# Craft Problems & Issues 2026 - Sync Errors & Free Plan Limits

Source: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/craft
Last analyzed: 2026-10-21
Try or Bye score: 71/100

## Verdict: Try

Craft is worth trying for most users (score 71/100). Most reported issues: Craft free plan limited to 1,500 blocks; Craft not syncing between devices; Cluttered UI with confusing navigation. Not a good fit for: Users needing databases and project management; Heavy free tier users; Users who prioritize local data ownership. Users most often switch to Notion, Apple Notes, Obsidian.

## What it is

Craft is a document and note-taking app known for polished, visual documents. Native apps on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Vision Pro, plus Windows, Web and (since 2026) Android. Best for individuals and small teams who care about design; criticized for the 1,500-block free limit, Windows/web apps that lag behind the Mac app, and no databases. Won Apple's Mac App of the Year 2021.

## Common errors & fixes

### Craft Block Limit Still Showing After Upgrade

If Craft still shows the 1,500-block limit after you paid, sign out, fully quit the app, reopen and sign in with the account that bought the plan. Paid users can also hit a separate 300,000-blocks-per-space cap on Mac and iOS.

1. **Refresh the subscription** — Sign out of Craft Quit the app completely Reopen and sign in with the account used to purchase
2. **Check your plan** — Open Settings > Team > Plan Overview (or My Subscription) Confirm the plan is active on this account
3. **Check space usage** — Open Settings > Space Settings > Stats (Mac, iPad, iOS only) If a space is near 300,000 blocks, move documents to another space or archive old ones
4. **Contact support** — Email support@craft.do with your account email and receipt

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/craft/issues/block-limit-after-upgrade

### How to Cancel Craft Subscription

Cancel Craft where you bought it: in Craft (Settings > My Subscription > Settings and Billing > Cancel Subscription), in your Apple Account for App Store purchases, or at my.setapp.com for Setapp. You keep paid features until the period ends and your documents stay.

1. **Cancel a subscription bought in Craft** — Open Settings (Mac: click the space name at the top of the sidebar; iOS: space icon top-left; Android: profile picture top-right) Select My Subscription Click Settings and Billing on the subscription Choose Cancel Subscription and confirm
2. **Cancel an App Store subscription** — iPhone/iPad: Settings > your name > Subscriptions > Craft > Cancel Subscription Mac: App Store > your account > Account Settings > Subscriptions > Manage
3. **Cancel via Setapp** — Sign in at my.setapp.com and manage your membership
4. **Ask for a refund** — Bought directly from Craft: email support@craft.do App Store: request at reportaproblem.apple.com — only Apple can refund Setapp: contact Setapp support
5. **Downgrading plans** — Cancel first, wait for the current period to end, then subscribe to the new plan to avoid double billing

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/craft/issues/cancel-subscription

### Craft Documents Missing or Disappeared

Missing Craft documents are almost always on another account or space: Sign in with Apple and email login create separate accounts. Check the account email, switch spaces, and look in Recently Deleted (kept 30 days).

1. **Check which account you are on** — Open Settings > Account and note the email If it ends in @privaterelay.appleid.com you used Sign in with Apple Sign out and sign in with the other method to find your documents
2. **Switch spaces** — Click the space name at the top of the sidebar Open each space and check for the documents
3. **Look in Recently Deleted** — Open Recently Deleted in the sidebar Restore the documents; items older than 30 days or manually emptied are gone
4. **If Apple sign-in opens an empty account after an email change** — Sign in with your email and a login code instead To relink Apple: Settings > Account > Email Address > Continue with Apple (the new empty account must be deleted first; accounts cannot be merged)
5. **Don't reset sync to look for content** — Avoid Reset Sync Now — it can discard unsynced changes Contact Craft support from Settings > Diagnostics if documents are still missing

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/craft/issues/documents-missing

### Craft Markdown Export Missing Images

Plain Markdown export from Craft keeps only text and basic formatting; images are saved in a separate .assets folder. Export as TextBundle to keep images embedded, and keep the .assets folder next to the .md file.

1. **Export as TextBundle** — Open the document Click Share > Export As Choose TextBundle (.textbundle) to include images and attachments
2. **Keep the assets folder** — After a Markdown export, keep the .assets folder in the same directory as the .md file
3. **Bulk export on Mac or iPad** — Select documents in a folder (Shift+Click on Mac, tap and hold on iPad) Click ⋯ > Export As > Markdown, TextBundle or PDF
4. **Moving to Notion** — Export as Word (.docx) on Mac, iOS or Web — Notion uploads images from .docx imports

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/craft/issues/export-markdown-images-missing

### Craft iCloud External Storage Not Syncing

Craft's iCloud Drive External Storage spaces depend on iCloud, and Craft says it doesn't recommend using them across multiple devices. Force an iCloud sync, turn off Optimize Mac Storage, and check Apple's System Status — or move the space to Craft's own sync.

1. **Trigger iCloud sync** — Open the Files app (iOS) or Finder (Mac) and open the Craft folder to force download Toggle Airplane Mode on and off Restart the device
2. **Disable Optimize Mac Storage** — System Settings > Apple Account > iCloud > iCloud Drive Turn off Optimize Mac Storage
3. **Check storage, battery and Apple status** — Free device and iCloud storage Turn off Low Power Mode Check apple.com/support/systemstatus for iCloud Drive
4. **Use Craft sync instead** — For multi-device use, keep documents in a normal Craft space rather than External Storage

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/craft/issues/icloud-external-storage-not-syncing

### Craft Login Code Not Received

Craft login codes come from login-noreply@craft.do and often land in Spam or Promotions, or arrive late on Outlook/Hotmail addresses. Check those folders, wait a few minutes, then request a new code (which invalidates the old one).

1. **Check other mail folders** — Search your mailbox for login-noreply@craft.do Look in Spam, Junk, Promotions and Trash Check for mail rules that move the message
2. **Request a fresh code** — Wait a few minutes first Re-enter your email on the login screen to get a new code Use only the newest code — earlier ones stop working
3. **Microsoft email addresses** — Wait 15-30 minutes for delivery Add login-noreply@craft.do to your contacts and request again
4. **Try another network or device** — Switch from office Wi-Fi/VPN to mobile data If nothing arrives, contact Craft support with the email you sign in with

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/craft/issues/login-code-not-received

### Craft Not Syncing Between Devices

Craft sync usually stops because a VPN, ad blocker or firewall blocks Craft's servers, or because a device is signed into a different account. Open Settings > Diagnostics and tap Sync Now; if that fails, sign out, force-quit, wait 30 seconds and sign back in.

1. **Run a manual sync from Diagnostics** — On Mac, iPhone or iPad open Settings > Diagnostics Check the sync status and tap Sync Now If it fails, use Report Sync Error to send logs to Craft Do NOT use Reset Sync unless support asks — it discards unsynced local changes
2. **Fully quit and reopen Craft** — Mac: quit Craft in Activity Monitor iPhone/iPad: swipe Craft away in the app switcher Windows: end Craft in Task Manager or use Quit Craft from the tray icon Reopen and let it sync
3. **Disable VPN, ad blockers and network filters** — Temporarily turn off your VPN, AdGuard, Little Snitch or DNS filter Check browser extensions such as Hush or Plume Guard on the web app If sync works, allowlist *.craft.do in that tool
4. **Confirm every device uses the same account** — Open account settings on each device and compare the email An address ending in @privaterelay.appleid.com means Sign in with Apple Sign out and sign in with the same method everywhere
5. **Sign out and back in** — Sign out of Craft Force-quit the app and wait about 30 seconds Sign back in; on Windows/Web also clear cache and check the network
6. **Update Craft everywhere** — Update to the latest version on every device Check the minimum OS: macOS 12+, iOS/iPadOS 15+, Windows 10+

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/craft/issues/not-syncing

### Craft Offline Mode Not Working

On Windows, Web and Android, Craft only works offline after you turn on Offline Mode (Settings > Advanced) and open each document once while online. Mac and iOS work offline automatically.

1. **Turn on Offline Mode** — Web/Windows: click your space name top-left > Settings Android: tap the Settings icon Go to Advanced and switch on Offline Mode
2. **Cache documents before going offline** — While online, open every document you'll need Keep them in recent use so they aren't evicted from cache
3. **Know what needs a connection** — Creating documents/folders, search, comments, uploads, sharing, AI, moving or deleting documents and the Tasks view all require internet
4. **Avoid offline edits on two devices** — Let one device sync and reload the document before editing on another
5. **Fix 'You Are Offline' on Web/Windows** — Check your connection Pause editing Reload only if there are no unsynced changes

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/craft/issues/offline-mode-not-working

### Craft Server Not Found or Won't Load

'Server Not Found' or a Craft web/Windows app that won't load is usually a VPN, proxy, ad blocker or company firewall blocking Craft's domains. Disable the tool or allowlist *.craft.do, or try another network.

1. **Disable blockers temporarily** — Turn off VPN, proxy, AdGuard or Little Snitch In the browser, open a private window with extensions off
2. **Allowlist Craft** — Add api.craft.do, docs.craft.do and res.craft.do (or *.craft.do) to the tool's allowlist At work, ask IT to allow these domains
3. **Try another network** — Switch to mobile hotspot or home Wi-Fi If it fails on every network, contact Craft support

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/craft/issues/server-not-found

### Craft Slow or Laggy on Mac

Craft slowdowns on Mac usually come from many open tabs/windows, window managers like Magnet or Rectangle, External Storage spaces or third-party text tools. Restart Craft via Activity Monitor, close unused tabs and update those tools.

1. **Restart Craft properly** — Open Activity Monitor Select Craft and force quit Reopen Craft
2. **Reduce open tabs and windows** — Close documents and windows you aren't using
3. **Update window managers and text tools** — Update Magnet, Rectangle or similar For Grammarly: install the desktop app, grant Accessibility in System Settings > Privacy & Security, then restart Craft
4. **Send a Spindump for persistent lag** — In Activity Monitor select Craft > ⋯ > Spindump Send it to Craft support with your app and macOS version

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/craft/issues/slow-on-mac

### Craft Text Reverting or Disappearing

Text that reverts or vanishes in Craft is a sync conflict: the same document is open on another device or browser tab. Close it everywhere else, let sync finish, and update all devices.

1. **Close the document elsewhere** — Close the document on other devices and extra browser tabs Wait for sync to finish before editing
2. **Update every device** — Install the latest Craft on all devices
3. **Web flickering** — Reload the page Try a private window with extensions off Update or switch browser
4. **Report it** — If it repeats on one device, send a screen recording, app version and OS version to Craft support

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/craft/issues/text-reverts

### Craft Image or File Upload Failed

Craft retries an upload three times and then gives up. Check the connection and any VPN/ad blocker, then re-add the file; on the free plan files over 25 MB will always fail (Plus allows 5 GB).

1. **Check file size and plan** — Free: 25 MB per file and 1 GB total Plus/Family/Team: 5 GB per file Compress the file or upgrade
2. **Fix the network** — Disable VPN, proxy or ad blocker Re-add the file once online
3. **Add files on iOS the reliable way** — Save the photo/file to the device first In Craft tap + > Files and pick it

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/craft/issues/upload-failed

## Common problems

- **Craft free plan limited to 1,500 blocks** (pricing): The free Starter plan caps you at 1,500 content blocks, 1 GB storage and 25 MB per upload. Every paragraph, image or list item is a block, so regular users hit the wall within weeks. Notion, Apple Notes and Obsidian have no comparable block cap on free use.
- **Craft not syncing between devices** (reliability): Sync failures are common enough that Craft's troubleshooting guide puts them first: VPNs, ad blockers (AdGuard), Little Snitch and corporate firewalls block Craft's servers, and devices logged in with different methods silently use different accounts. Windows and Web have no Diagnostics panel to check sync status.
- **Cluttered UI with confusing navigation** (usability): Users report the UI cramps many features together, resulting in endless different views, confusing navigation and animations, and hidden elements behind multi-slide navs. Simple actions like changing text to a heading require multiple clicks through sidebars.
- **Sign in with Apple and email create separate Craft accounts** (security): Logging in with Sign in with Apple on one device and email on another creates two different accounts, so documents look 'gone'. Changing your email can also leave Apple sign-in pointing at a new empty account, and the two accounts cannot be merged.
- **Formatting and editing is cumbersome** (usability): Formatting can be cumbersome with unintuitive workflows. Adding a code block requires double click > ellipsis icon > Language > search for language. To change text to heading: Select text > Click sidebar > Format > Click heading. Simple actions take too many steps.
- **No built-in task management or databases** (usability): Craft lacks built-in task management features and database functionality that Notion offers. For users needing project management alongside notes, Craft falls short. You can't create relational databases, kanban boards, or complex task systems.
- **Craft Windows and web apps lag behind the Mac app** (performance): The Mac app is clearly the flagship; reviewers note the Web and Windows versions trail it. Windows lacks Word export and the Diagnostics panel, Stats are Apple-only, and offline mode must be turned on by hand and only caches documents you already opened.
- **New features feel incomplete and buggy** (usability): The app occasionally feels incomplete with users encountering minor issues. Collections (late 2024) is still in early stages with rough edges. Craft Styles are incomplete and frustrating to use in real-world scenarios. Features ship before they're fully polished.
- **Craft offline mode limited on Windows, web and Android** (reliability): Offline works automatically only on Mac and iOS. On Windows, Web and Android you must enable Offline Mode, closed documents don't sync in the background, and you can't create documents, search, upload images or use AI while offline.
- **iPad version lacks desktop-class features** (mobile): The iPad version lacks the desktop-class layout found with the Mac app, with only a single view on-screen most of the time. For users expecting full feature parity on iPad, the mobile experience is limiting compared to Mac.
- **iCloud External Storage spaces unreliable across devices** (security): Craft syncs through its own servers by default. You can create an External Storage space in iCloud Drive, but Craft's own help center says it does not recommend using External spaces across multiple devices and lists a long iCloud troubleshooting checklist. Users who want their notes in their own storage have no fully supported option.
- **Craft export loses formatting and images** (usability): Markdown export keeps only structure and basic formatting; images come with it only in TextBundle or in a separate .assets folder. Word export is missing on Windows, bulk export only works on Mac and iPad, and Web/Windows PDFs carry a Craft watermark by default.
- **Is Craft Plus worth $10 a month?** (pricing): Plus costs $10/month or $96/year; Family is $180/year and Team $600/year for up to 10 people. Prices vary by country, and 40% promo codes came and went in spring and summer 2026, so what you pay depends on timing. Old Pro subscribers keep their legacy plan.
- **Craft still shows free limits after upgrading** (reliability): Users who pay still see the 1,500-block prompt or are told they are not Pro. Craft's help center confirms it and tells users to sign out, fully quit and sign back in with the purchasing account. A separate 300,000-block-per-space cap on Apple devices also triggers upgrade prompts on paid plans.
- **Craft AI credits run out fast** (pricing): Craft AI is metered: 15 credits on the free plan and 50 per month on Plus. Heavy users of the assistant hit the cap quickly, and the larger 'Max' models are only on paid plans.

## What users like

- **Beautiful, native Apple design**: Craft won Apple's Best Mac App of 2021 for good reason. The interface is visually stunning with native Apple design language. Documents look polished and professional. The aesthetic quality surpasses most competitors.
- **Fast performance with offline-first architecture**: Craft is considerably faster than Notion, better optimized to be used offline. The native app architecture means instant response times. No waiting for cloud sync on every action. Works seamlessly without internet.
- **Excellent for visual document creation**: Craft focuses on helping users create visually appealing documents. Great for meeting notes, project briefs, and shareable documents. The output quality is higher than typical note-taking apps.
- **Now cross-platform including Windows and Android**: Craft now runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro, Windows, Web and Android (Android beta late 2025, full launch early 2026). It is no longer Apple-only, though the Apple apps are still the most polished.
- **Simple and streamlined compared to Notion**: Craft has a simpler and more streamlined interface than Notion. Less overwhelming for users who don't need databases and complex workflows. Better for focused writing and document creation.
- **API and MCP access for AI tools**: Craft added a public API and MCP server so tools like Claude or ChatGPT can read and write your docs. Both the free and Plus plans get API/MCP access (100 requests per minute).

## Pricing

- **Starter (Free)**: $0.00 (free) — hidden costs: 1,500 blocks fills up within weeks of regular use
- **Plus (Monthly)**: $10.00 (monthly) — hidden costs: AI capped at 50 credits/month; price varies by country (e.g. EUR 8)
- **Plus (Yearly)**: $96.00 (yearly) — hidden costs: Billed upfront; App Store purchases can only be refunded by Apple
- **Family (Yearly)**: $180.00 (yearly) — hidden costs: $18/month if billed monthly
- **Team (Yearly)**: $600.00 (yearly) — hidden costs: $60/month if billed monthly; fixed price even with fewer members
- **Education**: $0.00 (free) — hidden costs: Requires a school email

## Who should and shouldn't use it

- **Users needing databases and project management** — Avoid: Craft lacks built-in databases, kanban boards, and complex task management. For these needs, Notion is far superior. Craft is designed for documents, not project management.
- **Heavy free tier users** — Avoid: The 1500 block limit on the free tier is restrictive. If you need unlimited notes without paying, Notion, Apple Notes, or Obsidian offer more generous free tiers.
- **Users who prioritize local data ownership** — Avoid: Craft stores data on its own servers by default. External Storage (iCloud Drive) spaces exist but Craft itself does not recommend them across multiple devices. Obsidian keeps plain local Markdown files you control.
- **Apple users wanting beautiful native documents** — Good fit: Craft excels at creating visually appealing documents with native Apple design. For meeting notes, project briefs, and shareable docs, the aesthetic quality is unmatched.
- **Writers who value speed and offline use** — Good fit: Craft's offline-first architecture means fast performance without internet dependency. For focused writing without Notion's lag, Craft delivers a superior experience.
- **Students and educators** — Good fit: The free Education plan with Pro features makes Craft accessible for academic use. Good for lecture notes, study materials, and research documents.
- **Engineering teams** — Depends: Craft now runs on Windows, Web and Android and has code blocks plus an API, but no Git integration or databases. Fine for specs and docs, weak as an engineering wiki.
- **Small marketing teams** — Good fit: Beautiful briefs and shareable docs; the Team plan bundles up to 10 Plus accounts at a fixed price. Members on Windows get a weaker app.
- **Creative professionals** — Good fit: Stunning design, great for portfolios and creative briefs. Designers and writers appreciate the aesthetic and native Apple experience.

## Alternatives

- **Notion** (https://www.tryorbye.com/products/notion): Users who need databases, project tracking and real-time team editing switch to Notion. Gain: databases, kanban, unlimited free blocks for individuals. Trade-off: slower, less beautiful documents.
- **Apple Notes**: Apple ecosystem users switch for simpler, free notes with iCloud sync. Less powerful but zero friction. Better for quick capture without subscription.
- **Obsidian** (https://www.tryorbye.com/products/obsidian): Users wanting local files switch to Obsidian. Gain: own your data, cross-platform, powerful plugins. Trade-off: less visual, learning curve.
- **Bear** (https://www.tryorbye.com/products/bear): Users wanting simpler Apple-native switch to Bear. Gain: cleaner interface, better tags, lower price. Trade-off: fewer features, no databases.
- **Ulysses** (https://www.tryorbye.com/products/ulysses): Writers switch to Ulysses for long-form writing with better manuscript management. Superior for book/article writing with publishing features. Similar subscription model.
- **Evernote** (https://www.tryorbye.com/products/evernote): Users who want web clipping and search across years of notes on every platform. Gain: mature cross-platform capture. Trade-off: pricier, less beautiful documents.

## FAQ

### What is the Craft free plan limit?

The free Starter plan allows 1,500 content blocks, 1 GB storage, 25 MB per upload, 7-day version history and 15 AI credits. A block is any paragraph, image or list item, so the limit arrives quickly with regular use.

### Is Craft available on Windows and Android?

Yes. Craft has Windows and Web apps, and Android launched (beta late 2025, full release early 2026). The Mac and iOS apps remain the most complete: Windows lacks Word export and the Diagnostics panel, and offline mode must be enabled manually off Apple.

### Is Craft better than Notion?

For different use cases. Craft is better for: visual documents, speed, offline use, and Apple-native experience. Notion is better for: databases, project management, team collaboration, and unlimited free blocks. Choose based on whether you need beautiful docs or powerful features.

### Does Craft store data locally?

Not by default. Craft syncs through its own servers and caches documents for offline use. You can create an External Storage space in iCloud Drive, but Craft does not recommend using it across multiple devices. For true local-first files, Obsidian is the better fit.

### Is Craft free for students?

Yes. Craft offers a free Education plan with Pro features for students and educators. Sign up with a school-issued email to access unlimited docs and up to 250GB storage per space.

### Why is Craft formatting complicated?

Craft packs many features into its UI, which can make simple actions take multiple clicks. Changing text to a heading requires: Select text > Click sidebar > Format > Click heading. The trade-off for visual flexibility is workflow complexity.

### Why is Craft not syncing?

Usually a VPN, ad blocker (AdGuard), Little Snitch or a corporate firewall blocking api.craft.do, docs.craft.do or res.craft.do, or a device logged into a different account. On Mac/iOS open Settings > Diagnostics and tap Sync Now; if that fails, sign out, force-quit, wait 30 seconds and sign back in.

### Why are my Craft documents gone?

Most often you are signed into a different account: Sign in with Apple and email login create separate Craft accounts. Check which email you are on, switch spaces, and look in Recently Deleted (items stay 30 days).

### How much does Craft cost?

Starter is free (1,500 blocks, 1 GB). Plus is $10/month or $96/year. Family is $180/year for up to 6 people and Team is $600/year for up to 10. Prices are localized by country and Craft runs frequent 40% promos.

### How do I cancel my Craft subscription?

It depends where you paid. Bought in Craft: Settings > My Subscription > Settings and Billing > Cancel Subscription. App Store: cancel in your Apple Account subscriptions. Setapp: my.setapp.com. You keep paid features until the period ends and your documents are not deleted.

### Does Craft work offline?

Yes on Mac, iPhone and iPad automatically. On Windows, Web and Android you must turn on Offline Mode (Settings > Advanced) and only documents you opened before are available. Creating docs, search, uploads and AI need a connection.

### Is Craft worth it in 2026?

Yes if you write documents on Apple devices and value design and speed; the $96/year Plus plan is fair for that. No if you need databases, heavy team collaboration, or a strong Windows experience — Notion or Obsidian fit better.

### Can I export everything out of Craft?

Yes. Single documents export to PDF, Word (not on Windows), Markdown, TextBundle or image via Share > Export As. Bulk export of Markdown, TextBundle and PDF only works on Mac and iPad. Use TextBundle to keep images.

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Try or Bye aggregates problem patterns from user reviews, forums, and app stores. Methodology: https://www.tryorbye.com/methodology