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Software · head to head

Bear Notes vs Bitwarden

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Software

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bitwarden logo

Bitwarden

Software

Open source password management for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bear Notes apple only: Bear runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad with no Windows, Android or web app; Bitwarden the integrated TOTP authenticator, encrypted file attachments, vault health reports and Emergency Access are all withheld from the free plan and need Premium at $1.65 per month
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Bitwarden covers Unlimited password storage.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear Notes and Bitwarden actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear Notes and Bitwarden differ
AttributeBear NotesBitwarden
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, Cli
Founded20152016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Bear Notes

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

Only in Bitwarden

  • Unlimited password storage
  • Cross-platform sync
  • Secure password sharing
  • Password generator
  • Two-factor authentication
  • Encrypted file attachments
  • Vault health reports
  • Emergency access

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Bitwarden

  • Personal password managementnot Bear Notes
  • Team credential sharingnot Bear Notes
  • Enterprise securitynot Bear Notes
  • Compliance requirementsnot Bear Notes
  • Developer secrets managementnot Bear Notes

Where each one falls short

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

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

Bitwarden

  • The integrated TOTP authenticator, encrypted file attachments, vault health reports and Emergency Access are all withheld from the free plan and need Premium at $1.65 per month
  • Free accounts can share vault items with one other Bitwarden user and no more
  • File storage is capped at 5 GB on Premium and 5 GB personal plus 5 GB family on the Families plan
  • Two-step login accepts up to 10 hardware security keys per account
  • The Families plan is capped at 6 people, so a seventh member means moving to a Teams subscription at $4 per user per month

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Bitwarden

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited passwords
    • 2 users (organizations)
    • Sync all devices
  • Teams$3/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Unlimited users
    • Shared collections
  • Enterprise$6/month
    • Everything in Teams
    • SSO integration
    • Enterprise policies

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Bitwarden if

  • You need unlimited password storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, Cli.
  • You also want cross-platform sync.
Bitwarden review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Bitwarden better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Bitwarden at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Bitwarden?
Bear Notes starts at Free and Bitwarden at Free.
Does Bear Notes or Bitwarden run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Bitwarden runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, Cli.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Bear Notes best used for?
Bear Notes is most often used for markdown note taking on apple devices, organising notes with nested hashtags rather than folders, exporting notes to pdf, docx, html or epub. Of those, markdown note taking on apple devices and organising notes with nested hashtags rather than folders are not what Bitwarden is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Bitwarden cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Bitwarden covers Unlimited password storage, Cross-platform sync, Secure password sharing, Password generator.
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