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Bear vs Obsidian

Bear logo

Bear

Software

Markdown notes for Apple devices

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Obsidian logo

Obsidian

Software

A powerful knowledge base on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Obsidian 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; Obsidian sync is a paid add-on at $4 per month billed annually rather than part of the app

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear and Obsidian actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear and Obsidian differ
AttributeBearObsidian
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2020

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Obsidian does not also cover.

Only in Obsidian

  • Bidirectional linking
  • Graph view visualization
  • Markdown support
  • Local file storage
  • Plugin ecosystem
  • Custom CSS themes
  • Templates
  • Search and tags

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.

Obsidian

  • Local-first markdown note taking with no account requirednot Bear
  • Linking notes into a personal knowledge graphnot Bear
  • Syncing a vault across devices with end-to-end encryption on the paid add-onnot Bear
  • Publishing a public site from a vaultnot Bear
  • Extending the editor with community pluginsnot 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

Obsidian

  • Sync is a paid add-on at $4 per month billed annually rather than part of the app
  • Publishing to the web is a further $8 per month per site
  • Commercial use asks for a $50 per user per year licence, though the vendor states it is not required
  • Collaboration is limited compared with a hosted notes tool, since the vault is local files first

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Bear review.

Obsidian

Free
  • Obsidian Sync$4/month
    • Sync notes across devices
  • Obsidian Publish$8/month
    • Turn notes into a website

Which should you pick?

Choose Bear if

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

Bear review

Choose Obsidian if

  • You need bidirectional linking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
  • You also want graph view visualization.
Obsidian review

Questions people ask

Is Bear or Obsidian better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear starts at On request and Obsidian at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear or Obsidian?
Obsidian has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Bear and Free for Obsidian.
Does Bear or Obsidian run on more platforms?
Bear runs on Web. Obsidian runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
Can I use Obsidian for free?
Yes. Obsidian has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bear starts at On request.
What can Bear do that Obsidian cannot?
Obsidian covers Bidirectional linking, Graph view visualization, Markdown support, Local file storage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Obsidian: Is Obsidian free?

Yes. The core Obsidian application is 100% free for personal and commercial use with no limitations. You can use unlimited vaults and every core feature without payment.

Source
Obsidian: What file format does Obsidian use?

Obsidian stores every note as a plain Markdown file. Because it uses standard Markdown instead of a proprietary format, your notes remain portable and can be edited with many other Markdown editors.

Source
Obsidian: Can I collaborate with others in Obsidian?

The core application does not include built-in team collaboration features. However, Obsidian offers optional add-ons and can be used with version control systems or cloud storage for collaboration.

Source
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