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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Memberstack

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Memberstack logo

Memberstack

Productivity

Add memberships and logins to any website

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; Memberstack basic and Professional tiers include transaction fees of 4% and 2% respectively
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Memberstack differ
AttributeBear NotesMemberstack
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb
Founded2015Unknown

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

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 Memberstack
  • Organising notes with nested hashtags rather than foldersnot Memberstack
  • Exporting notes to PDF, DOCX, HTML or ePubnot Memberstack

Memberstack

  • Launching course platforms without custom backendnot Bear Notes
  • Building subscription services with Webflow and paymentnot Bear Notes
  • Gating content without writing codenot Bear Notes
  • Managing password resets and two-factor authenticationnot Bear Notes
  • Processing Stripe billing automaticallynot 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

Memberstack

  • Basic and Professional tiers include transaction fees of 4% and 2% respectively
  • Annual billing required for discounts; monthly pricing is higher
  • Webflow community builders receive Basic plan free but locked to that tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Memberstack

Free
  • Basic$29/month
    • Up to 1,000 members
    • 4% transaction fee
    • $25/month with annual billing
  • Professional$49/month
    • Up to 5,000 members
    • 2% transaction fee
    • $39/month with annual billing
  • Business$99/month
    • 10,000+ members
    • 0.9% transaction fee
    • $79/month with annual billing
  • Established$499/month
    • 10,000+ members
    • Zero transaction fees
    • $399/month with annual billing

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 Memberstack if

  • You want to start without paying.
Memberstack review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Memberstack better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Memberstack at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Memberstack?
Bear Notes starts at Free and Memberstack at Free.
Does Bear Notes or Memberstack run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Memberstack runs on Web.
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 Memberstack is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Memberstack 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
Memberstack: What are Memberstack's transaction fees?

Memberstack's transaction fee varies by tier: Basic plan charges 4% per transaction, Professional charges 2%, Business charges 0.9%, and Established tier charges zero transaction fees.

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
Memberstack: Does Memberstack offer a free trial or testing mode?

Yes, Memberstack offers an unlimited free trial in test mode requiring no credit card. Users maintain full feature access at no cost until their site launches with real members.

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
Memberstack: What discounts does Memberstack offer?

Memberstack offers 50% discount for non-profits, special pricing for young professionals (4% fees), and $249/month with zero fees for startups under $1M raised. Webflow community builders receive the Basic plan free. 30-day money-back guarantee available with full refund.

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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