# Capture

> A lightweight macOS menu-bar app that captures thoughts straight to Obsidian (or any Markdown vault) in under two seconds — without leaving the app you're in.

Capture solves the "I had an idea but I'd lose it if I context-switched to my notes app" problem. Press ⌥C from anywhere, a small window appears, you type, hit Capture, and the thought is appended to a Markdown file in your vault. No folder navigation, no app switching, no opening Obsidian.

## Key facts

- **Platform:** macOS 13.0 (Ventura) and later. Native Swift app, not Electron.
- **Price:** $7.99 one-time purchase (USD shown; regional pricing applies at checkout in AUD, EUR, GBP, MXN, INR, CAD, BRL, JPY, KRW for visitors from those regions). Lifetime updates. Use on up to 5 Macs.
- **Trial:** 7 days, full app, no credit card, no feature gating.
- **Refund:** 14 days, no questions asked.
- **Data:** Local-only. Notes go straight to Markdown files on disk. No Capture cloud, no telemetry on note content.
- **Obsidian:** Works with the free version. Also works with any plain Markdown folder if you don't use Obsidian.
- **Hotkey:** Default is ⌥C, configurable.
- **Built by:** Hiroic Ventures (founder: Chris). Indie. Built in public.

## Common questions

- **Do I need paid Obsidian?** No. Free version works. Capture also works against any folder of Markdown files even without Obsidian installed.
- **Why Accessibility permission?** To read the title/URL of whatever app is frontmost (so it can be attached as context) and to grab any text you've highlighted (for quote captures). macOS only exposes both through the Accessibility API. Capture never records keystrokes.
- **Does my note leave my Mac?** No. Notes go to Markdown files on disk. No cloud sync inside Capture itself; if your vault is in iCloud Drive or similar, that's your sync layer, not Capture's.
- **How many Macs?** Up to 5 per license.
- **What about subscriptions?** None. One-time purchase. Lifetime updates included.

## Pages

- [Home](https://capture.surf/): Product overview, features, testimonials, FAQ.
- [Buy](https://capture.surf/buy): Pricing, trial info, purchase flow.
- [Quick capture for Obsidian on Mac: 5 ways compared](https://capture.surf/obsidian-quick-capture): Honest roundup of QuickAdd, Obsidian URI + Apple Shortcuts, Drafts, Raycast/Alfred, and Capture — with a comparison table. Facts verified June 2026.
- [Capture vs. Drafts](https://capture.surf/capture-vs-drafts): Head-to-head for Obsidian users — one-time purchase vs. subscription, direct-to-vault vs. inbox-first.
- [Capture vs. QuickAdd](https://capture.surf/capture-vs-quickadd): Free in-Obsidian plugin vs. system-wide capture app; when each is the right choice.
- [Roadmap](https://capture.surf/roadmap): What's shipping next; what's on the horizon.
- [Privacy](https://capture.surf/privacy): Data handling policy.
- [Terms](https://capture.surf/terms): Terms of use.
- [Refund](https://capture.surf/refund): 14-day refund policy.