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Productivity · head to head

Bear vs Yap

Bear logo

Bear

Productivity

Markdown notes for Apple devices

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit BearFull review
Yap logo

Yap

Productivity

Fast dictation. Private by design.

From
$6.9/month
Free plan
No
Visit YapFull review

The short version

  • Bear is a markdown-based note-taking app for Mac, iPhone and iPad.
  • Bear has a free plan, then $2.99/mo; Yap starts at $6.9/mo.
  • Where Bear falls short: built for Apple hardware only, with no Windows, Android or web client.
  • Where Yap falls short: intel Macs are not supported; the Mac app needs Apple Silicon (M1 or later), and the iPhone app needs an iPhone 12 Pro, 13 Pro, 14 or newer.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear and Yap actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear and Yap differ
AttributeBearYap
Starting priceFree$6.9/month
Pricing modelFreemiumSubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebmacOS, Windows, iOS, Android

Identical on both: 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 Yap does not also cover.

Only in Yap

  • Dictation at the cursor
  • On-device recognition
  • Automatic language detection
  • Text cleanup
  • Hands-free recording
  • Local history
  • Voice input for coding tools
  • Phone keyboards

What people use each for

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

Bear

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

Yap

  • Dictating emails, messages and documents in any app on Mac or Windowsnot Bear
  • Speaking long prompts into ChatGPT, Claude or a coding agentnot Bear
  • Voice input for developers who cannot send code or screen contents to a cloud servicenot Bear
  • Reducing keyboard use for people with RSI or wrist painnot Bear
  • Drafting by voice where audio must not leave the device, such as legal or therapy notesnot 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

Yap

  • Intel Macs are not supported; the Mac app needs Apple Silicon (M1 or later), and the iPhone app needs an iPhone 12 Pro, 13 Pro, 14 or newer
  • Recognition is local but the app is not fully offline: it needs internet for first launch, activation and periodic access checks, and offline access lasts at most 24 hours
  • The Windows installer downloaded from the website is not code-signed, so Windows shows a SmartScreen warning; the Microsoft Store version is signed
  • 25 languages are supported, and the vendor notes accuracy varies by language, voice and recording conditions
  • The free period is only 3 days, after which continuing requires a card for the 10-day trial; there is no free tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear

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

Yap

$6.9/month
  • Monthly$6.9/mo
    • Unlimited on-device dictation
    • 25 languages, detected as you speak
    • Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android
  • Yearly$69/yr
    • Same app and features as monthly
    • Saves $13.80 a year against monthly billing
    • 10-day trial with a card

Which should you pick?

Choose Bear if

  • You want to start without paying.
Bear review

Choose Yap if

  • You need dictation at the cursor.
  • You work on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
  • You also want on-device recognition.
Yap review

Questions people ask

Is Bear or Yap better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear starts at Free and Yap at $6.9/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear or Yap?
Bear has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear and $6.9/month for Yap.
Does Bear or Yap run on more platforms?
Bear runs on Web. Yap runs on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
Can I use Bear for free?
Yes. Bear has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Yap starts at $6.9/month.
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 Yap is typically brought in for.
What can Bear do that Yap cannot?
Yap covers Dictation at the cursor, On-device recognition, Automatic language detection, Text cleanup.

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
Yap: How much does Yap cost?

A free account works for 3 days with no card. After that a 10-day trial with a card leads to $6.90 a month or $69 a year. Cancel before the trial ends and you are not charged.

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
Yap: Does Yap upload my voice?

No. Speech recognition runs on the device and audio is not uploaded to a transcription service. Completed text is kept in a local history you can copy or delete. An internet connection is needed to download the speech model on first use.

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

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

Source
Yap: Which computers does Yap run on?

Apple Silicon Macs (M1 and later) and Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit. Intel Macs are not supported. There are also apps for iPhone (iOS 17 or later) and Android 10 or later, covered by the same subscription.

Source
Yap: Which languages does Yap support?

25 languages. Each recording detects its own language from the audio, so there is no need to select languages in advance.

Source
Yap: Does Yap work offline?

Transcription runs locally, but internet access is required for first launch, activation and periodic access checks. Offline access lasts up to 24 hours.

Source
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