Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Bear vs Sejda

Bear logo

Bear

Productivity

Markdown notes for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sejda logo

Sejda

Productivity

Browser based access to all PDF tools

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bear built for Apple hardware only, with no Windows, Android or web client; Sejda free tier is restricted by page and hourly limits and limited file uploads
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear and Sejda actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear and Sejda differ
AttributeBearSejda

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What people use each for

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

Bear

  • Note-taking with document scanningnot Sejda
  • Cross-device note synchronizationnot Sejda

Sejda

  • Combining multiple PDFs into single files and reordering pagesnot Bear
  • Converting PDFs to Excel, Word, PowerPoint for data extractionnot Bear
  • Filling and signing PDF forms with digital signatures and validationnot Bear
  • Extracting text from scanned documents through OCR processingnot Bear
  • Batch automating repetitive PDF tasks across hundreds of documentsnot 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

Sejda

  • Free tier is restricted by page and hourly limits and limited file uploads
  • OCR is capped at 100 pages even on paid plans
  • File uploads are capped at 500MB per file on paid plans
  • The 30 percent annual discount requires paying for a year upfront rather than monthly

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

Sejda

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Permanently available with no signup required
    • Page/hourly limits applied
    • Restricted file uploads
  • Web Week Pass$5/week
    • Browser-based tools only
    • Single user, 7-day access
  • Web Monthly$7.5/month
    • Browser access to all PDF tools
    • Recurring monthly billing
  • Desktop+Web Annual$63/year
    • Both desktop application and web access
    • Unlimited documents and no page limits
    • Process multiple files simultaneously

Which should you pick?

Choose Bear if

  • You want to start without paying.
Bear review

Choose Sejda if

  • You want to start without paying.
Sejda review

Questions people ask

Is Bear or Sejda better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear starts at Free and Sejda at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear or Sejda?
Bear starts at Free and Sejda at Free.
Does Bear or Sejda run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Bear for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Sejda is typically brought in for.

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
Sejda: How much does Sejda cost?

Sejda offers a free tier (no signup required), a Web Week Pass at $5 for 7 days, Web Monthly at $7.50/month, and Desktop+Web Annual at $63/year (30% savings versus monthly pricing).

Source
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
Sejda: Does Sejda offer volume discounts?

Yes, teams receive progressive discounts: 10% for 2-4 users, 20% for 5-24 users, 40% for 25-49 users, and 60% for 50+ users.

Source
Bear: Is there a free trial for Bear Pro?

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

Source
Sejda: What are the limitations of Sejda's free plan?

The free plan includes page/hourly limits and restricted file uploads. Paid subscriptions unlock unlimited documents, no page or hourly limits, simultaneous multi-file processing, extended task duration up to 21 minutes, and large file uploads up to 500MB.

Source
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