title, and no independent hands-on report confirming template variable behavior in practice.

   • [claimed-docs] “Templates is a core plugin that lets you insert pre-defined snippets of text into your active note.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Daily notes is a core plugin that opens a note based on today's date, or creates it if it doesn't exist.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialclaimed6/10

   Capacities docs confirm a template system that lets you prefill properties and blocks of an object type, which supports reusable templates for recurring note kinds (e.g., Meetings, Projects) as suggested by the object-type-first workflow. However, no evidence describes dynamic variable insertion (e.g., auto-filled current date or title placeholders) within templates. Missing for 10: explicit documentation of variable/placeholder support (date, title, etc.) in templates and independent hands-on confirmation of this behavior.

   • [claimed-docs] “Templates allow you to prefill the content of an object- you can prefill properties and blocks in your objects.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Object types are either created automatically by Capacities, or you can create them yourself. The first group is what we call Basic Object T…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Capacities is object-type-first. Define key object types early (`People`, `Projects`, `Meetings`, etc.) and add core properties.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. power-userWrite and format notes with headings, callouts, tables, code blocks, and embedded media in a fast keyboard-driven editor

   weight 2 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian~partialclaimed5/10

   Evidence confirms Obsidian is a plain-text Markdown editor with linking, templates, mobile editing toolbar, and command palette (keyboard-driven), supporting the general shape of the story, but the pack never explicitly documents callouts, tables, code-block rendering, or embedded media handling. Missing for 10: explicit documentation/citations on callout syntax, table support, code block rendering, and media embedding, plus any performance/speed benchmarking of the editor.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian stores your notes as Markdown-formatted plain text files in a vault.”
   • [claimed-docs] “By linking notes, you can create a network of knowledge.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Templates is a core plugin that lets you insert pre-defined snippets of text into your active note.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Mobile toolbar is a customization toolbar for editing notes.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Tabs, Command Palette, plugins,”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   The evidence pack covers linking, templates, object types, and AI features but never documents core editor formatting elements (headings, callouts, tables, code blocks) or keyboard-driven editing speed/shortcuts, so this applicable power-user capability has no supporting evidence.

   ⚑ flag

Migration

1. switcherExport my entire knowledge base at any time in open formats, so leaving is as easy as arriving

   weight 2 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian✓fullcommunity9/10

   Obsidian stores all notes as local, non-proprietary plain-text Markdown files (not a proprietary database or cloud lock-in), so a user's entire vault is always exportable/portable by simply copying the folder, and this is explicitly marketed as a future-proofing/anti-lock-in feature ('apps come and go, but your data should last'). Community testimonials corroborate this in practice (users migrated to/from Roam, Notion, Google Docs citing plain-text ownership as the reason switching was easy). Missing for 10: no independent hands-on verification of a bulk 'export' action for non-Markdown assets (attachments, plugin data) or edge cases in migration fidelity.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device. You have total control over your data, which means yo…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian stores your notes as Markdown-formatted plain text files in a vault.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Apps come and go, but your data should last. Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device.”
   • [community] “Moved from Google Docs to Obsidian for de-Googling; notes stored only locally and via storage sync, files are just text so notes can outlive…”
   • [community] “Migrated from Roam to Obsidian and it's really awesome - ownership of files, constant updates with new features and bug fixes, and a really …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities✓fullclaimed7/10

   Capacities documents a native Full Export feature (Settings > Full Export) that can be run on demand or scheduled automatically, exporting content as Markdown with properties as front matter and collections as CSV files explicitly 'to reuse your content in other apps or work with it programmatically' — both open, portable formats satisfying a switcher's exit needs. Missing for 10: independent/hands-on verification of export completeness (media, attachments, block-references, backlinks fidelity) and confirmation this covers the entire space rather than only selected content in the documented flows.

   • [claimed-docs] “You can schedule automatic exports by going to Settings > Full Export > Automated Full Export > Add Schedule.”
   • [claimed-docs] “All your properties are transformed into front matter values, all collections are stored as CSV files, making it easy to reuse your content …”
   • [claimed-docs] “Export selected content as Markdown + CSV... In Capacities, go to Settings > Import Content, open the Notion guide in Migration guides, then…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Export only the selected content you intend to migrate. Use Markdown + CSV as your default format for this flow.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. switcherImport my existing notes from Notion, Evernote, Roam, or plain Markdown with structure, links, and attachments preserved

   weight 3 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian✓fullcommunity8/10

   Obsidian ships dedicated first-party importers for Notion, Evernote, Roam-style Markdown, and Airtable/OneNote (obsidian-docs-1, 24, 29, 30), converting content to durable local Markdown files with links/attachments/structure preserved, and Notion databases even convert to Bases. Community evidence (obsidian-comm-20) confirms a real-world Roam→Obsidian migration went well. Missing for 10: no independent hands-on verification of attachment/link fidelity across all four sources (Notion, Evernote, Roam, plain Markdown) in one report, and no detail on edge-case fidelity issues during import.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian lets you easily migrate your data from Notion using the Importer plugin.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian lets you easily migrate your data from Notion using the Importer plugin. This converts your Notion workspace to durable Markdown fi…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Notion account (recommended) connects directly to your workspace and lets you preserve Databases and formulas which are converted to Bases.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Import from Notion|Notion - Import from Airtable|Airtable - Import from Microsoft OneNote|Microsoft OneNote - Import from Evernote|Evernote”
   • [community] “Migrated from Roam to Obsidian and it's really awesome - ownership of files, constant updates with new features and bug fixes, and a really …”
   • [claimed-docs] “Apps come and go, but your data should last. Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialclaimed4/10

   Docs provide a detailed Notion-to-Capacities migration guide (curate structure, export as Markdown+CSV, define object types before import) which covers the Notion import path, but there is no evidence at all for importing from Evernote or Roam, and no confirmation that links/attachments are preserved on import (the export docs describe front matter/CSV output going out of Capacities, not import fidelity). missing for 10: Evernote import support, Roam import support, plain Markdown import instructions, explicit evidence that internal links/backlinks and attachments survive the import process, independent/hands-on reports confirming fidelity.

   • [claimed-docs] “Migrate from Notion by curating structure before export.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Export selected content as Markdown + CSV... In Capacities, go to Settings > Import Content, open the Notion guide in Migration guides, then…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Capacities is object-type-first. Define key object types early (`People`, `Projects`, `Meetings`, etc.) and add core properties.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Export only the selected content you intend to migrate. Use Markdown + CSV as your default format for this flow.”
   • [claimed-docs] “All your properties are transformed into front matter values, all collections are stored as CSV files, making it easy to reuse your content …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Graph

1. researcherExplore my knowledge base as an interactive graph of notes and connections, filtered to what I care about

   weight 1 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian✓fullcommunity8/10

   Graph view is a documented core plugin that visualizes note relationships built from internal links, and Obsidian's linking system explicitly creates a 'network of knowledge' that the graph renders; Graph view also supports filters (though filtering specifics aren't detailed in this pack). Community evidence confirms users actively rely on the linking/graph model for organizing knowledge (e.g., RPG notes, dev notes). Missing for 10: no evidence of advanced graph filtering UI details (tags/colors/query filters) or independent hands-on praise/critique specifically of graph view's filtering usability.

   • [claimed-docs] “Graph view is a core plugin that lets you visualize the relationships between the notes in your vault.”
   • [claimed-docs] “By linking notes, you can create a network of knowledge.”
   • [community] “Used Obsidian for organizing and running tabletop RPG sessions with folders of monsters, encounters, and world notes; also good enough to re…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialclaimed5/10

   Capacities has a documented Graph View that visualizes an object's links as a network showing the 'local neighbourhood' around the open note, which supports interactive graph exploration of the knowledge base. However, the evidence never describes any filtering mechanism (by tag, type, date, or search term) within the graph view itself, so the 'filtered to what I care about' part of the story is unevidenced. missing for 10: documented graph filtering/faceting by object type, tag, or search query, and any independent hands-on account of using filters in graph view.

   • [claimed-docs] “Graph view shows how one object connects to others. Each link between notes becomes a line in the graph”
   • [claimed-docs] “Graph view shows how one object connects to others. Each link between notes becomes a line in the graph, so you can see the local neighbourh…”
   • [claimed-docs] “All backlinks are grouped together at the bottom of your object in a section titled "Backlinks".”
   • [claimed-docs] “Capacities lets you link to individual blocks inside of an object, and reference them in other pages. We call this concept block-based linki…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Links

1. researcherLink notes with [[wiki-style]] links and see every backlink and unlinked mention of a note in context

   weight 3 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian✓fullcommunity8/10

   Obsidian's core feature set is wiki-style [[linking]] and a network of knowledge (obsidian-docs-18), backed by Graph view for visualizing note relationships (obsidian-docs-3), and this is corroborated by independent community usage reports praising Obsidian's linking/organization model (obsidian-comm-17, obsidian-comm-20). Missing for 10: explicit documentation snippet describing the 'unlinked mentions' panel/backlinks pane in context (only inferred from linking/graph docs, not directly quoted) and no independent hands-on confirmation of backlink-in-context UI specifically.

   • [claimed-docs] “By linking notes, you can create a network of knowledge.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Graph view is a core plugin that lets you visualize the relationships between the notes in your vault.”
   • [community] “Used Obsidian for organizing and running tabletop RPG sessions with folders of monsters, encounters, and world notes; also good enough to re…”
   • [community] “Migrated from Roam to Obsidian and it's really awesome - ownership of files, constant updates with new features and bug fixes, and a really …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialclaimed5/10

   Docs confirm backlinks are grouped in a dedicated 'Backlinks' section on each object and graph view shows links between notes, and daily notes show 'mentions of the day in your writing,' but there is no explicit mention of [[wiki-style]] link syntax or a general unlinked-mention detection feature across regular notes (only for daily notes). missing for 10: explicit [[wiki-link]] syntax documentation, a general unlinked-mentions panel for all object types, and independent/hands-on confirmation of in-context backlink previews.

   • [claimed-docs] “All backlinks are grouped together at the bottom of your object in a section titled "Backlinks".”
   • [claimed-docs] “Graph view shows how one object connects to others. Each link between notes becomes a line in the graph”
   • [claimed-docs] “The next section shows all references of that day, including objects with properties to that day and mentions of the day in your writing.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Graph view shows how one object connects to others. Each link between notes becomes a line in the graph, so you can see the local neighbourh…”
   • [claimed-docs] “A daily note is a note that is uniquely linked to one day. It often serves as a quick and simple way to write down ideas or things to rememb…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. power-userReference or transclude an individual block or section of one note inside another and have it stay in sync

   weight 2 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian—none0/10

   The evidence pack only shows generic internal linking ('By linking notes, you can create a network of knowledge' — obsidian-docs-18) and graph view for whole-note relationships, but contains no documentation or community evidence of block/section-level embedding (transclusion) syntax or behavior. Missing for 10: any docs on block references (^blockid), section embeds, or confirmation that embedded content stays live-synced with the source note.

   • [claimed-docs] “By linking notes, you can create a network of knowledge.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities✓fullclaimed8/10

   Capacities explicitly supports block-based linking/embedding (block references) where an embedded block is identical to the original and edits propagate everywhere it's used, plus backlinks and graph view to surface these connections — directly matching the transclusion-stays-in-sync story. Missing for 10: independent hands-on verification of sync behavior across notes and any documented limits (e.g., section-level vs single-block granularity).

   • [claimed-docs] “Capacities lets you link to individual blocks inside of an object, and reference them in other pages.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Capacities lets you link to individual blocks inside of an object, and reference them in other pages. We call this concept block-based linki…”
   • [claimed-docs] “An embedded block is identical to the original. This means that any edits will occur in all places where this block is used.”
   • [claimed-docs] “All backlinks are grouped together at the bottom of your object in a section titled "Backlinks".”
   • [claimed-docs] “Graph view shows how one object connects to others. Each link between notes becomes a line in the graph, so you can see the local neighbourh…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Ownership

1. power-userMy notes live in local files or a local-first store that I own and can read without the app, and everything keeps working fully offline

   weight 3 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian✓fullcommunity9/10

   Obsidian's core design stores notes as plain-text Markdown files locally in a user-owned vault, explicitly marketed for offline use and future-proofing/app independence, corroborated by independent community reports of migrating away from cloud apps because files are local text that outlive the app. Minor caveat is Canvas's JSON format (still local, but less human-readable than Markdown), and mobile has a save-timing quirk under sync; missing for 10: independent long-term audit of full offline reliability across all core plugins and confirmation Canvas/Bases data remain equally portable as plain Markdown.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian stores your notes as Markdown-formatted plain text files in a vault.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Apps come and go, but your data should last. Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device. You have total control over your data, which means yo…”
   • [community] “Moved from Google Docs to Obsidian for de-Googling; notes stored only locally and via storage sync, files are just text so notes can outlive…”
   • [community] “Obsidian Canvas uses a new JSON-based file format, open-sourced under MIT license; canvas files remain local and still link to your own futu…”
   • [community] “The Obsidian Android app does not save files to storage until the note unloads, which can break things if you sync/pull mid-edit, sometimes …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialclaimed5/10

   Capacities documents offline-first behavior (work offline, sync when back online, offline search) and a full/scheduled export to Markdown+CSV/front-matter that is 'easy to reuse... work with programmatically,' giving some data ownership. However, there is no evidence the primary store is plain local files usable without the app day-to-day — the live working format is the app's own sync/cloud store, and export is a periodic snapshot rather than the native storage format. Missing for 10: evidence of a genuine local-first primary file format (e.g. markdown files on disk that the app just syncs), and confirmation that full functionality (not just search) works offline without any cloud dependency.

   • [claimed-docs] “Capacities is an offline-first application. You can work offline and your changes will get synchronized as soon as you're back online.”
   • [claimed-docs] “You can work offline and your changes will get synchronized as soon as you're back online.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Search in Capacities is great for navigation, finding, and connecting your content. It works offline on all devices, giving you quick search…”
   • [claimed-docs] “You can schedule automatic exports by going to Settings > Full Export > Automated Full Export > Add Schedule.”
   • [claimed-docs] “All your properties are transformed into front matter values, all collections are stored as CSV files, making it easy to reuse your content …”
   • [claimed-docs] “Export selected content as Markdown + CSV... In Capacities, go to Settings > Import Content, open the Notion guide in Migration guides, then…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Export only the selected content you intend to migrate. Use Markdown + CSV as your default format for this flow.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. researcherMy notes are stored or exportable in open, documented formats (Markdown, JSON) so my archive outlives the vendor

   weight 2 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian✓fullcommunity9/10

   Obsidian core storage is plain-text Markdown files on local disk with no proprietary lock-in, explicitly marketed as future-proof so notes 'outlive the app,' and this is corroborated by independent user reports of migrating away and still having usable text files. missing for 10: independent long-term archival/format-stability audit and clarity on the newer Canvas JSON format's durability (community notes flag it as less readable than Markdown, a minor caveat).

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian stores your notes as Markdown-formatted plain text files in a vault.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Apps come and go, but your data should last. Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device. You have total control over your data, which means yo…”
   • [community] “Moved from Google Docs to Obsidian for de-Googling; notes stored only locally and via storage sync, files are just text so notes can outlive…”
   • [community] “Obsidian is less opinionated on the file format and folders, making it more future-proof than Logseq, though Logseq's sync is too asynchrono…”
   • [community] “Obsidian Canvas uses a new JSON-based file format, open-sourced under MIT license; canvas files remain local and still link to your own futu…”
   • [community] “This looks like Obsidian's first move away from markdown - the .canvas JSON files are readable but not as readable as markdown; hope this is…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities✓fullclaimed7/10

   Capacities documents a full, schedulable export to Markdown (with front matter) plus CSV for collections, explicitly stated to make content reusable in other apps or programmatically ('capacities-docs-11','capacities-docs-31'), alongside a REST API for direct data access ('capacities-docs-33'). This gives researchers a genuine open-format escape hatch beyond vendor lock-in. Missing for 10: independent/hands-on verification of export completeness and fidelity (e.g., whether all object types and block-links survive the export), and confirmation that the 'Full Export' truly captures the entire space rather than only selected/migration content.

   • [claimed-docs] “You can schedule automatic exports by going to Settings > Full Export > Automated Full Export > Add Schedule.”
   • [claimed-docs] “All your properties are transformed into front matter values, all collections are stored as CSV files, making it easy to reuse your content …”
   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API is a REST API that allows you access, create and manipulate your content.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Export selected content as Markdown + CSV... In Capacities, go to Settings > Import Content, open the Notion guide in Migration guides, then…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Migrate from Notion by curating structure before export.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Self host

1. developerRun the whole system without the vendor's cloud — local-only mode or a self-hosted sync backend I operate myself

   weight 2 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian~partialcommunity7/10

   Obsidian is fundamentally local-first: notes are plain Markdown files stored on-device, fully usable offline with no vendor cloud dependency (obsidian-docs-2, obsidian-docs-20, obsidian-docs-23), and users can sync via Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive, or Git instead of Obsidian's paid Sync service (obsidian-docs-19), confirmed by a community user who runs it fully local plus storage sync (obsidian-comm-19). However, self-hosting a sync backend is imperfect in practice — community reports note the Git plugin works for single-device backup but is 'not great for device sync or collaboration,' requiring third-party CRDT plugins to fill the gap (obsidian-comm-8). Missing for 10: an officially documented/first-party self-hosted sync backend with real-time multi-device guarantees (vs. community workarounds), and confirmation that Git/cloud-drive sync avoids conflict issues.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device. You have total control over your data, which means yo…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian stores your notes as Markdown-formatted plain text files in a vault.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Apps come and go, but your data should last. Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian syncs with Obsidian Sync, Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive, Git, and many other third-party services.”
   • [community] “Moved from Google Docs to Obsidian for de-Googling; notes stored only locally and via storage sync, files are just text so notes can outlive…”
   • [community] “The Git plugin is great for single-device backup but not great for device sync or collaboration; a real-time collaboration plugin using CRDT…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   Capacities is offline-first (local caching with sync) but all evidence shows sync and API/MCP endpoints run through the vendor's own cloud (api.capacities.io); there is no documented self-hosted sync backend or fully local-only mode without vendor infrastructure. Missing for 10: any option to self-host sync server, any documented local-only deployment mode, independent confirmation of running without vendor cloud.

   • [claimed-docs] “Capacities is an offline-first application. You can work offline and your changes will get synchronized as soon as you're back online.”
   • [claimed-docs] “You can work offline and your changes will get synchronized as soon as you're back online.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json served a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec ('Capacities API (B…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): keyless JSON-RPC initialize POST to the official hosted MCP server https://api.capacities.io/mcp return…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Mobile

1. power-userFull-featured iOS and Android apps give me my whole knowledge base — capture, search, and linking — not a stripped-down companion

   weight 2 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian~partialcommunity6/10

   Docs confirm the mobile app supports tabs, command palette, and full plugin support (docs-34) plus a customizable editing toolar (docs-14/25), indicating feature parity with desktop rather than a stripped companion, and the same Markdown vault format underlies both platforms enabling linking (docs-18, docs-20). However, community evidence surfaces a concrete reliability issue specific to the Android app (files not saved to storage until note unloads, causing lost content on sync) and general dissatisfaction with mobile UX/Electron design relative to native apps, undercutting a fully polished power-user experience. Missing for 10: explicit documentation of mobile search functionality, mobile graph view parity, and independent confirmation the Android save bug has been resolved.

   • [claimed-docs] “Tabs, Command Palette, plugins,”
   • [claimed-docs] “Mobile toolbar is a customization toolbar for editing notes.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Mobile toolbar is a customization toolbar for editing notes. When editing a note, you will notice a row of icons at the bottom of the app.”
   • [claimed-docs] “By linking notes, you can create a network of knowledge.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian stores your notes as Markdown-formatted plain text files in a vault.”
   • [community] “The Obsidian Android app does not save files to storage until the note unloads, which can break things if you sync/pull mid-edit, sometimes …”
   • [community] “I dislike the aesthetics and wouldn't use Obsidian because of Electron; spoiled by native note apps like Bear and Noteplan on macOS with nic…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   The only description of the mobile app in the evidence pack is Capacities' own docs stating it is 'a companion to desktop for day-to-day work... search and capture on the go' — this explicitly frames mobile as a stripped-down companion, not a full-featured app with linking/graph/backlinks parity, and no evidence shows block-based linking, graph view, or full object-type editing on iOS/Android. missing for 10: any documentation or reports of full linking/graph/template features on mobile, evidence that mobile isn't limited to search+capture, independent hands-on confirmation of mobile feature parity.

   • [claimed-docs] “The mobile app is a companion to desktop for day-to-day work in your space: search and capture on the go.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

1. ai-native userDo everything through the API that I can do in the UI

   weight 2 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian~partialprobed4/10

   Obsidian exposes some programmatic surfaces — the Obsidian URI protocol for triggering actions like opening/creating notes, and a plugin API (Vault interface) for reading/writing files — but these fall short of full UI parity. There is no official CLI or vendor-provided REST/MCP API; the probe explicitly confirms no official CLI or MCP server exists, with third-party community plugins filling that gap instead. missing for 10: comprehensive first-party API/CLI covering all UI actions, official REST or MCP server, evidence of parity for non-file operations (e.g., graph view, canvas, settings) via API.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian URI is a custom URI protocol supported by Obsidian that lets you trigger various actions, such as opening a note or creating a note…”
   • [github] “Vault, the interface that lets you interact with files and folders in the vault.”
   • [github] “`Vault`, the interface that lets you interact with files and folders in the vault.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialprobed5/10

   Capacities ships a documented REST API (with a live OpenAPI spec) and an official hosted MCP server with both read and write scopes, letting programmatic clients create/manipulate content and integrate agents — a real API-driven workflow, not just a UI. However, no evidence shows the API/MCP exposes UI-only features like AI property auto-fill, AI image analysis, chat connectors, graph view, or templates, so full UI-API parity is not demonstrated. Missing for 10: confirmation that AI assistant features, graph view, templates, and chat connector functionality are all reachable via API/MCP, and independent hands-on verification of API completeness.

   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API is a REST API that allows you access, create and manipulate your content.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json served a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec ('Capacities API (B…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): keyless JSON-RPC initialize POST to the official hosted MCP server https://api.capacities.io/mcp return…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build your own app, agent, or bot and integrate it with a Capacities space by implementing a custom MCP client using the Model Context Proto…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. ai-native userExport all of my data in open formats and leave

   weight 3 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian✓fullcommunity9/10

   Obsidian stores all data as local plain-text Markdown files with no proprietary lock-in, explicitly marketed as future-proof so users 'can use Obsidian offline and switch to another app easily,' and this is corroborated by independent community accounts of notes outliving the app and easy migration away. Even newer formats like Canvas are open JSON under MIT license, reinforcing the open-export/leave-anytime story. Missing for 10: no independent audit of full fidelity export for all plugin-generated data (e.g., Bases, Sync metadata) beyond core notes.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device. You have total control over your data, which means yo…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian stores your notes as Markdown-formatted plain text files in a vault.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Apps come and go, but your data should last. Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device.”
   • [community] “Moved from Google Docs to Obsidian for de-Googling; notes stored only locally and via storage sync, files are just text so notes can outlive…”
   • [community] “Obsidian Canvas uses a new JSON-based file format, open-sourced under MIT license; canvas files remain local and still link to your own futu…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities✓fullclaimed8/10

   Capacities offers full/selective export to open Markdown+CSV formats (front matter, CSV collections) explicitly designed for reuse in other apps or programmatic work, plus scheduled automated full exports, giving users a genuine 'export and leave' path. missing for 10: no independent/hands-on verification that exported data is fully lossless (e.g., all block references, embeds, graph links preserved) and no evidence of bulk data deletion/account closure workflow alongside export.

   • [claimed-docs] “You can schedule automatic exports by going to Settings > Full Export > Automated Full Export > Add Schedule.”
   • [claimed-docs] “All your properties are transformed into front matter values, all collections are stored as CSV files, making it easy to reuse your content …”
   • [claimed-docs] “Export only the selected content you intend to migrate. Use Markdown + CSV as your default format for this flow.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Export selected content as Markdown + CSV... In Capacities, go to Settings > Import Content, open the Notion guide in Migration guides, then…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

3. ai-native userRead the product's source under an open license

   weight 2 · round drawn
   Obsidian—none0/10

   Obsidian is explicitly noted as closed-source (obsidian-comm-12), and no evidence pack item shows any open-license source availability; only the Canvas file format is MIT-licensed (obsidian-comm-14), not the app's source code itself.

   • [community] “Obsidian being closed-source makes it harder to verify their security model compared to note-taking systems where all plugin code is visible…”
   • [community] “Obsidian Canvas uses a new JSON-based file format, open-sourced under MIT license; canvas files remain local and still link to your own futu…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   No evidence of Capacities' source code being open-licensed or publicly available; it is a closed, proprietary SaaS/app with a documented API and MCP server, but no open-source repository or license is mentioned anywhere in the evidence.

   ⚑ flag

4. ai-native userSelf-host the core product

   weight 3 · round drawn
   Obsidian—none0/10

   Obsidian's core app is closed-source (obsidian-comm-12) and Sync/Publish are proprietary paid cloud services with no documented self-hosted server alternative; the only 'local' aspect is that vault files live on-device, which is not the same as self-hosting the product's infrastructure. No evidence of an official self-hostable sync/publish server or open-source core.

   • [community] “Obsidian being closed-source makes it harder to verify their security model compared to note-taking systems where all plugin code is visible…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian Sync encrypts your remote vault and all communication with Obsidian's servers.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian Publish is a cloud-based hosting service that lets you publish your notes as a wiki, knowledge base, documentation, or digital gard…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian Sync is an add-on service that allows you to privately sync your notes across devices.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   The axis applies to this product kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na". (na/none harmonized at arena bring-up — see pipeline/scripts/na-harmonize.ts.)

   ⚑ flag

Metadata

1. power-userAttach typed properties and tags to notes and use them consistently for organization and retrieval

   weight 2 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian~partialcommunity5/10

   Obsidian's Bases core plugin (database-like views of notes) and internal linking support the kind of structured organization/retrieval a power-user would want, and community evidence confirms Bases is used as a fast, if less comprehensive, alternative to Dataview for querying notes by metadata. However, the evidence pack never explicitly documents Obsidian's Properties (YAML frontmatter with typed fields) or tag system, nor how tags/properties are used consistently for retrieval. Missing for 10: explicit docs on typed Properties/frontmatter, dedicated tag-pane/tag-search documentation, and hands-on confirmation that typed properties work reliably for retrieval across a vault.

   • [claimed-docs] “Bases is a core plugin that lets you create database-like views of your notes.”
   • [community] “Bases is essentially a 90% replacement for the Dataview plugin, much faster and more responsive, though not yet as comprehensive.”
   • [claimed-docs] “By linking notes, you can create a network of knowledge.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities✓fullcommunity8/10

   Capacities is explicitly object-type-first, letting users define custom object types with typed properties (front-matter on export) and tags, with AI auto-fill for properties, and search/graph/backlinks for retrieval; a HN commenter corroborates that all content becomes taggable, reusable entities in a network of notes. missing for 10: independent hands-on validation of complex multi-property queries/filtering at scale and more detailed docs on tag hierarchies or property types beyond basic examples.

   • [claimed-docs] “Object types are either created automatically by Capacities, or you can create them yourself. The first group is what we call Basic Object T…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Capacities is object-type-first. Define key object types early (`People`, `Projects`, `Meetings`, etc.) and add core properties.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Object types are either created automatically by Capacities, or you can create them yourself.”
   • [claimed-docs] “AI Property Auto-Fill: Rather than manually filling in the properties of your custom objects, you can rely on the AI model's knowledge to au…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Rather than manually filling in the properties of your custom objects, you can rely on the AI model's knowledge to auto-fill them for you.”
   • [claimed-docs] “All your properties are transformed into front matter values, all collections are stored as CSV files, making it easy to reuse your content …”
   • [claimed-docs] “Search in Capacities is designed to return useful results even when your wording is not exact.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Search in Capacities is great for navigation, finding, and connecting your content. It works offline on all devices, giving you quick search…”
   • [community] “Have been using it for a while now, there are really some cool new concepts... all media is automatically treated as an entity that can be r…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Queries

1. power-userQuery my notes by their structured properties and render live database-style views (tables, boards, lists) from those queries

   weight 3 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian~partialcommunity7/10

   Obsidian's core 'Bases' plugin is documented as letting users 'create database-like views of your notes' from structured properties, and community evidence corroborates it as a real, working feature comparable to the popular Dataview plugin, confirming table/board-style query views exist. However, community feedback notes Bases is 'not yet as comprehensive' as Dataview and lacks its imperative dataviewjs scripting for custom dynamic rendering, so some advanced query/view flexibility power-users expect is limited. Missing for 10: detailed first-party documentation of specific view types (table/board/list) and their query syntax, plus independent confirmation these views match the full breadth of 'live database' functionality claimed.

   • [claimed-docs] “Bases is a core plugin that lets you create database-like views of your notes.”
   • [community] “Bases is essentially a 90% replacement for the Dataview plugin, much faster and more responsive, though not yet as comprehensive.”
   • [community] “Dataview's dataviewjs mode lets you write custom imperative JavaScript to dynamically render content in notes, a capability Bases (queries-t…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialclaimed4/10

   Capacities clearly supports structured object types with custom properties (docs-26, docs-29, docs-35) and lists 'Smart queries' as a paid feature (docs-27), implying some query capability over properties, but there is no documentation describing table/board/list view rendering, filtering/sorting UI, or database-style views comparable to Notion databases. missing for 10: explicit documentation of query views (table/board/list), filter/sort UI, examples of rendering query results as live views.

   • [claimed-docs] “Task management, AI assistant, Calendar integrations, Smart queries, Task actions”
   • [claimed-docs] “Object types are either created automatically by Capacities, or you can create them yourself. The first group is what we call Basic Object T…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Capacities is object-type-first. Define key object types early (`People`, `Projects`, `Meetings`, etc.) and add core properties.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Object types are either created automatically by Capacities, or you can create them yourself.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Search

1. researcherInstantly search all my notes with full-text search plus filters on tags, properties, and paths — including offline

   weight 3 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian~partialclaimed4/10

   Evidence confirms offline-first, local plain-text storage (docs-2, docs-20, docs-23) and Bases as a database-like filtering view on note properties (docs-6), plus tag-based linking (docs-18), which together imply some filterable retrieval. However, the pack contains no explicit documentation of Obsidian's full-text search engine, search operators for tags/paths, or performance claims about instant search across large vaults. Missing for 10: dedicated full-text search docs, tag/path/property query syntax evidence, independent hands-on confirmation of search speed/completeness.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device. You have total control over your data, which means yo…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Bases is a core plugin that lets you create database-like views of your notes.”
   • [claimed-docs] “By linking notes, you can create a network of knowledge.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian stores your notes as Markdown-formatted plain text files in a vault.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Apps come and go, but your data should last. Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialclaimed6/10

   Docs confirm full-text search that works offline and tolerates inexact wording (capacities-docs-10, capacities-docs-22, capacities-docs-13, capacities-docs-37), and object types/tags/properties exist as structural concepts (capacities-docs-26, capacities-docs-35). However, no evidence documents explicit search filters/query syntax for tags, properties, or paths specifically. Missing for 10: documented filter syntax or UI for narrowing search by tag/property/path, independent hands-on confirmation of filtered search results.

   • [claimed-docs] “Search in Capacities is designed to return useful results even when your wording is not exact.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Search in Capacities is great for navigation, finding, and connecting your content. It works offline on all devices, giving you quick search…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Capacities is an offline-first application. You can work offline and your changes will get synchronized as soon as you're back online.”
   • [claimed-docs] “You can work offline and your changes will get synchronized as soon as you're back online.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Object types are either created automatically by Capacities, or you can create them yourself. The first group is what we call Basic Object T…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Automation hooks

1. developerDrive the app from outside — create or open notes via a URI scheme, deep links, or a local endpoint — to wire it into my scripts and workflows

   weight 2 · round drawn
   Obsidian~partialprobed6/10

   Obsidian documents a native URI protocol for triggering actions like opening or creating notes, which directly supports scripting/automation via deep links (obsidian-docs-8). However, there is no first-party local HTTP endpoint or official CLI evidenced — the probe explicitly confirms Obsidian ships no official CLI or vendor MCP server, leaving any local-endpoint automation to third-party community plugins not covered in this pack. Missing for 10: vendor-documented local REST/HTTP endpoint, independent hands-on examples of URI-driven workflows in real automation pipelines.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian URI is a custom URI protocol supported by Obsidian that lets you trigger various actions, such as opening a note or creating a note…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialprobed6/10

   Capacities exposes a documented REST API (Bearer-auth, OpenAPI spec verified live) that lets developers create and manipulate content programmatically, which satisfies the 'local endpoint' part of the story for scripting/automation. However, there is no evidence of a URI scheme or deep-link mechanism for opening/creating notes from other apps, only a hosted (not local) API and MCP server. Missing for 10: documented URI scheme or deep-link support, evidence of a local (non-cloud) endpoint, and independent confirmation of scripting workflows beyond the API docs.

   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API is a REST API that allows you access, create and manipulate your content.”
   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API uses Bearer authentication (token-based authentication, OAuth 2.0 RFC 6750).”
   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API uses Bearer authentication (token-based authentication, OAuth 2.0 RFC 6750)”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json served a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec ('Capacities API (B…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Plugins

1. power-userBrowse and install from a large catalog of community plugins/extensions to add features the core app doesn't ship

   weight 3 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian✓fullprobed9/10

   Obsidian's own docs describe a dedicated Community Plugins system for extending functionality (obsidian-docs-7, obsidian-docs-31, obsidian-docs-33), and a runtime probe confirms the vendor's official plugin registry lists 7,275 published community plugins, verifying the catalog's scale beyond marketing claims. Community discussion corroborates real-world reliance on specific popular plugins (Dataview, Git, Text-Generator) as everyday power-user tools, and docs also cover the security model (Restricted Mode) governing plugin installation. Missing for 10: independent step-by-step hands-on installation walkthrough/review of the browse-and-install UI flow itself.

   • [claimed-docs] “Use plugins to adapt Obsidian to fit your specific needs, such as support for additional file formats or integrating with a third-party serv…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Learn how to extend Obsidian with plugins built by the community.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Plugins let you extend Obsidian with your own features to create a custom note-taking experience.”
   • [claimed-docs] “By default, Obsidian runs in Restricted Mode to prevent third-party code execution.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”
   • [community] “Bases is essentially a 90% replacement for the Dataview plugin, much faster and more responsive, though not yet as comprehensive.”
   • [community] “The Git plugin is great for single-device backup but not great for device sync or collaboration; a real-time collaboration plugin using CRDT…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   The axis applies to this product kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na". (na/none harmonized at arena bring-up — see pipeline/scripts/na-harmonize.ts.)

   ⚑ flag

2. developerBuild my own plugins against a documented extension API/SDK with samples and developer docs

   weight 2 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian✓fullprobed8/10

   Obsidian has a dedicated developer docs site with a 'Build a plugin' tutorial that compiles a sample plugin from source, an official API repository (obsidian-api) documenting interfaces like Vault, and TypeScript-based plugin development guidance; the registry-verified 7,275 community plugins confirm the extension API is actively used at scale. missing for 10: independent hands-on review of doc quality/completeness, and no official CLI/scaffolding tool beyond the sample build tutorial.

   • [claimed-docs] “In this tutorial, you'll compile a sample plugin from source code and load it into Obsidian.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build plugins to extend the existing functionality in Obsidian using TypeScript.”
   • [claimed-docs] “you'll compile a sample plugin from source code and load it into Obsidian.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Plugins let you extend Obsidian with your own features to create a custom note-taking experience.”
   • [github] “Vault, the interface that lets you interact with files and folders in the vault.”
   • [github] “`Vault`, the interface that lets you interact with files and folders in the vault.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): the vendor's own community-plugin registry (obsidianmd/obsidian-releases community-plugins.json) counte…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialprobed5/10

   Capacities exposes a documented REST API (with OpenAPI spec, verified live) and an MCP integration standard for building external agents/bots/clients, which covers part of the 'extend Capacities programmatically' story, but there is no evidence of a true in-app plugin architecture/SDK, plugin samples, or a plugin marketplace — the docs describe API/MCP client integration rather than installable plugins running inside the product. missing for 10: dedicated plugin SDK/framework, code samples for building in-app plugins, plugin distribution/marketplace docs.

   • [claimed-docs] “The Capacities API is a REST API that allows you access, create and manipulate your content.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build your own app, agent, or bot and integrate it with a Capacities space by implementing a custom MCP client”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build your own app, agent, or bot and integrate it with a Capacities space by implementing a custom MCP client using the Model Context Proto…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): https://api.capacities.io/openapi.json served a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec ('Capacities API (B…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-05): keyless JSON-RPC initialize POST to the official hosted MCP server https://api.capacities.io/mcp return…”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://docs.capacities.io/developer/model-context-protocol”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

1. ai-native userChoose where my data is stored (region/residency)

   weight 2 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian~partialclaimed5/10

   Obsidian's core value proposition is local-first storage — notes are plain-text Markdown files kept on the user's own device, giving inherent control over data location without relying on a vendor cloud (obsidian-docs-2, obsidian-docs-20, obsidian-docs-23). However, for users who opt into Obsidian Sync, there is no documented ability to choose a specific storage region/jurisdiction for the encrypted cloud vault. missing for 10: explicit region/residency selection for Obsidian Sync servers, any multi-region hosting options, independent confirmation of server locations.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device. You have total control over your data, which means yo…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian stores your notes as Markdown-formatted plain text files in a vault.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Apps come and go, but your data should last. Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian Sync is an add-on service that allows you to privately sync your notes across devices.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian Sync encrypts your remote vault and all communication with Obsidian's servers.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   No evidence anywhere in the pack mentions data residency, region selection, or where user data is physically stored; docs cover offline-first sync and AI opt-in privacy but never data location choice. Missing for 10: any documentation of region/residency selection, server location options, or data hosting jurisdiction controls.

   • [claimed-docs] “Capacities is an offline-first application. You can work offline and your changes will get synchronized as soon as you're back online.”
   • [claimed-docs] “AI features in Capacities are fully opt-in. If you do not activate AI, no data from your spaces is shared with any third-party AI services”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. ai-native userPrevent my data from being used to train AI models

   weight 3 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian~partialcommunity6/10

   Obsidian's core architecture (local plain-text Markdown storage, optional end-to-end encrypted Sync where 'no one — not even the Obsidian team — can access your notes') strongly implies user data isn't harvested for AI training since it never leaves the user's control by default. However, there is no explicit vendor statement or policy addressing AI-training use of data, and Obsidian's own docs admit community plugins have unrestricted filesystem/network access with no sandboxing, meaning third-party plugins (e.g. AI plugins) could still exfiltrate data outside Obsidian's control. Missing for 10: an explicit anti-AI-training data policy statement, and any assurance/controls over what community AI plugins do with vault data.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian stores your notes as Markdown-formatted plain text files in a vault.”
   • [claimed-docs] “End-to-end encryption (default) offers the strongest security... This guarantees that no one — not even the Obsidian team — can access your …”
   • [claimed-docs] “Apps come and go, but your data should last. Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device.”
   • [community] “Confirmed via Obsidian's own docs: there is no sandboxing at all for community plugins - every plugin has full access to your computer's fil…”
   • [community] “Obsidian being closed-source makes it harder to verify their security model compared to note-taking systems where all plugin code is visible…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities✓fullclaimed8/10

   Capacities explicitly documents that AI features are opt-in and that no data is shared with third-party AI services unless a user activates AI features, directly addressing the training-data-prevention story. missing for 10: no independent/third-party audit or hands-on verification of the no-training-data claim beyond vendor documentation.

   • [claimed-docs] “AI features in Capacities are fully opt-in. If you do not activate AI, no data from your spaces is shared with any third-party AI services”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

3. ai-native userControl data retention and deletion

   weight 2 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian~partialclaimed6/10

   Obsidian's local-first, plain-text vault model (obsidian-docs-20, obsidian-docs-23, obsidian-docs-2) gives users full control to delete or retain data simply by managing files on disk, and Sync is end-to-end encrypted with version history to restore/rollback (obsidian-docs-21, obsidian-docs-28). However there's no explicit documentation on server-side retention windows, deletion guarantees for Sync/Publish-hosted data, or export/purge tooling tailored to AI-native automation. Missing for 10: explicit Sync/Publish data-retention or deletion policy, documented data-export/erasure API, and any AI-specific retention controls.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian stores your notes as Markdown-formatted plain text files in a vault.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Apps come and go, but your data should last. Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian uses non-proprietary plain text Markdown files stored locally on your device. You have total control over your data, which means yo…”
   • [claimed-docs] “End-to-end encryption (default) offers the strongest security... This guarantees that no one — not even the Obsidian team — can access your …”
   • [claimed-docs] “Version history - View or restore previous versions of a note.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   Evidence covers AI opt-in privacy (docs-16), offline/export features, and API auth, but there is no documentation of data retention policies, deletion controls, or account/data-deletion mechanisms specific to AI usage.

   • [claimed-docs] “AI features in Capacities are fully opt-in. If you do not activate AI, no data from your spaces is shared with any third-party AI services”
   • [claimed-docs] “You can schedule automatic exports by going to Settings > Full Export > Automated Full Export > Add Schedule.”
   • [claimed-docs] “All your properties are transformed into front matter values, all collections are stored as CSV files, making it easy to reuse your content …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

4. ai-native userOpt out of telemetry and usage tracking

   weight 2 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian—none0/10

   The evidence pack covers local-first storage and Sync encryption but contains no mention of telemetry, usage analytics, or an opt-out setting for such tracking. This is a fair question for any desktop app, so absence of evidence yields 'none' rather than 'na'.

   ⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialclaimed4/10

   Capacities docs state that AI features are fully opt-in and no space data is shared with third-party AI services unless activated, which gives users control over AI-related data sharing, but there is no evidence of a general telemetry/usage-analytics opt-out setting for the app itself. Missing for 10: explicit documentation of a general telemetry/analytics opt-out toggle, independent confirmation that the app collects no usage data when opted out.

   • [claimed-docs] “AI features in Capacities are fully opt-in. If you do not activate AI, no data from your spaces is shared with any third-party AI services”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Publish

1. researcherPublish selected notes as a browsable website — a digital garden with working links — without leaving the app

   weight 2 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian✓fullclaimed8/10

   Obsidian Publish lets users select notes from their vault and publish them as a hosted, browsable site (digital garden/wiki) at publish.obsidian.md/your-site, with working internal links preserved via Obsidian's native linking system, all configured from within the app. missing for 10: no independent hands-on account of the publish workflow or link-rendering fidelity, and Publish is a paid add-on rather than free/bundled.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian Publish is a cloud-based hosting service that lets you publish your notes as a wiki, knowledge base, documentation, or digital gard…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Select the notes you want to share with the world, press Publish, and we'll host it at publish.obsidian.md/your-site”
   • [claimed-docs] “By linking notes, you can create a network of knowledge.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   No evidence of any public-publishing or website/digital-garden export feature; Capacities offers only view-only sharing access, local export to Markdown/CSV, and APIs/MCP for integrations, none of which produce a browsable public website with working links.

   • [claimed-docs] “Grant others view-only access to notes”
   • [claimed-docs] “All your properties are transformed into front matter values, all collections are stored as CSV files, making it easy to reuse your content …”
   • [claimed-docs] “You can schedule automatic exports by going to Settings > Full Export > Automated Full Export > Add Schedule.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Collaboration

1. researcherShare a vault or space with collaborators and edit notes together without stepping on each other's changes

   weight 2 · round to Capacities
   Obsidian!disputedcontradicted4/10

   Vendor docs claim Obsidian Sync lets teams 'collaborate on a shared vault' and offers version history to restore prior versions, but this is file-sync-based rather than real-time conflict-free editing — community evidence explicitly notes that neither Sync-adjacent tools (e.g. Git plugin) are 'great for device sync or collaboration' and that a separate third-party CRDT-based plugin had to be built to achieve Google-Docs-style simultaneous editing without overwriting changes, implying native Sync doesn't guarantee non-destructive concurrent edits. missing for 10: evidence of built-in conflict-free simultaneous multi-user editing, first-party documentation on merge/conflict handling during concurrent edits, hands-on reports confirming no data loss when two collaborators edit the same note at once.

   • [claimed-docs] “With Obsidian Sync you can collaborate on a shared vault with your team.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Version history - View or restore previous versions of a note.”
   • [community] “The Git plugin is great for single-device backup but not great for device sync or collaboration; a real-time collaboration plugin using CRDT…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities~partialclaimed3/10

   The only sharing capability documented is view-only access to notes for others (capacities-docs-28), not true multi-user collaborative editing or conflict-free simultaneous editing of a shared vault/space. There is no evidence of real-time co-editing, presence indicators, or conflict resolution mechanisms that would let collaborators edit together without stepping on each other's changes. Missing for 10: real-time collaborative editing support, multi-editor conflict resolution, shared-space edit permissions beyond view-only, and any community/hands-on corroboration of team editing.

   • [claimed-docs] “Grant others view-only access to notes”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Sync

1. power-userAn official sync service keeps my notes updated across all my devices with end-to-end encryption the vendor can't read

   weight 3 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian✓fullcommunity8/10

   Obsidian Sync is an official first-party add-on service documented to encrypt the remote vault and all communications, with end-to-end encryption as the default so 'no one — not even the Obsidian team — can access your notes,' directly matching the story. Missing for 10: independent third-party security audit or hands-on verification of the E2E claim, and one community report notes an Android sync edge case (files not saved until note unloads) that can cause missing content during sync, a minor reliability caveat.

   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian Sync encrypts your remote vault and all communication with Obsidian's servers.”
   • [claimed-docs] “End-to-end encryption (default) offers the strongest security... This guarantees that no one — not even the Obsidian team — can access your …”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian Sync is an add-on service that allows you to privately sync your notes across devices.”
   • [claimed-docs] “End-to-end encryption (default) offers the strongest security but requires you to safely store your encryption password.”
   • [community] “The Obsidian Android app does not save files to storage until the note unloads, which can break things if you sync/pull mid-edit, sometimes …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   There is evidence of offline-first sync ('changes get synchronized as soon as you're back online') but no mention anywhere of end-to-end encryption of sync data or a vendor-can't-read architecture; encryption claims are absent from docs, pricing, or community sources.

   • [claimed-docs] “Capacities is an offline-first application. You can work offline and your changes will get synchronized as soon as you're back online.”
   • [claimed-docs] “You can work offline and your changes will get synchronized as soon as you're back online.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. power-userView a note's version history and restore earlier versions or recover deleted notes

   weight 2 · round to Obsidian
   Obsidian✓fullclaimed6/10

   Obsidian's own docs explicitly list 'Version history - View or restore previous versions of a note' as a feature of Obsidian Sync, directly matching the story's core ask for power-users who pay for Sync. Missing for 10: explicit documentation of deleted-note recovery workflow, and independent/hands-on corroboration beyond the single first-party doc line.

   • [claimed-docs] “Version history - View or restore previous versions of a note.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Obsidian Sync is an add-on service that allows you to privately sync your notes across devices.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Capacities—none0/10

   No evidence anywhere in the pack of a version history feature or a way to recover deleted notes; documentation covers export, offline sync, linking, AI, and API but never mentions version history or trash/recovery.

   ⚑ flag