Quick Definition
Craft a native document and notes application for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. It features a visual block-based editor, nested document structure, backlinks between documents, offline-first sync, and one-click web page publishing. Free plan available with unlimited documents. Pro at $4.99/month adds full sync history, advanced sharing, and premium features.
Why People Look for Craft Alternatives
Craft earns rave reviews from Apple users who value design quality and writing experience above all else. But it has clear limitations that push users toward alternatives:
- Mac and iOS only: Craft has no Windows app, no Android app, and no Linux support. If you use any non-Apple device — including a work Windows PC or an Android phone — Craft falls short as a primary tool.
- Limited database features: Craft is a document editor, not a database. Compared to Notion’s tables, kanban boards, and relational databases, Craft’s block structure is minimal. For users who need to track projects, clients, or structured data alongside their documents, Craft forces a second tool.
- Collaboration is minimal: Craft supports shared spaces and comments, but real-time collaborative editing with multiple cursors and granular permissions is not Craft’s strength. Teams typically outgrow it.
- Export options are limited: exporting Craft documents to formats other than PDF, Markdown, or Word can require workarounds. Users who need to share content widely in web or rich text formats sometimes find Craft’s export options constraining.
- No email or calendar integration: Craft excels at creating documents, but the work that generates those documents — emails to respond to, meetings to follow up on — is entirely disconnected from the app.
Our Verdict
Craft is the best document editor on Apple. But documents are the output — the emails and meetings that generate them need managing too.
Craft solves a writing and organization problem beautifully. But the work that creates the need for documents — emails to respond to, meetings to follow up, tasks to track — lives in your inbox and calendar, not in your document app. alfred_ handles that layer autonomously. For users whose limitation is platform support or team collaboration, Notion is the most powerful cross-platform alternative. For users who want Craft's Apple-native experience at a lower price, Bear is the clearest option. For documents that need to automate workflows, Coda is the most capable upgrade.
Best for
- alfred_ to autonomously handle email drafting, inbox triage, and follow-up tracking
- Notion for Windows or Android support, databases, and real-time team collaboration
- Obsidian for local-first data ownership and a plugin ecosystem on all platforms Craft supports
- Bear for a comparable Apple-native writing experience at a lower price than Craft Pro
- Coda for documents that need built-in automation, live data integration, and interactive tables
Not for
- Users on macOS and iOS who already love Craft's design and offline performance — Craft is excellent for this use case
- Users who primarily want beautiful web publishing from their documents — Craft's web pages are among the best in the category