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Craft alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Craft: free plan caps you at 1,500 blocks, and proprietary format and cloud storage. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Craft, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Notion currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Obsidian logoObsidianFree plan + paidNoWindows, macOS, Linux +22 of 370.9
2Capacities logoCapacitiesFree plan + paidNoWeb, macOS, Windows +35 of 570.3
3AFFiNE logoAFFiNEFree plan + paidYesWeb, Windows, macOS +44 of 468.6
  1. Obsidian logo

    1. ObsidianTop pick

    Best for: People who want to own their notes as local Markdown files

    Free plan + paidWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

    70.9

    score / 100

    Why switch from Craft

    Local Markdown files and plugins instead of a proprietary cloud format.

    Pros

    • Notes are plain Markdown files you own
    • Works fully offline
    • Huge plugin ecosystem

    Cons

    • Official sync is a paid add-on
    • Real-time collaboration is limited
    Visit Obsidian Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.1577
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Obsidian a good Craft alternative?

    Verified facts

    2 of 3 verified
    Price
    Free, no sign-up required
    Checked Oct 24, 2026obsidian.md(opens source in a new tab)
    Storage
    Local Markdown files
    Checked Oct 24, 2026obsidian.md(opens source in a new tab)
    Sync
    Paid add-on
    Not checked yetobsidian.md(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Capacities logo

    2. Capacities

    Best for: Individuals who want a structured personal knowledge base without building it from scratch

    Free plan + paidWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android

    70.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Craft

    Object-based notes with a generous free plan for building a knowledge base.

    Pros

    • Generous free plan that is a complete notes app
    • Object types give structure without complex setup
    • Apps on every major platform
    • Hosted in Europe

    Cons

    • Cloud-based, not local Markdown files
    • Little support for team collaboration
    • Object model takes time to learn
    Visit Capacities Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Capacities a good Craft alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Free plan
    Yes, free forever
    Checked Oct 25, 2026capacities.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro price
    $9.99 per month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026capacities.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
    Checked Oct 25, 2026capacities.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Data location
    Europe
    Checked Oct 25, 2026capacities.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Active users
    50,000+
    Checked Oct 25, 2026capacities.io(opens source in a new tab)
  3. AFFiNE logo

    3. AFFiNE

    Best for: People who want Notion-style docs and a whiteboard in one local-first, self-hostable app

    Free plan + paidOpen sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    68.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Craft

    Open-source docs plus whiteboards, with local-first storage and self-hosting.

    Pros

    • Docs and whiteboard views of the same page
    • Local-first, works offline
    • Self-hosting option
    • Free for personal use

    Cons

    • Less mature than Notion, with rough edges
    • Server is source-available rather than fully open source
    • Mobile apps trail the desktop
    Visit AFFiNE Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.357
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is AFFiNE a good Craft alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Editor licence
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026affine.pro(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes, source-available backend
    Checked Oct 25, 2026affine.pro(opens source in a new tab)
    Team plan
    $10 per seat/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026affine.pro(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
    Checked Oct 25, 2026affine.pro(opens source in a new tab)

The best Craft alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Notion logo

Best Craft alternative for most people

Notion

Stronger databases and team workspaces when documents need structure.

Apple Notes logo

Best Craft alternative for a free option

Apple Notes

Free and built in if you mostly need quick notes rather than polished docs.

Bear logo

Best Craft alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Bear

A simpler, cheaper Apple-only writing app with Markdown and tags.

AFFiNE logo

Best Craft alternative for open source

AFFiNE

Open-source docs plus whiteboards, with local-first storage and self-hosting.

AFFiNE logo

Best Craft alternative for self-hosting

AFFiNE

Open-source docs plus whiteboards, with local-first storage and self-hosting.

Obsidian logo

Best Craft alternative for Mac

Obsidian

Local Markdown files and plugins instead of a proprietary cloud format.

Capacities logo

Best Craft alternative for Windows

Capacities

Object-based notes with a generous free plan for building a knowledge base.

Obsidian logo

Best Craft alternative for Linux

Obsidian

Local Markdown files and plugins instead of a proprietary cloud format.

Notion logo

Best Craft alternative for iPhone and Android

Notion

Stronger databases and team workspaces when documents need structure.

Notion logo

Best Craft alternative for working in the browser

Notion

Stronger databases and team workspaces when documents need structure.

Craft alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Craft?

Notion ranks first right now. Stronger databases and team workspaces when documents need structure. Bear and Obsidian follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Craft?

Yes. Notion (free plan + paid), Bear (free plan + paid), Obsidian (free plan + paid) and Capacities (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Craft?

Yes: AFFiNE. AFFiNE can also be self-hosted.

Which Craft alternatives work on Linux?

Obsidian, Capacities and AFFiNE run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Craft?

The complaints we hear most: free plan caps you at 1,500 blocks; proprietary format and cloud storage; lighter team and database features than Notion.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Craft, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.