The Heptabase Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Heptabase in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Heptabase
The Insider’s Guide
Visual notes app that arranges linked cards on whiteboards
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among note-taking apps, read from Heptabase’s own pages.
Made by Hepta Platforms, Inc. · checked Oct 4, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Heptabase’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Heptabase’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 4, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 22 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade
Heptabase is a visual note-taking app aimed at students, researchers and other learners. Notes are cards that you arrange on whiteboards and connect with bi-directional links, alongside PDF highlighting, a daily journal and AI features for explaining and organizing sources. There is no free plan to sign up for: a subscription starts after a 7-day trial.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Heptabase, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You're picking up a way of working, not just an app: cards, whiteboards, links in both directions and a block editor with slash commands.
- 1
Best for learning a hard topic by laying notes on a board
Heptabase turns notes into cards you arrange on whiteboards and link, with PDF highlighting and AI that explains sources, on every platform.
- 2
Paid plans start at $8.99 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $8.99 per month, billed yearly ($107.88).
- 3
You can try it first
7-day free trial with unlimited PDF uploads and parsing and the Premium plan's AI credit allowance.
- 4
It runs on 6 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android, with a browser extension too.
- 5
Whiteboards and cards
Each note is a card, and cards are laid out on whiteboards to work through a topic visually.
- 6
Block editor with bi-directional links
Cards are written in a block-based editor with slash commands and can link to each other in both directions.
- 7
PDF highlights and source Q&A
Highlight PDFs in several colors and ask AI to explain PDFs, YouTube videos, notes and journal entries. Unlimited PDF uploads and OCR parsing need Premium.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 22 of 147
That is against the other note-taking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Heptabase you could make: notes, linked notes and daily notes. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Heptabase at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $8.99 per month, billed yearly ($107.88)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial with unlimited PDF uploads and parsing and the Premium plan's AI credit allowance.
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- Made by
- Hepta Platforms, Inc.
- Category
- Note-Taking Apps
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for learning a hard topic by laying notes on a board
Heptabase turns notes into cards you arrange on whiteboards and link, with PDF highlighting and AI that explains sources, on every platform. There's no free plan: after a 7-day trial Pro is $8.99 a month billed yearly, with 100 AI credits and Gemini models only. GPT, Claude, unlimited PDFs and AI Tutor need Premium at $17.99, and there are no student or nonprofit discounts.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Pro is $8.99 a month billed yearly ($107.88), or $11.99 month to month, where notes apps here sit around $6 in the middle and $8.25 in the dearer quarter. And Pro is the thin version: unlimited PDF uploads, GPT and Claude models and AI Tutor all sit on Premium at $17.99 a month, three times the category's middle. |
| Free plan and trial | C | There's no free plan to sign up for. You get a 7-day trial with unlimited PDF uploads and the Premium AI credits, and nothing in the listing says it asks for a card, but a week is all there is before a subscription is required. |
| Features | B | Cards on whiteboards, links in both directions, PDF highlights, AI that explains PDFs and YouTube videos, a daily journal with to-dos, offline access and real-time collaboration. Nothing's missing from the note-taking job itself; what's rationed is AI credits and models by plan, and that's what keeps it off an A. |
| Ease of use | C | You're picking up a way of working, not just an app: cards, whiteboards, links in both directions and a block editor with slash commands. No App Store rating is on record to go by, so that learning curve is what we go on. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and a browser extension, which is the full set, with Readwise highlights and Zotero sources coming in. Notes and files stay readable with no connection too. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Heptabase is for
- Fits if you're a student or researcher working through a big topic from PDFs and videos
- Works for readers who already collect highlights in Readwise or sources in Zotero
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a free notes app, as a subscription is required after the 7-day trial
- Pricey if you want GPT, Claude, unlimited PDF uploads or AI Tutor, which need Premium at $17.99 a month
- Not for you if you were counting on a student or nonprofit discount, because Heptabase says it doesn't offer one
- Tight if you lean on AI, as Pro has 100 credits a month and Gemini models only
- Watch out: free collaborators can edit shared boards and cards but get no journal, tasks or AI
Good to know
Good for
- Students and researchers learning complex topics from PDFs and videos
- Visual thinkers who like to arrange notes on a canvas
- Readers who sync highlights from Readwise or sources from Zotero
Worth knowing
- There is no free plan to sign up for; a subscription is required after the 7-day trial.
- Pro includes 100 AI credits a month and only Gemini models; GPT, Claude and AI Tutor need Premium.
- Heptabase says it does not currently offer educational, nonprofit or NGO discounts.
- People invited as free collaborators can edit shared whiteboards and cards but get no journal, tasks or AI features.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$8.99
A month to start
Heptabase is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $8.99 per month, billed yearly ($107.88).
Pro
$8.99
per month, billed yearly ($11.99 billed monthly)
Unlimited notes, whiteboards, tags and collaborator invites, 100 AI credits a month and an AI agent limited to Gemini models.
Premium
$17.99
per month, billed yearly ($23.99 billed monthly)
Everything in Pro, plus unlimited PDF uploads and OCR parsing, GPT and Claude models, AI Tutor and 1,800 AI credits a month.
Premium+
$53.99
per month, billed yearly ($71.99 billed monthly)
Everything in Premium, with 8,100 AI credits a month and a 33% discount on AI credits.
Trying it first
7-day free trial with unlimited PDF uploads and parsing and the Premium plan's AI credit allowance.
Read from heptabase.com on Oct 4, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 25% with yearly billing
Heptabase's pricing page marks yearly billing as 25% cheaper: Pro is $107.88 a year instead of $11.99 a month, and Premium is $215.88 instead of $23.99 a month.
Stated on heptabase.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
7
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android and Browser extension
Visual notes app that arranges linked cards on whiteboards. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: works offline, AI features, real-time collaboration, notes, linked notes, whiteboard, daily notes.
Nothing's missing from the note-taking job itself; what's rationed is AI credits and models by plan, and that's what keeps it off an A.
- Whiteboards and cards
- Each note is a card, and cards are laid out on whiteboards to work through a topic visually.
- Block editor with bi-directional links
- Cards are written in a block-based editor with slash commands and can link to each other in both directions.
- PDF highlights and source Q&A
- Highlight PDFs in several colors and ask AI to explain PDFs, YouTube videos, notes and journal entries. Unlimited PDF uploads and OCR parsing need Premium.
- AI agent and AI Tutor
- An AI agent helps take notes and organize knowledge, drawing on monthly AI credits. AI Tutor, which runs structured learning sessions, is part of Premium.
- Daily journal
- A journal entry for each day sits alongside a calendar and to-dos.
- Offline access and collaboration
- Notes and files stay available without an internet connection, and friends or teammates can be invited to collaborate in real time for free.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Readwise
- Zotero
- Claude Code
- Codex
Heptabase is made by Hepta Platforms, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
22/147
Other note-taking apps it is graded above
Heptabase's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 22 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 27.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 128 of 147) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $8.99 a month, against a middle price of $5.83 for the category: 57 of the 66 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 15 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 148 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Heptabase’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 147
- CFree plan and trialAbove 7 of 147
- BFeaturesAbove 100 of 147
- CEase of useAbove 5 of 147
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 128 of 147
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 103 note-taking apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Heptabase is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of Heptabase you could make: notes, linked notes and daily notes. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 98 of the 147 other note-taking apps grade higher. It costs $107.88 a year.
What you could make
- Notes, linked notes and daily notes: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- An endless canvas that stays smooth with hundreds of things on it.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Heptabase’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Obsidian, Capacities, Logseq, Notion and Tana Outliner
The 5 tools Heptabase is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.6GPA
Obsidian
Free plan · from $4/mo
Markdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your device.
- Obsidian has a free plan. Heptabase does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Heptabase lists a web app.
- Obsidian is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
Capacities
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Object-based note-taking app with daily notes and backlinks.
- Capacities has a free plan. Heptabase does not, though it has a free trial.
- Heptabase also covers whiteboard.
- Capacities also covers web clipper.
- 3.0GPA
Logseq
Free plan · from $5/mo
Open-source outliner for linked notes stored as local files.
- Logseq has a free plan. Heptabase does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Heptabase lists a browser extension.
- Logseq is open source, according to its own site.
- 3.2GPA
Notion
Free plan · from $10/mo
Workspace for docs, wikis, databases and projects with built-in AI.
- Notion has a free plan. Heptabase does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Heptabase lists a Linux app.
- Heptabase also covers linked notes, whiteboard and daily notes.
- 2.8GPA
Tana Outliner
Free plan · from $8/mo
Outliner with supertags, daily notes and built-in AI features.
- Tana Outliner has a free plan. Heptabase does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Heptabase lists a browser extension.
- Heptabase also covers whiteboard.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Heptabase free?
No, Heptabase is a paid product, but you can try it first. 7-day free trial with unlimited PDF uploads and parsing and the Premium plan's AI credit allowance.
How much does Heptabase cost?
Heptabase lists 3 plans. Pro: $8.99 per month, billed yearly ($11.99 billed monthly).
What platforms does Heptabase work on?
Heptabase is available on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Does Heptabase offer any discounts?
Heptabase publicly lists the following: Save 25% with yearly billing.
Is Heptabase open source?
Heptabase is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 4, 2026.
Does Heptabase work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
What does Heptabase integrate with?
Heptabase's listing names Readwise, Zotero, Claude Code and Codex. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Heptabase?
Heptabase is made by Hepta Platforms, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Heptabase?
The closest alternatives to Heptabase in our directory are Obsidian, Capacities, Logseq, Notion and Tana Outliner.
How does Heptabase compare with other note-taking apps?
Heptabase's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 22 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 27.
Is Heptabase good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Heptabase D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $8.99 a month, against a middle price of $5.83 for the category: 57 of the 66 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Heptabase?
The plain part of Heptabase you could make: notes, linked notes and daily notes.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Heptabase’s own pages on Oct 4, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Heptabase's own pages on 4 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-04-05.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Hepta Platforms, Inc. Prices change, so check heptabase.com before you buy.
- heptabase.com
- heptabase.com/pricing
- heptabase.com/download
- support.heptabase.com/en/
- support.heptabase.com/en/articles/12990121-plans-and-pricing
- support.heptabase.com/en/articles/10519305-does-heptabase-offer-a-free-plan
- support.heptabase.com/en/articles/10364945-does-heptabase-offer-an-educational-nonprofit-ngo-or-npo-discount
- apps.apple.com/us/app/heptabase/id6445801508
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Heptabase, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/heptabase
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Heptabase: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 4, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/heptabase
Know someone choosing between note-taking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/heptabase/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded note-taking apps after Heptabase, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Note-Taking Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 148 note-taking apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft OneNote Insider's GuideMicrosoft's free digital notebook for typed, inked and audio notes3.8 GPA
- Goodnotes Insider's GuideHandwritten notes, PDF markup and whiteboards with an AI assistant3.6 GPA
- Joplin Insider's GuideOpen source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose3.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Heptabase’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Heptabase is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Hepta Platforms, Inc. Prices and plans change: check heptabase.com before you buy.