Your notes on
every device. Not just iPad.
Your handwritten notes trapped on one iPad? Craft syncs everything — drawings, typed notes, and more — across every device.
Which one is right for you?
Craft
Access notes everywhere — Noteful locks you to a single iPad
Typed notes + handwriting + images + AI in one app
Instant sync means your notes are always backed up and accessible
Share and collaborate — Noteful has zero sharing features
Full-text search and AI across all your notes — not just page flipping
Noteful
iPad handwriting with paper simulation is your only use case
You prefer a one-time purchase and never need sync
Advanced pen pressure and ink simulation is essential
You genuinely don't need your notes on any other device
Noteful traps your handwritten notes on a single iPad — no sync, no backup, no way to access them from your phone or computer. Craft gives you Apple Pencil drawing plus typed notes, AI, and instant sync to every device you own.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
See how Craft and Noteful compare across key features
Feature
Craft
Noteful
Winner
Performance
Native apps on Mac, iPad, iPhone, Windows, Web
iPad-only — no other devices supported
Craft
Cross-Device Sync
Instant sync across all devices, always backed up
No sync — notes exist only on one iPad
Craft
Note Types
Typed + handwriting + images + videos + media
Handwriting only — no typed text support
Craft
AI Features
Built-in AI for writing, summarizing, organizing
No AI features
Craft
Offline Access
Full offline on every platform with cloud backup
Local-only (no backup if device is lost)
Tie
Apple Pencil
Drawing + annotation alongside typed documents
Dedicated handwriting (good pen tools)
Noteful
Web Publishing
One-click beautiful web pages
Not available
Craft
Cross-Platform
Mac, iPad, iPhone, Windows, Web
iPad only — lose your iPad, lose your notes
Craft
Organization
Spaces, folders, collections, tags, search
Basic notebooks — no search, no tags
Craft
Why users switch to Craft
M
Mikailkraft
“ Craft gets rid of all the noise from Notion while not becoming as barebones as Obsidian. It’s a perfect balance of features – and it’s done seamlessly. Synching is immediate, and the app feels right at home on my Mac and my iPad.”
App Store Award
Mac App of the Year
Apple Design Awards
Finalist
Webby
Awarded three times in various categories
German Design Award
Excellent Communications Design Interactive UX
What matters most
Craft gets it right
Quick idea capture
Capture ideas on any device — phone, laptop, tablet — with instant sync between them all
Fast, beautiful writing
Beautiful typed documents alongside Apple Pencil drawings — not handwriting-only
Offline access
Full offline everywhere with cloud backup — your notes are never trapped on one device
Easy Organization
Search, folders, collections, and tags — find any note instantly across all devices
Task management
Built-in tasks with due dates — manage your work alongside handwritten and typed notes
API, MCP & Automations
Connect with Claude, ChatGPT, Apple Shortcuts, and build custom workflows
Why users switch to Craft
J
Jeffb129
“ Craft is way more functional than Apple or Google Notes while being much easier to use than Notion”
Compare the cost
Plan
Craft
Noteful
Starter
Free
Free
Plus Personal
$4.8
$9.99 one-time
Plus Family and Groups
$9.0 /person
N/A
AI Assistant Feature
Included
In Business plan only
Switch From Noteful To Craft
Export Your Notebooks
In Noteful, share your notebooks as PDF files using the share menu on each notebook.
Import to Craft
In Craft, import your PDFs as reference documents or recreate key notes with typing + drawing.
Start Creating
Draw with Apple Pencil AND type — all synced to every device. Your notes are never trapped again.
Ready for notes that go beyond one iPad?
Start for free. No credit card required.
Common Questions
For most users, yes. While Noteful focuses on handwriting and PDF annotation on iPad, Craft offers handwriting support plus powerful typed notes, publishing, collaboration, and organization. If you need a full productivity tool beyond just handwriting, Craft is the upgrade.
Writers, students, and professionals who need both handwriting and typed notes in one powerful app. Craft combines Apple Pencil support with rich formatting, publishing, and collaboration. Noteful is solely for handwriting enthusiasts.
Yes. Craft supports real-time collaboration, comments, and team spaces. Share documents with anyone via link. Noteful has no collaboration features – it's a personal handwriting app only.
Noteful is a one-time purchase (around $9). Craft has a free plan and Plus starts at $5/month. Craft's subscription includes AI, publishing, collaboration, and continuous updates – much more than a static handwriting app.
Create typed documents with rich formatting, publish web pages, collaborate in real-time, use AI assistance, organize with spaces and collections, sync across all devices including non-iPad, and mix handwriting with typed text seamlessly.
Yes. Craft provides full offline access on all devices – iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more. Noteful works offline on iPad only. Craft gives you the same reliability across your entire device ecosystem.
Export your Noteful pages as PDF files, then add them to Craft documents. Handwritten content stays as images. You can annotate and add typed notes around your imported handwriting in Craft.
Noteful is specialized for handwriting with more pen options and paper templates. Craft's Apple Pencil support is integrated into a larger document system – you write alongside typed text, images, and other blocks. Different approaches for different needs.
Yes. Craft works on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, and web. Noteful is iPad-only. Your Craft documents are available everywhere, not just on your tablet.
Yes. Craft excels at both typed and handwritten content. Rich text formatting, headers, callouts, code blocks, tables, and more. Noteful is limited to handwriting and basic annotations.
Yes. Craft publishes beautiful web pages with one click. Share your work with anyone – no account needed. Noteful has no sharing or publishing capabilities beyond exporting PDFs.
Craft offers Spaces, folders, collections, and tags for powerful organization. Noteful uses basic notebook and page structure. Craft scales much better as your content grows beyond a few notebooks.
Yes. Craft includes AI assistant in all plans. Write, edit, summarize, and organize content with AI help. Noteful has no AI features or smart assistance.
If you need more than iPad handwriting – typed notes, publishing, collaboration, AI, multi-device sync – yes. Craft replaces Noteful plus several other apps. The subscription covers continuous development and cloud services.
Yes. Craft offers a free Education plan. Combine handwritten lecture notes with typed study guides, published portfolios, and collaboration with classmates – all in one app instead of needing Noteful plus other tools.
Depends on your style. Noteful is pure handwriting on iPad. Craft combines typing and handwriting with organization, search, and publishing. Most users need typed search and multi-device access, making Craft more practical.
Craft syncs in sub-second time across all devices. Noteful syncs notebooks via iCloud to iPad only. Craft gives you access everywhere – phone, laptop, web browser – not just your tablet.
Export your Noteful notebooks as PDF files. Import them into Craft documents. Your handwriting appears as pages within Craft. Add typed notes, organize with folders, and enjoy multi-device access to your content.
Why users switch to Craft
Aaron
“ Best App for Everyone. It features every features with excellent UI and UX taking note taking to next level and I even replaced Notion with this one.”