Zettory
Reusable knowledge
Zettory
Notes are the durable source of truth and can be referenced from Kanban workspaces.
Heptabase
Cards belong to the Card Library rather than to a whiteboard, and the same card can appear on multiple whiteboards.
Visual thinking
Zettory
Kanban uses custom columns for state, sequence, research, planning, and follow-through; Excalidraw covers freeform diagrams.
Heptabase
Whiteboards provide an unlimited spatial desktop with cards, text, sections, connections, mind maps, and sub-whiteboards.
Search and AI
Zettory
Knowledge Base combines lexical search with a local embedding index; RAG uses a local LLM and returns citations.
Heptabase
Space search supports keyword and semantic search for AI workflows, and paid tiers provide AI credits with supported provider models.
Workflow emphasis
Zettory
Opinionated progression from capture to Kanban to retrieval, useful when flow or status is part of the thinking.
Heptabase
Research-oriented spatial organization, where position, grouping, and whiteboard context are primary.
Pricing model
Zettory
Free tier up to 100 notes and 3 Kanban boards; Pro is $18 one time for unlimited notes and boards on up to 2 personal Macs.
Heptabase
Personal use is sold through recurring Pro, Premium, and Premium+ subscriptions; the free plan is collaboration-only.
The shared idea: views should not own the knowledge
Both products separate durable knowledge from the visual context where it is being used. That lets an idea survive after one project or research board ends.
Kanban and spatial whiteboards answer different questions
A column-based board makes movement, stage, and work-in-progress visible. A spatial whiteboard makes proximity, grouping, and network shape visible. Zettory pairs the former with Excalidraw for freeform diagrams; Heptabase makes the spatial whiteboard the central research surface.
The AI models reflect different product architectures
Zettory's knowledge workflow uses local embeddings and a local language model. Heptabase offers semantic search and an AI agent with plan-based credits and provider model access. The important choice is whether you want local inference integrated with a Mac notes workflow or a broader research platform with hosted AI capabilities.