Which Note-Taking App Should You Switch To? A Decision Framework for Your Thinking Style

I have been testing note taking apps for years, and something changed around 2024. You could open Notion, Craft, Coda, Slite, Taskade, or Nuclino, and the experience would feel almost identical. Same slash menu. Same database views. Same AI button that writes a draft for you.

That claim—that most note taking apps have converged onto a functionally identical block editor—comes from a 2026 Medium analysis by Justine. I was skeptical at first. After spending a week in each one, I have to agree: the differentiation has collapsed to pricing and platform polish. The real choice is no longer about features; it is about an underlying architectural model that matches how you think.

Three Architectures That Actually Differ

Justine identified three tools whose architecture is fundamentally different from the block-editor norm: Obsidian (file-first), Capacities (object-first), and Heptabase (spatial-first). In Obsidian a note is a plain-text Markdown file living in a folder on your machine. You can open them in any text editor. Capacities treats notes as typed objects—a Person, a Project, a Book—each with structured properties and relationships. You fill in fields and link objects. Heptabase gives you an infinite canvas where every note is a card you can arrange spatially. Position and visual connection carry meaning.

These are not feature additions—they are different ways of representing knowledge. And they map directly to different thinking styles.

Which Architecture Fits You?

Ness Labs popularised a classification that is simple enough to be useful: Architects, Gardeners, and Librarians. I have my doubts about any three-bin taxonomy—real note-taking is messier—but it gives you a starting point for self-diagnosis.

Try this:

• If you open a new note and immediately start laying out sections, a timeline, and a to-do list, you are likely an Architect. You think in structures and need a clear container for each piece of information. Capacities (object-first) gives you exactly that: every note is a predefined type with fields and relationships.
• If you start by linking the new note to existing ideas, letting the structure emerge organically, you are a Gardener. You thrive on relationships and exploratory thinking. Heptabase (spatial-first) lets you place cards wherever you want and draw lines between them. The layout itself becomes the thinking.
• If your first instinct is to search for where this note belongs, to tag it so you can find it later, you are a Librarian. You value retrieval and long-term access. Obsidian (file-first) gives you plain-text Markdown files that are yours forever. No lock-in, no proprietary format.

I would not treat this classification as a formula, but it gets at a real difference in how people work. The key is to be honest about which pattern dominates your daily note-taking—not which one you wish you had.

The Real Cost of Moving

This is the part that most decision frameworks skip, and it is the part that hurts. A migration is never a clean copy-paste. Each architecture has its own data model, and converting between them always loses something.

If you decide the move is worth it, here is what actually happens:

• Moving to Obsidian from a block-based app keeps plain text and Markdown formatting. Links and tags generally survive. The Obsidian Importer plugin now covers one-step migration from Apple Notes, Bear, Craft, Evernote, Google Keep, OneNote, Notion, and Roam Research. Atlas Workspace documented an 18,750-note Evernote vault migrated over a single weekend in March 2024. That is about as smooth as it gets.
• Moving to Capacities gives you object relationships and structured properties. But those relationships do not survive an export to Markdown. You can take your text out, but the structure stays behind.
• Moving to Heptabase puts your notes on a spatial canvas. The positions and visual connections are meaningful—and they vanish on export. You get the raw text, but not the thinking map you built.

The rule of thumb: you cannot re-import and expect the same experience. Before you commit, test the export on a subset of notes and see what survives.

The portability scores from Atlas Workspace's 2026 evaluation framework back this up: Obsidian scores a perfect 10/10 on data sovereignty, while proprietary systems like Notion and Apple Notes score 5/10 and 3/10 respectively. That is not a coincidence—it is the direct consequence of using files you own.

Three Apps, One Decision

The real question is not which app has the best features—it is whether the architecture matches how you think. Architects should look at Capacities. Gardeners belong in Heptabase. Librarians should put their trust in Obsidian. And if your current app still handles 80% of your needs, staying put may be the smartest move.

I would rather you spend your energy on that diagnosis than on another feature table. The market has spoken: most apps are the same. The differences that matter are deeper, and they are worth your time to understand before you move.