Two popular apps, Obsidian vs Craft, help you organize your thoughts, notes, and ideas into a personalized digital knowledge base. Choosing the right one depends entirely on your specific needs, how you like your notes to look, and where you prefer your data to live.
The main difference lies in how they store your files and their overall look and feel. Obsidian is for those who love deep customization and owning their data, while Craft is for users who prioritize a beautiful, simple, and collaborative experience.
What is Obsidian?
Obsidian is a powerful, flexible application that creates a “second brain” by linking your notes together like a vast web of ideas. It works by storing all your notes as plain-text files on your own computer, giving you complete control and privacy over all your valuable data.
Its core strength is the network of ideas it helps you build using special links and a visual map called a Graph View. This tool is loved by people who want to connect their knowledge in deep ways and customize every tiny detail of how their app works.
What is Craft?
Craft is a beautiful, modern note-taking and document creation app that makes writing and sharing notes feel clean and simple. It uses a “block-based” editor, which means your content is made of small, movable pieces, making organization and formatting easy and fun.
This app is fantastic for creating polished documents, sharing with others for collaboration, and works especially well on Apple devices like Mac and iPad. Craft stores your notes in its own secure cloud, which allows for smooth, instant syncing across all your devices.
Conclusion
Choosing between these two depends on your top priorities: do you want full data ownership and limitless customization, or a beautiful interface and easy collaboration? Obsidian provides local file control and a vast plugin community for deep linking and personal knowledge management. Craft offers a gorgeous, simple design with excellent sharing features and seamless cloud sync. Both are great for organizing thoughts, but Obsidian is for the coder-at-heart, and Craft is for the design-minded beginner.
FAQs
1. Is Obsidian better for students or for general users?
Obsidian is fantastic for students and researchers who need to connect complex ideas together using its unique linking features. However, its high level of customization means there is a steeper learning curve compared to simpler note apps.
2. Does Craft have a free version for beginners?
Yes, Craft offers a free Starter plan that lets you create a certain number of documents and use the app across all your devices. This free tier is a great way to explore the app’s clean interface and block-based editing system.
3. Where are my notes stored in Obsidian?
Your notes in Obsidian are stored locally on your own computer or device as simple Markdown files inside a folder called a “vault.” This means you own your data completely and don’t rely on the app’s company to keep them safe.
4. Is Craft available on Android and Windows?
Craft is fully available on Mac, iPhone, iPad, and has a native application for Windows. While it has a good web app that works on many systems, its core design and best features shine brightest on Apple devices.
5. What is the Graph View in Obsidian?
The Graph View is a key feature in Obsidian that visually maps out all your notes and the connections between them. This helps you see how your ideas are linked, discover hidden relationships, and explore your knowledge in a unique way.
6. Can I use Craft for team collaboration?
Yes, Craft is built with collaboration in mind and is excellent for team use. It allows multiple people to work on the same document in real-time, making it an ideal tool for shared projects, company wikis, or group study notes.
7. Does Obsidian support images and media?
Obsidian supports images, videos, and other media files, but it typically stores them in the same local folder as your notes and links to them. Displaying and embedding this media can be done, often with the help of community plugins.
8. What is “Markdown” that both apps use?
Markdown is a simple way to format text using basic symbols like a hashtag for a heading or asterisks for bold words. Both Obsidian and Craft support it, which makes your notes easy to read and transfer to other apps in the future.
9. Which app is easier for a note-taking beginner?
Craft is generally considered easier for beginners because of its intuitive, visually appealing interface and simple setup process. Obsidian takes more time to set up and customize but offers greater power once you learn how to use it.
10. Can I move my notes from Craft to Obsidian (or vice-versa)?
Yes, because both apps support Markdown, you can export your notes from one app and import them into the other. However, you might lose some specific formatting or complex block features that are unique to each app.
