Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Bear vs SignWell

Bear logo

Bear

Productivity

Markdown notes for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SignWell logo

SignWell

Productivity

Electronic signature service priced per sender, with unlimited documents on paid plans

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; SignWell the free plan stops at three documents a month, which makes it a trial rather than a tier, so any genuine use converts to a paid seat within weeks.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear and SignWell actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear and SignWell differ
AttributeBearSignWell

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), 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 SignWell does not also cover.

Only in SignWell

  • Per-sender pricing
  • Free signers
  • Free plan
  • Templates
  • Audit trail
  • Automatic reminders
  • In-person signing
  • Bulk send and template links

What people use each for

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

Bear

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

SignWell

  • A small business sending a steady flow of contracts from one or two people, where per-envelope pricing elsewhere adds up faster than a seat would.not Bear
  • Replacing print, sign and scan for client agreements, offers of employment and consent forms.not Bear
  • Embedding signing into your own product through the API without committing to enterprise pricing first.not Bear
  • Repeated onboarding paperwork sent from a template with automatic chasing rather than manual reminders.not 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

SignWell

  • The free plan stops at three documents a month, which makes it a trial rather than a tier, so any genuine use converts to a paid seat within weeks.
  • Pricing is per sender, so an organisation where many people occasionally need to send something either buys seats for staff who send a handful of documents a year or funnels everything through one person and creates a bottleneck.
  • Templates are rationed by tier, at one on free and five per sender on the entry plan, and templates are what makes the tool worth using at all, so the practical entry point is a tier above the headline price.
  • It is a smaller vendor in a category where signed agreements must be retrievable years later, so the safe practice is downloading every signed document and its audit certificate into your own storage rather than relying on the account still existing.
  • It provides standard electronic signatures rather than acting as a qualified trust service provider, so any transaction requiring a qualified electronic signature under European rules needs a different supplier alongside it.

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

SignWell

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 sender
    • 1 template
    • 3 documents per month
  • Light$10/month
    • Annual pricing: $10/month (monthly: $12/month)
    • 1 sender
    • 5 templates per sender
  • Business$30/month
    • Annual pricing: $30/month (monthly: $36/month)
    • 3 senders
    • Unlimited templates and documents
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom pricing for teams of 50+
    • High volume support
    • Advanced compliance needs

Which should you pick?

Choose Bear if

  • You want to start without paying.
Bear review

Choose SignWell if

  • You need per-sender pricing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want free signers.
SignWell review

Questions people ask

Is Bear or SignWell better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear starts at Free and SignWell at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear or SignWell?
Bear starts at Free and SignWell at Free.
Does Bear or SignWell 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 SignWell is typically brought in for.
What can Bear do that SignWell cannot?
SignWell covers Per-sender pricing, Free signers, Free plan, Templates.

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
SignWell: Do signers need an account or a licence?

No. Recipients open a link, sign and are done, with no account and no cost. You pay only for the people who send documents.

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
SignWell: What does the free plan actually allow?

Three documents a month, one sender and one template, along with a small monthly allowance of API documents. It does not include custom branding or bulk send.

Bear: Is there a free trial for Bear Pro?

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

Source
SignWell: Is an electronic signature legally binding?

Electronic signatures are recognised for most commercial agreements under the relevant American and European frameworks, and SignWell records an audit trail. Certain instruments are excluded by statute, and anything requiring a qualified signature needs a qualified provider.

SignWell: How hard is it to leave?

The signed documents are ordinary PDFs you can download with their certificates, so the records move easily. Your templates and the workflows built around them do not.

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