Capsule

Single-file app player

WHO USES ITSomeone who wants to share a small data app with family or a group without hosting anything · Anyone who needs a tool that works fully offline · A developer prototyping a lightweight personal tool

Install to use

A desktop player that packs an HTML app and its data into one SQLite file — no account, no server, just a file to share.

▲ 333 HNAs of 09-16 21:00 UTC

333 Show HN points observed 09-16 10:43 UTC

NEW 0h OLD WHEN SEEN

Capsule's homepage: "Documents that run like apps" next to an open app window titled Summer Recipes.capsule showing a recipe.

TESIGN TAKE

It isn't open source and there's no public repo to inspect, but the concept is clear and there's a real, downloadable player to try today.

INSTALL

AT A GLANCE

USAGE: Unconfirmed — check before use.
PLATFORM: macos · windows · linux · web
SOURCES: Show HN
FIRST SEEN: 2026-09-15 14:01 UTC
CATEGORY: PRODUCTIVITY

A summary, not legal advice.

WHY IT MATTERS

Building an HTML page got easy, but saving its data still meant hosting it somewhere. Capsule (built in Rust with Tauri 2.0, per the maker's Show HN post) packs an HTML app and its assets directly into one SQLite database as a .capsule file. Data lives inside that same file as either a localStorage-style key/value store or MongoDB-style document collections, and attachments like PDFs or images ride along too. Documents have no filesystem access by default and need explicit permission to reach the internet; each data entry carries a unique UUID and timestamp so independent copies can later be merged.

BUILD FROM THIS

Build a small personal data app (a recipe box, a checklist) and send it as one file to family
Open something offline-capable (a plane, a subway) without a web preview, using the desktop player
Wire up a document-specific AI feature with a local or remote model

WHO IT'S FOR

Someone who wants to share a small data app with family or a group without hosting anything
Anyone who needs a tool that works fully offline
A developer prototyping a lightweight personal tool

START IN 5 MINUTES

# Download the player for your OS (macOS, Windows, Linux) at https://withcapsule.app and open one of the ready-made templates (a browser preview is also available)

CAVEATS

No public repository or licence statement found — it appears free but closed-source
Mobile (iOS/Android) apps are "coming soon"; the web preview has limited functionality
Its 2026-09-15 Show HN post has 3 points and 0 comments, so traction is still small

RECEIPT

FIRST SEEN: 2026-09-15 14:01 UTC
AT SOURCE: 2026-09-15 13:31 UTC
KEPT: 2026-09-17 01:24 UTC
CREATED → FIRST SEEN: 0h
SOURCES: Show HN

The same facts in machine-readable form — View as Markdown · JSON

SIMILAR TOOLS

Up to five from PRODUCTIVITY by ★ total: edited entries first, then repository cards; this entry is highlighted. Drawn from the same stored snapshot as the rankings — a comparison, not a recommendation. As of 09-16 21:00 UTC

NAME	★ TOTAL	▲ 7d	LICENSE	PLATFORM	LAST PUSH
Hermes AgentSelf-improving personal agent	★ 246k	▲ +375	MITpermissive	linux · macos · windows · android · cli	2026-09-15
CapsuleSingle-file app playerTHIS ENTRY	—	—	Licence unconfirmedunconfirmed	macos · windows · linux · web	—
immich-app/immichCARD	★ 114k	▲ +82	AGPL-3.0copyleft	—	2026-09-13
stirling-tools/stirling-pdfCARD	★ 91.9k	▲ +54	Licence unconfirmedunconfirmed	—	2026-09-13
sherlock-project/sherlockCARD	★ 91.5k	▲ +64	MITpermissive	—	2026-09-13

TIMELINE

2026-09-15 13:31 UTCRepository created
2026-09-15 13:31 UTCShow HN post ↗
2026-09-15 14:01 UTCFIRST SEEN BY TESIGN
2026-09-17 01:24 UTCPublished on TESIGN

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