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Software · head to head

Craft Docs vs Northbeam

Craft Docs logo

Craft Docs

Software

Beautiful document and note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Northbeam logo

Northbeam

Software

Marketing intelligence for growth brands

From
$1500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Craft Docs has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Craft Docs primarily designed for Apple ecosystem; limited support for Windows or Android; Northbeam limited creative-level reporting focused on campaign and ad set rather than individual ad performance
  • They diverge on capability: Craft Docs covers Rich document editing, Northbeam covers Cross-platform attribution.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Craft Docs and Northbeam actually diverge.

Attributes where Craft Docs and Northbeam differ
AttributeCraft DocsNorthbeam
Starting priceFree$1500/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, iPadOS, macOS, WebWeb, API
Founded20192020

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Craft Docs

  • Rich document editing
  • Beautiful templates
  • Collaboration in real-time
  • Comments and discussions
  • iCloud sync
  • Powerful search
  • Dark and light themes
  • File attachments

Only in Northbeam

  • Cross-platform attribution
  • Media mix modeling
  • Creative analytics
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Incrementality testing
  • Customer journey
  • Cohort analysis
  • LTV predictions

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Craft Docs

  • Productivitynot Northbeam
  • Collaborationnot Northbeam
  • Task managementnot Northbeam
  • Organizationnot Northbeam

Northbeam

  • Marketing attributionnot Craft Docs
  • Media optimizationnot Craft Docs
  • Creative testingnot Craft Docs
  • Budget allocationnot Craft Docs

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Craft Docs

  • Primarily designed for Apple ecosystem; limited support for Windows or Android
  • Smaller ecosystem and community compared to Notion or Obsidian
  • Collaboration features less mature than dedicated team document platforms
  • Requires learning Craft-specific formatting and structure

Northbeam

  • Limited creative-level reporting focused on campaign and ad set rather than individual ad performance
  • Lack of transparency in attribution modeling methodology and how credit is assigned
  • Pageview-based pricing that can scale faster than perceived value for high-traffic, lower-conversion brands
  • Slower reporting cadence limits real-time feedback for teams requiring immediate performance data

Pricing, plan by plan

Craft Docs

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Craft Docs review.

Northbeam

$1500/month
  • Starter$1500/month
    • Multi-touch attribution
    • Media mix modeling
    • Up to 1M monthly pageviews
  • Professional$2500/month
    • All Starter features
    • Creative analytics
    • Export API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Craft Docs if

  • You need rich document editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Web.
  • You also want beautiful templates.
Craft Docs review

Choose Northbeam if

  • You need cross-platform attribution.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want media mix modeling.
Northbeam review

Questions people ask

Is Craft Docs or Northbeam better?
Neither clearly leads. Craft Docs starts at Free and Northbeam at $1500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Craft Docs or Northbeam?
Craft Docs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Craft Docs and $1500/month for Northbeam.
Does Craft Docs or Northbeam run on more platforms?
Craft Docs runs on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Web. Northbeam runs on Web, API.
Can I use Craft Docs for free?
Yes. Craft Docs has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Northbeam starts at $1500/month.
What is Craft Docs best used for?
Craft Docs is most often used for productivity, collaboration, task management, organization. Of those, productivity and collaboration are not what Northbeam is typically brought in for.
What can Craft Docs do that Northbeam cannot?
Craft Docs covers Rich document editing, Beautiful templates, Collaboration in real-time, Comments and discussions. Northbeam covers Cross-platform attribution, Media mix modeling, Creative analytics, Real-time dashboards.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Craft Docs: What platforms does Craft Docs support?

Craft Docs is available on iOS, iPad, and Mac, with deep integration into Apple's ecosystem. A web version is also available.

Source
Northbeam: How is Northbeam priced?

Northbeam offers three tiers: Starter ($1,500/month), Professional ($2,500/month), and Enterprise (custom quote). Pricing is based on monthly pageviews and refreshed data frequency. There are no setup fees, free plan, or free trial.

Source
Craft Docs: Can you collaborate on documents in Craft Docs?

Yes. Craft Docs supports real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to edit documents simultaneously.

Source
Northbeam: What platforms does Northbeam integrate with?

Northbeam integrates with Shopify, Meta Ads, Google Ads, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube, Klaviyo, Recharge, and others. It pushes attribution data to Meta CAPI, Google Conversion API, GA4, and TikTok Events API.

Source
Craft Docs: Does Craft Docs have AI features?

Yes. Craft Docs includes AI-powered writing assistance and editing features.

Source
Northbeam: What does Northbeam measure?

Northbeam uses multi-touch attribution (MTA), media mix modeling (MMM), and Northbeam Apex to measure how paid media spend translates to revenue. Apex sends attribution data directly back to ad platforms for algorithm optimization.

Source
Craft Docs: Can you use Craft Docs offline?

Yes. Craft Docs allows offline editing with synchronization when connectivity is restored.

Source
Northbeam: Who should use Northbeam?

Northbeam is ideal for intermediate to advanced ecommerce operators at Shopify-based DTC brands generating $1M+ annual revenue and spending at least $1.5M yearly on paid media across multiple channels.

Source
Northbeam: What are Northbeam's main limitations?

Key limitations include a steep learning curve and complex interface, shallow creative-level reporting, lack of model transparency, pricing that can scale faster than value for high-traffic brands, and slower reporting cadence compared to real-time dashboards.

Source
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