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Affinity Designer vs Bear Notes

Affinity Designer logo

Affinity Designer

Software

Professional graphic design software for everyone

From
$69.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Software

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bear Notes has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Affinity Designer sold as a one-time purchase rather than a subscription: the Windows or macOS edition was priced at CA$94.99, the cross-platform Universal License at CA$224.99, and the standalone iPad edition at CA$24.99 (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2024); Bear Notes apple only: Bear runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad with no Windows, Android or web app
  • They diverge on capability: Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Affinity Designer and Bear Notes actually diverge.

Attributes where Affinity Designer and Bear Notes differ
AttributeAffinity DesignerBear Notes
Starting price$69.99/one-timeFree
Pricing modelone-timefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosMacOS, IOS, IPadOS
Founded19942015

Identical on both: 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 Affinity Designer

  • Vector drawing
  • Bezier tools
  • Gradient tools
  • Typography
  • Pixel-perfect editing
  • Artboards
  • Symbols
  • Non-destructive effects

Only in Bear Notes

  • Markdown-based notes
  • Powerful tag system
  • Rich text formatting
  • Image support
  • iCloud sync
  • Dark and light themes
  • Encryption support
  • Backup and restore

What people use each for

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

Affinity Designer

  • Logo designnot Bear Notes
  • Vector illustrationnot Bear Notes
  • Icon designnot Bear Notes
  • Brandingnot Bear Notes

Bear Notes

  • Markdown note taking on Apple devicesnot Affinity Designer
  • Organising notes with nested hashtags rather than foldersnot Affinity Designer
  • Exporting notes to PDF, DOCX, HTML or ePubnot Affinity Designer

Where each one falls short

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

Affinity Designer

  • Sold as a one-time purchase rather than a subscription: the Windows or macOS edition was priced at CA$94.99, the cross-platform Universal License at CA$224.99, and the standalone iPad edition at CA$24.99 (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2024)

Bear Notes

  • Apple only: Bear runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad with no Windows, Android or web app
  • Sync across devices requires Bear Pro and works through iCloud only
  • The free version is limited to 3 export formats, 3 themes and 1 app icon
  • OCR search inside images and PDFs is Pro only
  • Note encryption is Pro only
  • The Pro trial lasts 7 days

Pricing, plan by plan

Affinity Designer

$69.99/one-time
  • Standard$69.99/one-time
    • Full version
    • All features
    • Lifetime updates

Bear Notes

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Note creation and organization
    • Tags
    • Local sync
  • Premium$1.99/month
    • iCloud sync
    • Themes
    • Markdown export

Which should you pick?

Choose Affinity Designer if

  • You need vector drawing.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Ios.
  • You also want bezier tools.
Affinity Designer review

Choose Bear Notes if

  • You need markdown-based notes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS.
  • You also want powerful tag system.
Bear Notes review

Questions people ask

Is Affinity Designer or Bear Notes better?
Neither clearly leads. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Bear Notes at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Affinity Designer or Bear Notes?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $69.99/one-time for Affinity Designer and Free for Bear Notes.
Does Affinity Designer or Bear Notes run on more platforms?
Affinity Designer runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time.
What is Affinity Designer best used for?
Affinity Designer is most often used for logo design, vector illustration, icon design, branding. Of those, logo design and vector illustration are not what Bear Notes is typically brought in for.
What can Affinity Designer do that Bear Notes cannot?
Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Gradient tools, Typography. Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support.
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