Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Bear vs Bear Notes

Bear logo

Bear

Productivity

Markdown notes for Apple devices

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
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 built for Apple hardware only, with no Windows, Android or web client; Bear Notes apple only: Bear runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad with no Windows, Android or web app

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear and Bear Notes differ
AttributeBearBear Notes
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebMacOS, IOS, IPadOS
FoundedUnknown2015

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

Nothing recorded that Bear Notes does not also cover.

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

What people use each for

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

Bear

No use cases recorded yet. See the Bear review.

Bear Notes

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

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bear

  • Built for Apple hardware only, with no Windows, Android or web client
  • Free tier is limited to 3 themes, 1 app icon and restricted export formats; iCloud sync requires Bear Pro
  • Bear Pro is $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year after a 7 day free trial

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Bear review.

Bear Notes

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Bear if

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

Bear review

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

Questions people ask

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