The short version: pick Obsidian if a researcher who wants a decade of notes in files they can open without the app. Pick Craft if a consultant writing client proposals who wants documents that look designed without a template.
Head to head
| Obsidian | Craft | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | macOS, iOS, Windows, Web |
| Best for | A researcher who wants a decade of notes in files they can open without the app. | A consultant writing client proposals who wants documents that look designed without a template. |
| Weakness | The plugin ecosystem is also the risk, since a heavy setup can become fragile, and there is no real-time collaboration. | It started Apple-first, so the Windows and web versions lag behind, real-time collaboration is weaker than Notion's, and moving a large workspace out later is fiddly. |
The verdict
Obsidian and Craft overlap less than the marketing suggests. Obsidian exists for a researcher who wants a decade of notes in files they can open without the app. Craft exists for a consultant writing client proposals who wants documents that look designed without a template. If you are both, you are the rare case where running two tools is cheaper than picking one badly.
Where they both fall down: the plugin ecosystem is also the risk, since a heavy setup can become fragile, and there is no real-time collaboration. and it started apple-first, so the windows and web versions lag behind, real-time collaboration is weaker than notion's, and moving a large workspace out later is fiddly.
Frequently asked
Is Obsidian or Craft better?
Neither in general. Obsidian is the better pick if a researcher who wants a decade of notes in files they can open without the app. Craft wins if a consultant writing client proposals who wants documents that look designed without a template.
Is Craft cheaper than Obsidian?
Obsidian is freemium, Craft is freemium. The sticker price is rarely the bill — check the pricing section of each review.
Can I use both Obsidian and Craft?
Plenty of teams do, usually with one as the system of record and the other for a specific workflow. It doubles the migration cost later, so pick a side before year two.