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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Yap

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit Bear NotesFull review
Yap logo

Yap

Productivity

Fast dictation. Private by design.

From
$6.9/month
Free plan
No
Visit YapFull review

The short version

  • Bear Notes has a free plan, then $1.99/mo; Yap starts at $6.9/mo.
  • Only Bear Notes lists markdown-based notes; only Yap lists dictation at the cursor.
  • Where Bear Notes falls short: apple only: Bear runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad with no Windows, Android or web app.
  • Where Yap falls short: intel Macs are not supported; the Mac app needs Apple Silicon (M1 or later), and the iPhone app needs an iPhone 12 Pro, 13 Pro, 14 or newer.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Yap differ
AttributeBear NotesYap
Starting priceFree$6.9/month
Pricing modelFreemiumSubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsmacOS, iOSmacOS, Windows, iOS, Android

Identical on both: category (Productivity).

Not yet recorded: founded for Yap.

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 Yap

  • Dictation at the cursor
  • On-device recognition
  • Automatic language detection
  • Text cleanup
  • Hands-free recording
  • Local history
  • Voice input for coding tools
  • Phone keyboards

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Yap

  • Dictating emails, messages and documents in any app on Mac or Windowsnot Bear Notes
  • Speaking long prompts into ChatGPT, Claude or a coding agentnot Bear Notes
  • Voice input for developers who cannot send code or screen contents to a cloud servicenot Bear Notes
  • Reducing keyboard use for people with RSI or wrist painnot Bear Notes
  • Drafting by voice where audio must not leave the device, such as legal or therapy notesnot 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

Yap

  • Intel Macs are not supported; the Mac app needs Apple Silicon (M1 or later), and the iPhone app needs an iPhone 12 Pro, 13 Pro, 14 or newer
  • Recognition is local but the app is not fully offline: it needs internet for first launch, activation and periodic access checks, and offline access lasts at most 24 hours
  • The Windows installer downloaded from the website is not code-signed, so Windows shows a SmartScreen warning; the Microsoft Store version is signed
  • 25 languages are supported, and the vendor notes accuracy varies by language, voice and recording conditions
  • The free period is only 3 days, after which continuing requires a card for the 10-day trial; there is no free tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Yap

$6.9/month
  • Monthly$6.9/mo
    • Unlimited on-device dictation
    • 25 languages, detected as you speak
    • Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android
  • Yearly$69/yr
    • Same app and features as monthly
    • Saves $13.80 a year against monthly billing
    • 10-day trial with a card

Which should you pick?

Choose Bear Notes if

  • You need markdown-based notes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, iOS.
  • You also want powerful tag system.
Bear Notes review

Choose Yap if

  • You need dictation at the cursor.
  • You work on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
  • You also want on-device recognition.
Yap review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Yap better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Yap at $6.9/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Yap?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and $6.9/month for Yap.
Does Bear Notes or Yap run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on macOS, iOS. Yap runs on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Yap starts at $6.9/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 Yap is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Yap cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Yap covers Dictation at the cursor, On-device recognition, Automatic language detection, Text cleanup.

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
Yap: How much does Yap cost?

A free account works for 3 days with no card. After that a 10-day trial with a card leads to $6.90 a month or $69 a year. Cancel before the trial ends and you are not charged.

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
Yap: Does Yap upload my voice?

No. Speech recognition runs on the device and audio is not uploaded to a transcription service. Completed text is kept in a local history you can copy or delete. An internet connection is needed to download the speech model on first use.

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
Yap: Which computers does Yap run on?

Apple Silicon Macs (M1 and later) and Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit. Intel Macs are not supported. There are also apps for iPhone (iOS 17 or later) and Android 10 or later, covered by the same subscription.

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
Yap: Which languages does Yap support?

25 languages. Each recording detects its own language from the audio, so there is no need to select languages in advance.

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
Yap: Does Yap work offline?

Transcription runs locally, but internet access is required for first launch, activation and periodic access checks. Offline access lasts up to 24 hours.

Source
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