# Craft vs Notion Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 Notion is the top pick for most Mac users looking at note-taking. It has a free tier and installs in one Homebrew command. Craft is the stronger choice if you are moving off Ulysses. As of October 2026, both install with brew install --cask craft and brew install --cask notion. For most Mac users in 2026, Notion is the better choice for note-taking because it ranks higher in Homebrew install popularity (#39). Both install with a single Homebrew command, so the switching cost is low. Choose Craft instead if you are moving off Ulysses. ## Head to head | Factor | Craft | Notion | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | Free | | Open Source | No | No | | Replaces | Ulysses ($39.99/year) | Roam Research ($15/month) | | Best for | notes, documents, writing | notes, wiki, database | | Install | brew install --cask craft | brew install --cask notion | | Category | Productivity | Productivity | ## Craft Native document editor Install: `brew install --cask craft` [Craft on Bundl](https://bundl.run/apps/craft) ## Notion All-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, wikis, and databases Install: `brew install --cask notion` [Notion on Bundl](https://bundl.run/apps/notion) ## Features - **Writing and Editing Experience.** Craft delivers a noticeably superior writing experience with native performance and refined aesthetics. - **Database and Structured Data.** Notion's database capabilities are in a completely different category. Craft has no equivalent functionality. - **AI Features.** Notion's agent stack is broader; Craft's AI stays document-centric. - **Real-Time Collaboration.** Craft's native real-time collaboration is smoother and more responsive than Notion's web-based approach. - **Cross-Platform Availability.** Notion's truly cross-platform nature is a major advantage for teams and users with mixed-OS environments. - **Templates and Ecosystem.** Notion's template ecosystem and API integrations create a much broader platform effect. - **Document Sharing and Publishing.** Craft produces more visually impressive shared documents with less effort. - **Performance and Speed.** Craft's native architecture provides dramatically better performance than Notion's Electron-based apps. - **Offline access.** Craft is the safer offline writer; Notion is better when you are online with a team. - **Pricing for solo writers.** Notion Free wins casual solo use; Craft Plus often wins paid solo writing cost; Notion Business wins AI-heavy teams. ## FAQ ### Is Craft a Notion replacement? Not for most teams. Craft excels at writing and document creation but still lacks Notion's databases, project management depth, and Business-tier AI agents. Craft can replace Notion for users who primarily write documents. ### Does Craft work on Windows? Craft does not have a native Windows app. There is a web version at craft.do that provides viewing and basic editing, but the experience is significantly reduced compared to the native macOS and iOS apps. Windows users should consider Notion instead. ### Is Notion slow on Mac? Notion has improved significantly in 2026, but complex pages with multiple databases can still feel sluggish compared to native apps like Craft. Startup time and initial page loads are slower than native applications. For simple documents, the performance is acceptable. ### Can I use Craft for project management? Craft is not designed for project management. It lacks databases, Kanban boards, timelines, and the structured data features needed for project tracking. You can create project documents and notes in Craft, but for actual project management, Notion or dedicated tools like Linear or Asana are better choices. ### Which app has better AI features? Both offer AI in 2026. Craft's assistant helps write, edit, and summarise inside documents with plan-based credits. Notion's full Agent, AI Meeting Notes, and Enterprise Search require Business ($20/member/mo); Free/Plus only trial AI. Custom Agents add credit costs on top. ### Can Craft and Notion work together? There is no direct integration between Craft and Notion. However, some users create documents in Craft for their superior writing experience and then copy or export content to Notion for team collaboration and project management. ### Which is better for personal use? For personal use, Craft is often the better choice if you're in the Apple ecosystem. It's faster, more beautiful, and simpler for individual note-taking and writing. Notion's strength is team collaboration and structured data, which individuals may not need. ### Does Notion have offline support? Notion has limited offline support, recently viewed pages are cached and editable offline, but you cannot access your entire workspace without an internet connection. Craft's native apps work fully offline with sync when connectivity returns. ### Can I import my Notion pages into Craft? Yes, Craft supports importing from Notion through its built-in import tool. You can export your Notion workspace as Markdown or HTML files and import them into Craft. The conversion preserves most text formatting, headings, and basic structure, though complex Notion databases, formulas, and relations will need manual recreation since Craft uses a document-first model rather than a database model. ### Which app is better for team collaboration? Notion is significantly more capable for team collaboration, offering real-time multiplayer editing, comments, mentions, shared databases, permission controls, and team spaces. Craft supports collaboration through shared documents and spaces with commenting, but its collaboration features are more focused on document review than real-time co-editing. For large teams with complex workflows, Notion's collaboration depth is hard to beat. ### Does Craft work offline? Yes, and this is one of Craft's biggest advantages. As a native macOS and iOS app, Craft stores all documents locally and syncs via iCloud. You can create, edit, and organize documents with zero internet connectivity. Notion requires an internet connection for most operations, though it has added limited offline support for previously viewed pages in its desktop and mobile apps. ### Which Notion plan do I need for Notion Agent in 2026? Business ($20 per member per month when billed annually) or Enterprise. Free and Plus only include limited AI trials, not full Agent access. ### Craft vs Notion: which is better in 2026? Notion is better for databases, teams, and Business AI agents. Craft is better for native Apple writing, offline docs, and polished sharing. Most mixed teams should pick Notion; Apple-only writers can pick Craft without apology. ### Craft or Notion for students? Notion Free is usually enough for class notes plus simple assignment trackers. Craft is excellent if you want prettier documents on iPad and Mac and can live inside the free block limit or pay Plus. Education discounts may apply on Notion Plus for eligible school emails. ### Is Craft cheaper than Notion? For one paid writer, Craft Plus is often cheaper than Notion Plus. For teams that need Notion Business AI and admin features, Notion costs more per seat but replaces more tools. Notion Free can also be cheaper than Craft Plus if you never hit Craft's free block limit. ### Does Craft have databases like Notion? No. Craft may offer lighter collections or organizational features depending on plan era, but it does not match Notion's relational databases, rollups, and multi-view project systems. That remains the main reason teams stay on Notion. ### Can I use Craft and Notion together? Yes. A common split is Craft for external-facing documents and Notion for internal databases and team wiki. Sync is manual unless you build API automations. Hybrid beats forcing one app to fake the other's strengths. ### Which app is faster on Mac? Craft. Native Apple frameworks still open and scroll large document libraries with less overhead than Notion's desktop stack. Notion is acceptable for many users but rarely feels as light as Craft on the same MacBook. ### Will Craft replace Notion for a content team? Only if the team mostly writes and publishes documents. Editorial calendars, asset databases, and multi-assignee workflows still fit Notion better. Many content teams keep Notion for planning and Craft for final narratives. ### Craft vs Notion for meeting notes with AI? If you want AI Meeting Notes packaged with workspace search and agents, Notion Business is the direct product answer. Craft's AI helps inside documents with credit tiers but is not positioned as the same meeting-ops stack. ### Which should a Windows teammate force on an Apple-heavy company? Notion. Craft's Windows story is still web-first and weaker than native Mac. One Windows teammate is enough reason to avoid Craft as the system of record. ### How hard is Notion to Craft migration if I barely use databases? Manageable. Export Markdown, import to Craft, fix images and internal links, and recreate folder hierarchy. The migration is painful mainly when databases, relations, and buttons are load-bearing. ## Sources - [Craft pricing plans](https://www.craft.do/pricing) - [Craft vs Notion official compare](https://www.craft.do/compare/notion) - [Craft official site](https://www.craft.do/) - [Notion pricing](https://www.notion.com/pricing) - [Notion pricing AI features](https://www.notion.com/pricing) - [Notion API](https://developers.notion.com/) - [Craft vs Notion independent comparison](https://2sync.com/blog/craft-vs-notion) ## Related - [Bear vs Craft](https://bundl.run/compare/bear-vs-craft) - [Craft vs Obsidian](https://bundl.run/compare/craft-vs-obsidian) - [Apple Notes vs Notion](https://bundl.run/compare/apple-notes-vs-notion) - [Anytype vs Notion](https://bundl.run/compare/anytype-vs-notion) - [Asana vs Notion](https://bundl.run/compare/asana-vs-notion) - [Notion vs Obsidian](https://bundl.run/compare/notion-vs-obsidian) - [Logseq vs Notion](https://bundl.run/compare/logseq-vs-notion) - [Joplin vs Notion](https://bundl.run/compare/joplin-vs-notion) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://bundl.run/#organization", "name": "Bundl.run", "url": "https://bundl.run", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bundl.run/og-image.png", "width": 1200, "height": 630 }, "description": "The Ninite for Mac. 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