These two answer the same question differently: where do your notes live? Obsidian stores them as markdown files on your own disk and gives the app away without a block limit - there is no account required to use it. Craft stores your content in its own cloud and meters it: Starter allows 1,500 blocks, 1 GB of storage, a 25 MB media upload limit and 15 AI credits.
TL;DR
Obsidian gives the application away without limits and keeps your notes as local plain-text files: no sign-up, no block cap. Its paid products are optional services - Sync at $4 per user per month billed annually and Publish at $8 per site per month - plus a $50 per user per year commercial licence. Craft is a hosted, opinionated writing app whose free plan stops at 1,500 blocks, 1 GB storage and 15 AI credits, with Plus at $8/month (or $6.40 billed yearly) for unlimited content. Choose Obsidian when you want files you own and plugins you control. Choose Craft when you want a polished app that works the same way on every device without configuration.
Obsidian monetises services rather than content. Sync, which carries notes across devices with end-to-end encryption, version history and shared-vault collaboration, is $4 per user per month billed annually or $5 billed monthly. Publish, which turns a vault into a website, is $8 per site per month billed annually or $10 billed monthly, and it also carries an optional $25 one-time Catalyst payment for early access and a $50 per user per year commercial licence for organisations.
Craft's paid tier is simpler: Plus at $8/month, or $6.40/month billed yearly, removes the content and storage limits, extends version history from 7 to 30 days and raises the AI allowance to 50 credits a month with access to larger models. Family bundles 2 to 6 accounts at $15/month and Team covers up to 10 accounts at $50/month. The practical consequence is that Obsidian is cheap for individuals and free for anyone who syncs with their own tooling, while Craft is predictable per person and included in a subscription. Neither is more honest than the other; they optimise for different kinds of owner.
| Feature | Craft | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Starter: 1,500 blocks, 1 GB storage, 25 MB media upload, 15 AI credits | App free without limits, no sign-up required |
| Where notes live | Craft's cloud, in Craft's own format | Plain markdown files on your own device |
| Entry paid tier | Plus, $8/month (or $6.40/month billed yearly) | Optional: Sync at $4/user/month billed annually |
| Mid tier | Family, $15/month for 2-6 accounts ($12 yearly) | Publish at $8/site/month billed annually |
| Top tier | Team, $50/month up to 10 accounts | Commercial licence at $50/user/year, plus optional $25 one-time Catalyst |
| Cross-device sync | Included from Starter | From Sync at $4/user/month (annual) or $5 monthly |
| Version history | 7 days Starter, 30 days Plus | Included with Sync |
| Publishing | Sharing via link from Starter, Spaces with Family | Publish at $8/site/month annual or $10 monthly |
| AI features | 15 credits on Starter, 50 credits/month on Plus, larger models on Plus | Not bundled; available through community plugins |
| Extensibility | Built-in feature set with API and MCP access on Plus | Community plugin ecosystem |
| Encryption | Hosted service | End-to-end encryption on Sync |
| Team collaboration | Shared Spaces via Family and Team bundles | Shared vaults with Sync |
| Best fit | People who want a finished, hosted writing app on every device | People who want to own their files and build their own system |
Pick Craft if
Craft suits people who want the note-taking problem solved out of the box: native apps, polished documents, tasks and calendar in one place, cross-device sync from the free plan, and unlimited content on Plus for $8/month (or $6.40 billed yearly). The cost is that your notes live in Craft's cloud and format.
Pick Obsidian if
Obsidian wins when ownership and portability matter most. The app is free without limits, notes are markdown files you can read without it, and the paid products - Sync at $4 per user per month, Publish at $8 per site per month - are optional additions rather than the price of entry.
We did not collect or verify third-party reviews or user quotes for either product, so no review scores or testimonials beyond the vendors' own published material appear here.
The application is free without limits and requires no sign-up. Sync ($4 per user per month billed annually) and Publish ($8 per site per month billed annually) are optional paid services, and a $50 per user per year commercial licence is required for business use.
Starter allows 1,500 blocks, 1 GB of storage, a 25 MB media upload limit, 15 AI credits and 7 days of version history, with cross-device sync included.
Obsidian keeps them as plain markdown files on your own device. Craft keeps them in its cloud in its own format, which is why the free plan is metered in blocks and storage.
Obsidian with Sync costs $4 per user per month billed annually ($5 monthly). Craft Plus costs $8 per month ($6.40 billed yearly) and includes sync plus 50 AI credits a month.
Craft does: 15 AI credits on Starter and 50 credits per month on Plus, with access to larger models on the paid plan. Obsidian ships no bundled AI service, though community plugins add AI features.
Yes. Craft shares documents by link and offers Spaces with its Family plan. Obsidian's Publish service is $8 per site per month billed annually or $10 monthly, and includes themes, graph view and search.
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