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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Foxit PDF Editor

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Foxit PDF Editor logo

Foxit PDF Editor

Productivity

The #1 Alternative to Adobe Acrobat

From
$10.99/month
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: Bear Notes apple only: Bear runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad with no Windows, Android or web app; Foxit PDF Editor the $209.99 perpetual licence excludes the AI Assistant, Smart Redact, the Document Management System and all cloud features
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear Notes and Foxit PDF Editor actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear Notes and Foxit PDF Editor differ
AttributeBear NotesFoxit PDF Editor
Starting priceFree$10.99/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

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 Foxit PDF Editor

Nothing recorded that Bear Notes does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Foxit PDF Editor

  • Creating, editing and signing PDF documents on Windows, macOS or the webnot Bear Notes
  • Buying a perpetual PDF editor licence instead of a subscriptionnot Bear Notes
  • Sending documents for signature with eSign, at 150 envelopes a year on PDF Editor+not 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

Foxit PDF Editor

  • The $209.99 perpetual licence excludes the AI Assistant, Smart Redact, the Document Management System and all cloud features
  • Mobile apps for iOS and Android start on PDF Editor+ at $159.99 a year, not on the entry subscription
  • The AI Assistant is capped at 20 free credits per month on the entry plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Foxit PDF Editor

$10.99/month
  • PDF Editor$10.99/month
    • $131.88 per year paid in full
    • Document Management System
    • AI Assistant with 20 free credits per month
  • PDF Editor+$159.99/year
    • Everything in PDF Editor
    • iOS and Android apps
    • AI Smart Redact
  • Foxit PDF Editor 14 perpetual$209.99/one-time
    • One time purchase, no subscription
    • Editing, conversion, OCR, forms and security
    • Excludes AI Assistant, Smart Redact, DMS and cloud features

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 Foxit PDF Editor if

Nothing in the data separates Foxit PDF Editor from Bear Notes on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Foxit PDF Editor review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Foxit PDF Editor better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Foxit PDF Editor at $10.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Foxit PDF Editor?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and $10.99/month for Foxit PDF Editor.
Does Bear Notes or Foxit PDF Editor run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Foxit PDF Editor runs on Web.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Foxit PDF Editor starts at $10.99/month.
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 Foxit PDF Editor is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Foxit PDF Editor cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bear Notes: How much does Bear Pro cost per month or year?

Bear Pro costs $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year. Annual subscribers receive a 15% discount compared to monthly pricing.

Source
Foxit PDF Editor: How much does Foxit PDF Editor cost?

Foxit PDF Editor starts at $10.99 per month, or $131.88 per year paid in full. PDF Editor+ is $159.99 per year. A perpetual licence for Foxit PDF Editor 14 is a one time $209.99.

Source
Bear Notes: Does Bear offer a free trial before committing to a subscription?

Yes, Bear Pro includes a 7-day free trial with no credit card required.

Source
Foxit PDF Editor: Can I buy Foxit PDF Editor without a subscription?

Yes. Foxit PDF Editor 14 is sold as a one time perpetual licence at $209.99. It covers editing, conversion, OCR, forms and security, but excludes the AI Assistant, Smart Redact, the Document Management System and cloud features.

Source
Bear Notes: What export formats are available with Bear Pro?

Bear Pro subscribers can export notes in multiple formats including TXT, Markdown, TextBundle, RTF, PDF, JPG, HTML, DOCX, and ePub.

Source
Foxit PDF Editor: Is there a free trial of Foxit PDF Editor?

Yes. Foxit offers a 14 day trial of PDF Editor+ with no credit card required.

Source
Bear Notes: Can I sync my notes across devices with the free Bear plan?

No, iCloud sync is only available with Bear Pro. The free plan allows local note access but does not support cloud synchronization across devices.

Source
Bear Notes: What features are included in the free Bear plan?

The free plan includes local note access, document scanning, limited export formats, 3 themes, and 1 app icon. PDF and image search requires Bear Pro.

Source
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