Craft vs Zennotes
Choose ZenNotes if you want an MIT-licensed, self-hostable, keyboard-first Markdown workspace with local file ownership, Vim controls, tasks, daily notes, templates, diagrams, and MCP access. Keep Craft if your priority is turning notes into polished shareable documents or using its broader calendar, whiteboard, reminder, Android, and Vision Pro coverage; equivalent ZenNotes coverage is not documented. The centraly
Decision guide
The practical reasons to choose either option, based on documented capabilities.
Choose Zennotes if
- Vim users managing notes and tasks primarily from the keyboard
- Individuals who require ordinary Markdown files rather than application-managed note storage
- Home-server or LAN users who need a Docker-based self-hosted web app structure safely gated behind a private network or reverse proxy, VPN, or private network gate” appears in README. Could also be users needing selfhost
Stay with Craft if
- You need a documented note-to-polished-shareable-document workflow
- Your workflow depends on general calendar planning, reminders, or visual whiteboards rather than ZenNotes’ documented task calendar, Kanban, diagrams, and drawing files
- You require native Android or Vision Pro apps; supplied ZenNotes materials document desktop platforms and iPhone/iPad, but not those platforms
Deployment and operations
ZenNotes is MIT-licensed and self-hostable. It provides Electron desktop builds for macOS, Windows, and Linux, plus a browser app backed by a Go server; the website also documents iPhone and iPad support. Docker is supported through a published image or source build, while Kubernetes deployment is not documented. Source development requires Node.js 22+, npm, and Go 1.22+ for the server path. Desktop builds auto-update. The default Docker setup binds to localhost, creates an authentication token,
Migration considerations
No direct Craft importer or format-compatibility path is documented. ZenNotes reads ordinary .md files directly and has explicit support for Obsidian-style vault layouts, loose files, and wiki-link image embeds, so a move would require first obtaining Craft content in compatible files and then validating formatting, attachments, links, tasks, and document structure.
Feature fit
What Zennotes covers
- Markdown-oriented note creation and organization
- Daily-note workflows
- Tasks alongside notes
- Templates for new notes
- MCP integration
- Diagram or visual-content support
What’s different or missing
- Polished shareable-document workflow not documented
- General calendar-planning parity not documented
- Reminder support not documented
- Whiteboard parity not documented
- Android app not documented
- Vision Pro app not documented
Project snapshot
- GitHub stars
- 2,308
- Contributors
- 15
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last commit
- Aug 14, 2026
- Latest release
- Aug 14, 2026
Categories: Document Collaboration, Knowledge Management, Note Taking, File Sync & Storage, Project Management
Sources and editorial review11 linked sources
Public documentation supports this comparison. Automation assists collection and classification; editorial standards and corrections remain the responsibility of Kris.
Keyboard-first local Markdown notes with Vim motions, diagrams, and MCP integration.
repository description · github.comZenNotes is a keyboard-first Markdown notes app with a shared product core and multiple runtimes.
readme · github.comIt adds Vim-friendly editing, split and preview workflows, tasks, tags, archive/trash, diagrams, search, daily notes, CSV databases ... and MCP integration.
readme · github.comZenNotes also runs as a self-hosted web app backed by a Go server.
readme · github.comStart the self-hosted app: make up
readme · github.comEvery note is a normal `.md` file inside a chosen vault. ZenNotes does not store note content in a hidden database.
verdict · github.comZenNotes also runs as a self-hosted web app backed by a Go server.
deployment · github.com- Node.js 22+ - npm - Go 1.22+ for the server build path - Docker optional, for self-hosting
deployment · github.comAll desktop installers are attached to each [GitHub Release](https://github.com/ZenNotes/zennotes/releases/latest). The app auto-updates, so you only download once.
deployment · github.com- primary notes can live at the vault root instead of requiring `inbox/` - loose files anywhere in the vault are surfaced as files/assets - embedded files like `![[image.png]]` resolve more like Obsidian - new referenced files default to the vault root instead of a required attachments folder - leg
migration · github.comRecommended deployment model: - keep ZenNotes behind a reverse proxy, VPN, or private network gate - do not expose the raw Go server directly to the public internet unless you understand the tradeoffs
deployment · github.com
