I tried Mac’s best productivity app on Windows and here’s how it went

For years, Mac users have sung the praises of Craft, a sleek and powerful note-taking app that promises to redefine how we jot down notes, create documents, and publish them on the web. After being exclusive to the Apple platform for years, Craft has finally arrived for Windows. As a long-time Windows user, I couldn’t resist taking it for a spin, especially after the recent version 3.0 update brought some much-awaited features to the table.

In this post, I will share my experience with Craft on Windows, explore its unique features, and conclude if it lives up to the hype.

Beautiful UI and animations

Firstly, Craft is now available via the Microsoft Store on Windows. I prefer such apps so that I can avoid cumbersome setup processes.

Craft is known for its beautiful UI and smooth animations. I’m glad to see the same execution on the Windows platform. The company has nailed even the small details, where you can hover the cursor on a document, and it slightly tilts towards the right corner.

Just as Microsoft packed Windows 11 with subtle animations, Craft employs the same to create a more dynamic and engaging user experience. The interface is remarkably free of distractions. There are no overwhelming toolbars or cluttered menus, just a clean canvas for your thoughts and ideas.

I really like the translucent effect on the sidebar as well as the beautiful document backgrounds from the style gallery. Overall, it strikes a perfect balance between form and function and delivers an environment that’s both lovely and productive.

Eye-catching document backgrounds

Once you get used to eye-catching document backgrounds on Craft, other word-processing and note-taking software will feel bland. Yes, they are that good. Whether you are writing a class note, project brief, blog post, or meeting notes, you are given ample options to decorate the page with a background.

Also, these wallpapers aren’t distracting. They will simply provide a subtle backdrop that complements your content rather than competing with it. These documents truly shine when you share them on the web (more on this later).

A powerful digital journal with calendar integration

Craft’s versatility extends beyond taking notes and drafting documents. You can create a daily note from the calendar view and start your digital journal in no time. As always, you can customize the look and feel of your digital journal by choosing from a variety of backgrounds, fonts, and color schemes and make it truly your own.

The calendar integration leaves a lot to be desired, though. It’s not as feature-rich as its Mac counterpart. Also, if you are moving from a dedicated digital journal like Journey to Craft, you may find several features missing.

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Packed with useful features and task management

Craft offers a robust set of features that go beyond basic note-taking. It utilizes a modern block editor with a slash (/) command, gives the ability to link related notes and advanced databases, and carries a dedicated compact toolbar on the side to format the document and check required information like word count. Looking at the features list, it’s the perfect combination of Word and OneNote.

Craft also supports digital whiteboards that you can open in a separate window to use tools like arrows, sticky notes, shapes, and more to brainstorm ideas on an infinite canvas. However, the multi-tab support is missing on the Windows platform.

Advanced publishing with custom branding

As a part of Craft Plus ($10 per month), you can transform your notes into polished web pages with a custom domain and personalized branding. You can connect your own domain name (e.g., yourname.com or yourcompany.com) to Craft documents and give a professional touch to your published content in no time.

For example, you can use Craft to design a resume and share it via a secret link with interested parties. You can set an expiry date and password protect it to keep prying eyes away.

Limitations of Craft

Like any productivity software, Craft isn’t perfect. It’s not available on Android. Craft isn’t ideal for a PKM (Personal Knowledge Management) system as it lacks graph views. Some may also find the pricing on the higher side ($10 per month). I recommend waiting for promotional offers (the company often runs them on holidays) to bring the prices down. I also suggest starting with a free trial or a basic plan before hitting the buy button, to make sure it’s right for your needs.

A productivity powerhouse

My journey into the world of Craft has been a fascinating one. Unlike other developers (looking at you, Goodnotes and Arc), the Craft team has made significant efforts when bringing this powerful tool to a new audience.

While there’s still room for improvement (I would love to see built-in support for math equations and robust drawing tools) and further optimization on the Windows platform, Craft’s potential is undeniable. I’m excited to see how it evolves for Windows. Check out my dedicated guide if you are looking for more such productivity apps on your PC.

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