What is Drafts used for?

Drafts is a quick-capture text app for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch that opens to a blank page and sends text elsewhere using actions. It is a good fit for capturing thoughts before filing them, sending text to email or task managers and automating text workflows on Apple devices.

Is Drafts open source?

No. Drafts is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to Drafts include FSNotes, Simplenote and Flatnotes.

What are some alternatives to Drafts?

Drafts competes with Bear, Ulysses and iA Writer. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Drafts alternatives.

Drafts: features, pricing and alternatives

About Drafts

Drafts is a text capture app for Apple devices that opens straight to a new blank page with the keyboard ready, so notes can be written or dictated before they are filed. The idea is to get words down first and decide later where they belong, without fiddling with folders or titles.

Its distinguishing feature is actions, which copy or send the text to other apps and services, and the app has a directory of ready-to-use actions and workspaces plus a JavaScript script reference for building custom ones. It runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch and publishes a user guide, community forums and a what's new page.

Drafts is distributed as native apps, with a free download, and it is not a self-hosted product. It suits people who want a fast inbox for text that feeds into email, task managers, notes apps or other tools.

Key features

Instant blank page capture
Dictation for hands-free notes
Actions to send text to other apps
Directory of shared actions
JavaScript scripting for custom actions
Apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Watch

Good fit for

→Capturing thoughts before filing them
→Sending text to email or task managers
→Automating text workflows on Apple devices

Tags: notes; quick-capture; apple; automation; text; scripting; note-taking

Drafts: questions and answers

What is Drafts used for?: Drafts is a quick-capture text app for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch that opens to a blank page and sends text elsewhere using actions. It is a good fit for capturing thoughts before filing them, sending text to email or task managers and automating text workflows on Apple devices.
Is Drafts free?: Yes. Drafts has a free plan.
Is Drafts open source?: No. Drafts is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to Drafts include FSNotes, Simplenote and Flatnotes.
What are some alternatives to Drafts?: Drafts competes with Bear, Ulysses and iA Writer. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Drafts alternatives.