Productivity · head to head
Bear Notes vs iA Writer
iA Writer
Productivity
Distraction-free markdown writer with powerful focus mode
- From
- $4.99/month
- Rated
- -
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; iA Writer licences are per platform rather than per person, at $49.99 for Mac, $49.99 for iPhone and iPad and $29.99 for Windows
- They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, iA Writer covers Distraction-free writing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bear Notes and iA Writer actually diverge.
| Attribute | Bear Notes | iA Writer |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $4.99/month |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | MacOS, IOS, IPadOS | MacOS, IOS, IPadOS, Android, Web |
| Founded | 2015 | 2008 |
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
- Encryption support
- Backup and restore
Only in iA Writer
- Distraction-free writing
- Markdown editing
- Syntax highlighting
- Cross-platform sync
- Typewriter mode
- Focus mode
- Statistics
Both cover
- Dark and light themes
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Bear Notes
- Markdown note taking on Apple devicesnot iA Writer
- Organising notes with nested hashtags rather than foldersnot iA Writer
- Exporting notes to PDF, DOCX, HTML or ePubnot iA Writer
iA Writer
- Distraction free markdown writing on desktop and mobilenot Bear Notes
- Drafting and exporting long form text with focus modenot 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
iA Writer
- Licences are per platform rather than per person, at $49.99 for Mac, $49.99 for iPhone and iPad and $29.99 for Windows
- Writing on a Mac and a PC therefore means buying the software twice
Pricing, plan by plan
Bear Notes
Free- FreeFree
- Note creation and organization
- Tags
- Local sync
- Premium$1.99/month
- iCloud sync
- Themes
- Markdown export
iA Writer
$4.99/month- Monthly$4.99/month
- All platforms
- Sync
- All features
- Annual$39.99/year
- All platforms
- Sync
- All 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.
Choose iA Writer if
- You need distraction-free writing.
- You work on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS, Android, Web.
- You also want markdown editing.
Questions people ask
- Is Bear Notes or iA Writer better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and iA Writer at $4.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or iA Writer?
- Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and $4.99/month for iA Writer.
- Does Bear Notes or iA Writer run on more platforms?
- Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. iA Writer runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS, Android, Web.
- Can I use Bear Notes for free?
- Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. iA Writer starts at $4.99/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 iA Writer is typically brought in for.
- What can Bear Notes do that iA Writer cannot?
- Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. iA Writer covers Distraction-free writing, Markdown editing, Syntax highlighting, Cross-platform sync. Both handle Dark and light themes.
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