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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Nitro PDF

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nitro PDF logo

Nitro PDF

Productivity

Edit, convert, secure, and sign PDF with annotation, OCR, and more

From
On request
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; Nitro PDF specific per-seat pricing is not published; must contact sales for individual plan pricing and volume discounts
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Nitro PDF differ
AttributeBear NotesNitro PDF
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
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 Nitro PDF

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

Nitro PDF

  • PDF creation, editing, annotation, and form filling for document workflowsnot Bear Notes
  • E-signature workflows and document sending through Nitro Signnot Bear Notes
  • Enterprise document management with compliance featuresnot 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

Nitro PDF

  • Specific per-seat pricing is not published; must contact sales for individual plan pricing and volume discounts
  • SSO and enterprise features (Azure Information Protection) are limited to Plus tier, not available in Standard
  • Plans support up to 20 licenses online; teams needing 20+ users must contact sales

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Nitro PDF

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Nitro PDF review.

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 Nitro PDF if

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

Nitro PDF review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Nitro PDF better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Nitro PDF at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Nitro PDF?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and On request for Nitro PDF.
Does Bear Notes or Nitro PDF run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Nitro PDF runs on Web.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Nitro PDF starts at On request.
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 Nitro PDF is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Nitro PDF 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
Nitro PDF: What are the main Nitro PDF plans and their pricing?

Nitro offers Standard and Plus tiers for PDF tools, plus Nitro Sign for e-signatures. Standard is an annual subscription with unlimited users and basic PDF features. Plus adds SSO, domain control, and Azure Information Protection. Specific pricing requires contacting Nitro sales. A 14-day free trial is available without a credit card.

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
Nitro PDF: What is the difference between Nitro PDF Standard and Plus?

Nitro PDF Standard includes core PDF creation, editing, annotation, OCR, AI tools, and team management. Plus adds enterprise security features including single sign-on (SSO), domain control, Azure Information Protection, Nitro Analytics, and a dedicated customer success manager for eligible customers.

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
Nitro PDF: Is there a perpetual license option for Nitro PDF?

Yes. Nitro PDF Classic is a one-time purchase for a 3-year license at a fixed price (not published online). It runs on Windows desktop only and includes core PDF tools. The Standard and Plus tiers are annual subscriptions.

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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