Craft vs Joplin
Craft is native document editor for Mac and iOS with beautiful formatting and real-time collaboration, while Joplin is open-source note-taking with end-to-end encryption, Markdown support, and sync via any cloud. Joplin is open source and can be self-hosted, giving you full control over your data. Craft is built for apple users who want beautiful native docs, whereas Joplin targets privacy-focused users wanting open-source note-taking.
At a glance
|
Craft
|
Joplin
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Apple users who want beautiful native docs | Privacy-focused users wanting open-source note-taking |
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | ✓ |
| Free tier available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | ✓ |
| AI Assist | ✓ | — |
| E2E Encryption | — | ✓ |
| Markdown | ✓ | ✓ |
| Native App | ✓ | — |
| Open Source | — | ✓ |
| Sharing | ✓ | — |
| Webclipper | — | ✓ |
Craft
Strengths
- Includes Native App as a core feature, purpose-built for note taking workflows
- Full Markdown support with live preview for clean, structured notes
- Free for 1000 blocks — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
- Includes ai assist alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed
Weaknesses
- Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
- Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
- Moving notes out to another platform can be difficult — export options vary
- Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up
Joplin
Strengths
- Open source and transparent
- Open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development
- Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
- The core product is free with no paywalled essentials
Weaknesses
- May lack some advanced features
- Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
- Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
- Moving notes out to another platform can be difficult — export options vary
The bottom line
Pricing: Both Craft and Joplin are free. You can try both without spending a dollar.
Feature gaps: Craft offers AI Assist, Native App and Sharing that Joplin lacks. Joplin brings E2E Encryption, Open Source and Webclipper that Craft does not have. Both share Markdown.
Team fit: Both tools target individuals teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.
Open source: Joplin is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Craft is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.
Where each tool shines: Craft's biggest strengths are: includes native app as a core feature, purpose-built for note taking workflows. full markdown support with live preview for clean, structured notes. Joplin's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development.
Watch out for: With Craft, users commonly note that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade. With Joplin, the main complaint is that may lack some advanced features.
Choose Craft if...
- You need a tool built for apple users who want beautiful native docs
- You specifically need AI Assist and Native App
- You care about full markdown support with live preview for clean, structured notes
- The free tier works for you: free for 1000 blocks
Choose Joplin if...
- You need a tool built for privacy-focused users wanting open-source note-taking
- You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
- You specifically need E2E Encryption and Open Source
- You care about open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development
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