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Apple Notes
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Your Notes Deserve
to Go Places

Looking for an Apple Notes alternative? Try Craft free and discover what Apple Notes could be –publish to web, share with anyone, collaborate in real-time.

Easy migration
Try Craft FreeImport from Apple Notes

The Bottom Line: Craft vs Apple Notes in 2026

Craft

Share with anyone - Craft works on Windows, Android, and web browsers
One-click publishing creates professional web pages from any note
Built-in and custom templates for documents, meeting notes, project plans, and more
Version history and document recovery built-in
AI assistance for searching, summarizing, and editing your workspace

Apple Notes

You primarily use Apple devices and do not need dedicated Windows or Android apps
Free matters most - Apple Notes costs nothing extra
You want the simplest possible experience with zero learning curve
You do not need reusable templates, nested pages, or web publishing

Apple Notes is free, capable, and deeply integrated with Apple devices. Craft is the stronger fit when you want dedicated Windows and Android apps, polished web publishing, reusable templates, nested pages, or a workspace that grows beyond personal notes.

Easy migration

Switch From Apple Notes To Craft

Select Your Notes

In Apple Notes on your Mac, select the notes you want to bring into Craft.

Export as Markdown

Choose File → Export As → Markdown and select where Apple Notes should save the exported folder.

Import to Craft

Open Craft's Apple Notes importer, upload the exported folder, then choose your destination Space and folder.

Import from Apple NotesView the migration guide →

Craft vs Apple Notes: Feature Comparison 2026

See how Craft and Apple Notes compare across key features

Feature
Craft
Apple Notes
Web Publishing
One-click to beautiful pages
Not available
Cross-Platform
Mac, iOS, Android, Windows, Web
Apple apps plus iCloud.com
Real-time Collaboration
Edit together, comments, sharing
Shared notes for Apple Account users
Templates
Dozens of professional templates
No built-in template gallery
AI Assistant
Built-in, works everywhere
Writing Tools on compatible devices
Document Styling
Covers, cards, layouts, typography
Rich text, tables, attachments, drawings
Nested Pages
Pages, cards, folders, and backlinks
Folders and subfolders only
Export Options
PDF, Word, Markdown, TextBundle
Markdown and PDF
Price
Free / $8/mo Plus
Free (built into Apple devices)
Learning Curve
Minimal - familiar interface
None - extremely simple

Why users switch to Craft

A

Anonymous review

“ Decided to revisit Craft after migrating to Apple Notes two years ago. I'm impressed! Resubbed and moved my notes over. The UX has come a long way! Bravo!”
App Store Award
App Store Award
Mac App of the Year
Apple Design Awards
Apple Design Awards
Finalist
Webby
Webby
Awarded three times in various categories
German Design Award
German Design Award
Excellent Communications Design Interactive UX

What matters most

Craft gets it right

Simple to Start

Just as simple as Apple Notes. No learning curve – start writing in seconds.

Native Experience

Fast apps for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows, Android, and Vision Pro, plus full access on the web.

Share Beyond Apple

Collaborate across Apple, Windows, Android, and the web, or publish a page anyone can open in a browser.

Publish to Web

Turn any note into a beautiful website with one click. Share with anyone – no Apple ID required.

Built-in Templates

Start with ready-made templates for meeting notes, project briefs, travel plans, and more, or save your own.

AI Assistant

Ask questions across your Space, summarize ideas, and edit documents with plan-based AI credits.

Why users switch to Craft

Leo avatar

Leo

“ Craft is way more functional than Apple or Google Notes while being much easier to use than Notion.”

Write your next doc in Craft

Start for free. No credit card required.

Continue on webDownload on the App Store

Common Questions

Apple Notes is excellent for quick personal notes. Craft adds dedicated Windows and Android apps, reusable templates, nested pages, advanced document styling, and public web publishing while staying easy to start.

Yes. Craft is a native Apple app that opens instantly, syncs automatically, and feels right at home on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. You can start writing immediately – no setup, no learning curve.

Yes. Craft lets you publish a document to the web or share it with collaborators. Published pages open in any browser without an Apple Account or Craft account.

Not exactly the same, but Craft has widgets, Shortcuts support, and a Share Extension that let you capture ideas quickly from anywhere. Many users find Craft just as fast for quick capture.

Yes. Craft is designed for large, connected workspaces, with fast navigation, search, and cross-device sync.

Yes. Craft's desktop and mobile apps let you create, edit, organize, and search documents without internet. Changes sync automatically when you reconnect.

Yes. Export your selected Apple Notes as Markdown on a Mac, then upload the exported folder with Craft's dedicated Apple Notes importer. Uploading the folder lets Craft include linked images and attachments.

Both apps support folders, subfolders, tags, and search. Craft also adds separate Spaces, pages nested inside documents, backlinks, and Collections for structured information.

Craft offers block-based formatting with cards, callouts, code blocks, tables, embeds, covers, and flexible page layouts. Apple Notes supports rich text, tables, highlighting, attachments, and drawing, but provides fewer options for designing a document.

Both support real-time collaboration. Craft adds comments, shared Spaces, flexible viewer and editor permissions, and public web publishing; collaborating in Apple Notes requires participants to use an Apple Account.

Yes. Craft lets you publish any document as a polished website with one click, and visitors do not need an account. Apple Notes does not offer equivalent public web publishing.

Both support Apple Pencil on iPad. Apple Notes is particularly strong for handwriting and Quick Notes, while Craft lets you combine sketches with structured, styled documents.

Both offer AI features. Craft Assistant can search, summarize, and work with content across your Space, with plan-based usage limits. Apple Notes uses Writing Tools and can summarize audio transcripts on compatible Apple Intelligence devices.

It can be if you need polished web publishing, reusable templates, dedicated Windows or Android apps, nested pages, or a larger collaborative workspace. Craft also has a free plan, so you can test that workflow first.

Yes. Craft is useful for class notes, research, study plans, and portfolios, with templates, backlinks, nested pages, and web publishing. Apple Notes remains a strong choice for fast handwriting and scanning on iPad.

Craft is better for writers who want to publish or share their work. Beautiful typography, one-click publishing, and export options make Craft a writing tool, not just a note-taking app.

Both sync across Apple devices. Craft also provides dedicated Windows and Android apps plus web access. Apple Notes can be used at iCloud.com, but it does not offer dedicated Windows or Android apps.

On a Mac, select the notes you want to move and choose File → Export As → Markdown. Then open Craft's Apple Notes importer at docs.craft.do/import/apple-notes, upload the exported folder, and choose the destination Space and folder.

Why users switch to Craft

Ray avatar

Ray

“ Craft is the first thing I open to plan my day and the last thing I use to jot down my final thoughts. It’s my dashboard and diary in one.”