Productivity · head to head
Bear vs iA Writer
iA Writer
Productivity
Distraction-free markdown writer with powerful focus mode
- From
- $4.99/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Bear built for Apple hardware only, with no Windows, Android or web client; iA Writer licences are per platform rather than per person, at $49.99 for Mac, $49.99 for iPhone and iPad and $29.99 for Windows
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bear and iA Writer actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 iA Writer does not also cover.
Only in iA Writer
- Distraction-free writing
- Markdown editing
- Syntax highlighting
- Dark and light themes
- Cross-platform sync
- Typewriter mode
- Focus mode
- Statistics
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.
iA Writer
- Distraction free markdown writing on desktop and mobilenot Bear
- Drafting and exporting long form text with focus modenot 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
iA Writer
- Licences are per platform rather than per person, at $49.99 for Mac, $49.99 for iPhone and iPad and $29.99 for Windows
- Writing on a Mac and a PC therefore means buying the software twice
Pricing, plan by plan
Bear
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Bear review.
iA Writer
$4.99/month- Monthly$4.99/month
- All platforms
- Sync
- All features
- Annual$39.99/year
- All platforms
- Sync
- All features
Which should you pick?
Choose Bear if
Nothing in the data separates Bear from iA Writer on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Choose iA Writer if
- You need distraction-free writing.
- You work on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS, Android, Web.
- You also want markdown editing.
Questions people ask
- Is Bear or iA Writer better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bear starts at On request and iA Writer at $4.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bear or iA Writer?
- Bear starts at On request and iA Writer at $4.99/month.
- Does Bear or iA Writer run on more platforms?
- Bear runs on Web. iA Writer runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS, Android, Web.
- What can Bear do that iA Writer cannot?
- iA Writer covers Distraction-free writing, Markdown editing, Syntax highlighting, Dark and light themes.
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- iA Writer vs Todoist
- iA Writer vs Things 3
- iA Writer vs OmniFocus 3
- iA Writer vs Brain.fm
- iA Writer vs TickTick
- iA Writer vs Akiflow
- iA Writer vs Any.do
- iA Writer vs Focus@Will
- iA Writer vs Forest
- iA Writer vs Google Workspace
- iA Writer vs Hubstaff
- iA Writer vs Remember The Milk
- iA Writer vs Structured
- iA Writer vs Tana
- iA Writer vs Time Doctor
- iA Writer vs 7-Zip
- iA Writer vs Bear Notes
- iA Writer vs BoldSign