7 Best Craft Alternatives
in 2026
Craft is one of the best document editors ever made for Apple devices. But if you need Windows or Android support, database features, team collaboration, or an AI that handles your email alongside your documents, Craft leaves significant gaps. Here are 7 alternatives that fill them.
What is the best Craft alternative in 2026?
- alfred_ ($24.99/month) is the best alternative for communication-heavy workflows: it handles email drafting, inbox triage, and follow-up tracking so your documents stay focused on content rather than action items
- Notion (free–$10/month) is the best cross-platform alternative with databases, wikis, and real-time collaboration that Craft doesn't offer
- Obsidian (free + $4/month sync) is the best alternative for users who want local-first data ownership and a powerful plugin ecosystem on Mac and iOS
- Bear ($2.99/month) is the best like-for-like Apple alternative with a cleaner writing focus and lower price than Craft Pro
- Coda (free–$10/month) is the best alternative for users who need documents with built-in automation and database functionality alongside their writing
Craft is Apple-only with no Windows, Android, or Linux support. Most alternatives on this list are cross-platform. If you're on macOS and iOS and love Craft's design, Bear is the closest alternative at a lower price.
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.
alfred_
Best for Email Drafting and Communication-Heavy Workflows
alfred_ is an AI executive assistant that handles the communication layer that Craft — like all document tools — leaves untouched. If you use Craft to draft emails, write meeting summaries, and organize your professional correspondence, alfred_ does this work autonomously. It reads your inbox, categorizes emails by urgency, drafts replies in your voice, extracts action items from threads, and delivers a daily briefing so you start each day knowing exactly what needs attention. For professionals who spend more time on communications than on crafting beautiful documents, alfred_ addresses the higher-leverage problem.
Pros
- AI email drafting: replies are drafted in your tone before you even open the email
- Inbox triage: every incoming email categorized by urgency so you focus on what matters first
- Automatic task extraction from email threads and calendar events — no manual document notes
- Follow-up tracking: alfred_ flags conversations waiting for your reply so nothing falls through
- Daily briefings every morning with your schedule, priority tasks, and key emails consolidated
Cons
- Not a document editor: doesn't provide Craft's visual block editor, nested documents, or web publishing
- Designed for work communication management, not personal writing or knowledge management
Notion
All-in-one workspace with databases, wikis, and real-time collaboration on every platform
Notion is the most feature-rich Craft alternative for users who need cross-platform access or collaboration capabilities. Where Craft is Apple-only, Notion works natively on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and web. Where Craft is a document editor, Notion adds databases, kanban boards, wikis, and relational tables. Real-time collaboration with team permissions is built in, and Notion AI provides writing assistance, summarizing, and question-answering across your workspace.
Pros
- Works on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and web — no platform restrictions
- Databases with board, table, calendar, and gallery views alongside documents
- Real-time collaboration with team permissions, comments, and shared workspaces
- Notion AI for writing assistance and summarizing content within pages
- Large template library for every use case: wikis, project trackers, meeting notes, and more
Cons
- Slower and more complex than Craft for simple document creation and capture
- Offline access is limited; requires internet for most functionality
Obsidian
Markdown-based notes with 900+ plugins and complete data ownership
Obsidian is a local-first knowledge management tool that shares Craft's commitment to offline access and data ownership, with a vastly larger plugin ecosystem and a community-driven development model. Where Craft stores notes in its own format with iCloud sync, Obsidian stores everything as plain Markdown files on your device. The plugin ecosystem of 900+ extensions adds graph views, databases, flashcards, and virtually any workflow feature you can imagine.
Pros
- Local-first plain Markdown files: complete data ownership with no vendor lock-in
- 900+ community plugins for every workflow: Dataview, Templater, Kanban, and more
- Bidirectional linking and graph view for connecting related notes and documents
- Full offline access with no internet required for any core feature
- Free for personal use — cheaper than Craft Pro at $4.99/month
Cons
- Markdown-only formatting: lacks Craft's visual block editor and beautiful default styling
- Sync costs extra ($4/month) or requires DIY iCloud/Dropbox configuration
Bear
Elegant Apple-native Markdown notes at a lower price than Craft Pro
Bear is the closest Apple-native alternative to Craft: a premium writing and notes app for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS with a focus on design quality and a clean, distraction-free editor. Bear's tag-based organization is simpler than Craft's nested document structure, and the app lacks Craft's web publishing feature, but its writing experience is excellent and the price is lower. Bear Pro includes sync across all Apple devices for $2.99/month — nearly half the cost of Craft Pro.
Pros
- Lower price than Craft Pro: $2.99/month vs. $4.99/month for comparable sync features
- Excellent writing experience on iOS: widely considered the best Markdown editor on iPhone
- Tag-based organization with nested tags for simple, reliable classification
- Sync across macOS, iOS, and iPadOS included with Bear Pro
- Export to PDF, DOCX, HTML, and standard Markdown with no format lock-in
Cons
- Apple-only: same limitation as Craft, with no Windows or Android apps
- No nested document structure, backlinks, or web publishing like Craft
Apple Notes
Free, fully native, and already on every Apple device you own
Apple Notes is the most overlooked alternative to Craft for Apple users who want to reduce tool complexity and cost. It's completely free, syncs instantly via iCloud across all Apple devices including iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, and has improved significantly over recent years with rich text, checklists, tables, document scanning, collaboration, and handwriting recognition. For users who use Craft primarily for simple note capture and document organization, Apple Notes may cover 80% of the use case for free.
Pros
- Completely free with no premium tier or subscription
- Instant iCloud sync across all Apple devices included at no extra cost
- Collaboration: share notes and folders with real-time editing
- Document scanning, handwriting recognition, and rich media support built in
- Deep Apple ecosystem integration: Siri, Shortcuts, Spotlight, and Share Sheet support
Cons
- No visual block editor, nested document structure, or web publishing like Craft
- Limited export options and no Markdown support
Mem
Notes that organize themselves with AI — no folders or tagging required
Mem is an AI-powered note app that eliminates Craft's manual organization model. Instead of creating nested documents and managing a folder structure in Craft, Mem's AI reads your notes and automatically surfaces related content, answers questions across your knowledge base, and groups notes into smart collections. The trade-off is that Mem is cloud-only (no offline access comparable to Craft), the organization is AI-driven rather than intentionally structured, and it costs $14.99/month.
Pros
- AI-powered organization: ask questions across all your notes, get direct AI answers
- No folders, tags, or nested structure required — AI handles organization automatically
- Web clipper, email integration, and Slack capture for collecting content from everywhere
- Works on all platforms including Windows and Android — unlike Craft
- Smart collections automatically surface related notes as you write
Cons
- No offline access comparable to Craft's offline-first performance
- More expensive than Craft Pro at $14.99/month vs. $4.99/month
Coda
Docs that do things — tables, buttons, automations, and integrations built in
Coda is the most powerful alternative to Craft for users who need their documents to do more than display text. Where Craft is a beautiful writing environment, Coda combines documents with tables, formulas, buttons, and automations that can pull data from external services, trigger actions, and create interactive views. A Coda doc can serve as a project tracker, a CRM, a content calendar, and a wiki simultaneously. It's what Notion would be if it made automation and interactivity the primary focus.
Pros
- Documents with built-in tables, buttons, formulas, and conditional automations
- 600+ integrations (Packs) that pull live data from Gmail, Jira, GitHub, Slack, and more
- Cross-doc syncing: share tables between documents without duplication
- Works on web, iOS, and Android — cross-platform unlike Craft
- Interactive templates for OKRs, project tracking, content calendars, and more
Cons
- Significant learning curve for formulas and automation logic
- Less polished writing and reading experience than Craft's design-first approach
Quick Comparison: Craft Alternatives in 2026
| Feature | alfred_Best Overall | Notion | Obsidian | Bear | Apple Notes | Mem | Coda |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Web (Gmail/Outlook) | All platforms | All platforms | Apple only | Apple only | All platforms | Web + iOS + Android |
| Email/Calendar | Full integration | No | No | No | No | No | Gmail Pack |
| Collaboration | Individual | Real-time teams | Limited | Share links | Shared notes | Limited | Full teams |
| Database Features | No | Full databases | Dataview plugin | No | No | No | Tables + formulas |
| Price | $24.99/mo | Free–$10/mo | Free + $4/mo | Free–$2.99/mo | Free | $14.99/mo | Free–$30/mo |
How to Choose the Right Craft Alternative
The right alternative depends on what specifically Craft isn't delivering for you:
- •Using Craft to draft work communications? alfred_ ($24.99/month) handles email drafting, inbox triage, and follow-up tracking automatically — no document required.
- •Need Windows or Android support? Notion (free–$10/month) covers all platforms with databases and team collaboration included.
- •Want more power on Apple devices? Obsidian (free + $4/month sync) adds bidirectional linking, a graph view, and 900+ plugins on the same platforms Craft supports.
- •Want Craft but cheaper? Bear ($2.99/month) delivers a comparable Apple-native writing experience for $2/month less than Craft Pro.
- •Want completely free? Apple Notes is free, syncs via iCloud, and covers most basic note-taking use cases without any subscription.
- •Tired of organizing documents manually? Mem ($14.99/month) uses AI to organize notes automatically and works cross-platform.
- •Need documents that automate workflows? Coda (free–$30/month) adds tables, buttons, and automations to documents so they can do things, not just store content.
The Bottom Line
Craft is a near-perfect document editor for Apple users who value design and offline access above all else. But it has a real ceiling: no Windows or Android support, minimal collaboration, no databases, and no connection to your communications. For professionals who need their productivity tool to go beyond beautiful documents, one or more of these alternatives will address the gaps.
If the core problem is that your emails and meeting follow-ups aren't connected to your documents at all, alfred_ addresses that at a different level entirely — by managing the communications before they become something you need to document.
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
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Craft app for Windows or Android?
No. Craft does not have a native Windows app, Android app, or Linux app. There is a web version at craft.do that provides limited access on non-Apple platforms, but it lacks the offline performance and feature completeness of the native macOS and iOS apps. If cross-platform support is a requirement, Notion, Obsidian, and Coda all provide native apps on Windows and Android. Mem works via web on all platforms. This is the most frequently cited limitation driving users away from Craft.
What is the best free Craft alternative?
Apple Notes is the best free Craft alternative for Apple users. It's completely free, syncs instantly via iCloud at no extra cost, supports rich text, tables, checklists, and collaboration, and integrates deeply with the Apple ecosystem. For users who need a free cross-platform option, Notion's free plan covers unlimited pages with databases and team collaboration. Obsidian is free for personal use on a single device. For work management beyond documents, alfred_ offers a 30-day free trial.
Does alfred_ replace Craft?
alfred_ replaces the need for Craft if your primary use of Craft is drafting work communications, tracking email follow-ups, and capturing meeting action items. alfred_ reads your inbox automatically, triages emails by urgency, drafts replies in your tone, extracts tasks from threads, and delivers a daily briefing. You don't need a document editor to manage communications that an AI can handle at the source. alfred_ doesn't replace Craft for creative writing, personal knowledge management, or beautiful document publishing. $24.99/month with a 30-day free trial.
Is Bear better than Craft?
Bear and Craft are closely matched Apple-native writing apps, and the better choice depends on your priorities. Bear excels at simple, focused writing with the best Markdown editing experience on iOS. Craft excels at nested document structure, richer block formatting, and web publishing with a single click. Bear costs $2.99/month vs. Craft Pro's $4.99/month. If you want a focused writing tool with tag organization, Bear is simpler and cheaper. If you need nested documents, backlinks, and web publishing, Craft is more capable.
What is the best Craft alternative for teams?
Notion is the best Craft alternative for teams. It provides real-time collaboration with multiple cursors, team permissions, shared workspaces, databases, wikis, and a free plan that supports unlimited members with view access. Craft supports shared spaces and comments but is not designed for real-time team editing at scale. Coda is also strong for teams that need documents with built-in automation and live data from integrations. For teams managing work primarily through email and meetings, alfred_ provides individual AI assistance across the team's communications.
Does Craft have a web clipper or email integration?
Craft has a web clipper for saving content from Safari, and a share extension for capturing content from other apps on iOS and macOS. However, Craft has no email integration: it cannot connect to your inbox, capture emails automatically, or manage your communications. You can share emails into Craft manually via the share sheet, but there's no automatic capture or email triage. alfred_ is the only tool on this list with native email triage, reply drafting, and task extraction from your inbox built in.
Try alfred_
Beautiful Documents Don't Handle Your Email. alfred_ Does.
Craft creates great documents. alfred_ manages the emails and meetings that generate them: AI triage, reply drafting, task extraction, follow-up tracking, and a daily briefing every morning. Handle your communications first — then write.
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