Is Bear or HEY better?

Neither clearly leads. Bear starts at Free and HEY at $99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Bear or HEY?

Bear has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear and $99/year for HEY.

Does Bear or HEY run on more platforms?

Bear runs on Web. HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android.

Can I use Bear for free?

Yes. Bear has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HEY starts at $99/year.

What is Bear best used for?

Bear is most often used for note-taking with document scanning, cross-device note synchronization. Of those, note-taking with document scanning and cross-device note synchronization are not what HEY is typically brought in for.

What can Bear do that HEY cannot?

HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode.

Productivity · head to head

Bear vs HEY

Bear

Productivity

Markdown notes for Apple devices

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

HEY

Productivity

Flat annual subscription email service from 37signals, with its own hey.com domain and a distinctive Screener

From: $99/year
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Bear 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; HEY there is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear and HEY actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear and HEY differ
Attribute	Bear	HEY
Starting price	Free	$99/year
Pricing model	freemium	Per user per month
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Web	Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android

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 HEY does not also cover.

Only in HEY

The Screener
Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
Reply Later stack
Focus and Reply mode
Screen sharing style clips
No tracking pixels

What people use each for

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

Bear

Note-taking with document scanningnot HEY
Cross-device note synchronizationnot HEY

HEY

Someone who wants to replace Gmail or iCloud Mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inboxnot Bear
A user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversationnot Bear
A family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plannot Bear
A small company wanting HEY for Work on its own domain with the Screener model for the whole teamnot 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

HEY

There is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.
Adopting HEY means changing your actual email address, not just installing a new client, which is a bigger migration than switching apps on an existing address.
The Screener and categorisation model is a real departure from a standard inbox, and some users take time to adjust or find it gets in the way for high volume mail.
Short vanity addresses carry steep additional annual fees, up to 999 US dollars a year for a two character address.
It does not connect to or manage existing Gmail, Outlook or iCloud accounts, so it cannot be used as a general client the way Mimestream or Apple Mail can.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear

Free

FreeFree
- Local note access
- Document scanning
- PDF, image, text, markdown, HTML, DOCX, ePub export
Pro$2.99/month
- All free features plus 28+ themes
- 15 app icons
- PDF and image search across notes
Pro$29.99/year
- All free features plus 28+ themes
- 15 app icons
- PDF and image search across notes

HEY

$99/year

HEY for You$99/year
- One hey.com email address
- Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
- Billed annually only, no monthly option
HEY for Families$179/year
- Covers up to five family members
- Same features as HEY for You per member
HEY for Work$12/month
- Per user, for organisations on a company domain
- Admin controls for a team

Which should you pick?

Choose Bear if

You want to start without paying.

Bear review

Choose HEY if

You need the screener.
You work on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
You also want imbox, feed and paper trail.

HEY review

Questions people ask

Is Bear or HEY better?: Neither clearly leads. Bear starts at Free and HEY at $99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear or HEY?: Bear has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear and $99/year for HEY.
Does Bear or HEY run on more platforms?: Bear runs on Web. HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Bear for free?: Yes. Bear has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HEY starts at $99/year.
What is Bear best used for?: Bear is most often used for note-taking with document scanning, cross-device note synchronization. Of those, note-taking with document scanning and cross-device note synchronization are not what HEY is typically brought in for.
What can Bear do that HEY cannot?: HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bear: Does Bear offer a free plan?

Yes, Bear has a free plan with local note access, document scanning, and export to multiple formats, but without iCloud sync or PDF/image search.

Source

HEY: Can I use HEY with my existing Gmail address?

No. HEY provides its own hey.com email address; it is not a client layered over an existing Gmail or other account.

Bear: How much does Bear Pro cost?

Bear Pro is $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year. The yearly plan offers approximately 15% savings compared to monthly billing.

Source

HEY: Is there a free plan?

No. HEY offers a trial but bills annually only, with no free tier and no month to month option for individuals.

Bear: Is there a free trial for Bear Pro?

Yes, Bear Pro includes a 7-day free trial before charging begins.

Source

HEY: What is the Screener?

A feature that holds mail from any new sender until the user explicitly approves them, before it appears in the inbox at all.

Bear vs HEY

Bear

HEY

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Bear

Only in HEY

What people use each for

Bear

HEY

Where each one falls short

Bear

HEY

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear

HEY

Which should you pick?

Choose Bear if

Choose HEY if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Bear

More on HEY

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