A capacitance meter is a piece of electronic test equipment whose purpose is to measure capacitance, mostly of discrete capacitors. The capacitance meter works based on the directly proportional relationship between capacitance and a time constant. This relation is used in this method of measurement.

Depending on the sophistication of the meter, it may display the capacitance only, or it may also measure a number of other parameters such as leakage, equivalent series resistance (ESR), and inductance. For most purposes and in most cases the capacitor must be disconnected from the circuit; ESR can usually be measured in the circuit.