Bear
Markdown notes with tags, links and private encryption
The verdict
Type a hashtag anywhere in a note and it files itself, with nested tags replacing folders and links turning your notes into a personal wiki. Bear writes in Markdown and needs no account, which few notes apps with this polish can say. Syncing between devices needs Bear Pro at $29.99 a year, and there are no shared notes, so Apple Notes is better for lists you edit with someone else.
Get it if
You want a private, good-looking home for notes and drafts that sorts itself with tags.
Skip it if
You edit notes together with family or coworkers, which free Apple Notes does and Bear doesn't.
Screenshots 4
What it helps you do
- Organize notes with tags instead of folders
- Link related notes into a personal wiki
- Lock private notes behind a password
- Find text inside a scanned receipt
What it really costs
Pay once or subscribe? Drag to see the total after each year.
Pay-once totals leave out paid upgrades to future major versions.
Plans and prices
Free
Notes, tags, tasks, sketches, document scanning and export to Markdown, TXT, TextBundle and RTF on each device
Bear Pro
$2.99$2.99 a month or $29.99 a year after a free trial, adds iCloud sync, encrypted notes, Face ID lock, search inside images and PDFs, export to PDF, DOCX, HTML and ePub, and nearly 30 themes
What changed
Version 3.0.3
New: A new toolbar now appears when you’re entering tags or wikilinks, or searching for notes. It makes it easier to move the cursor and type special characters. Bug fixes and stability improvements.
Added to The Useful Apps
Pick something else if
ReflectPick this if you want simple daily notes with backlinks on the Mac, saved as plain files in your own folder.Free, open source
CapacitiesPick it if you'd rather organize notes as people, books and ideas than as folders.Free to start
ObsidianPick it if you want your notes as plain files you own, with links and plugins to shape your own system.Free to start
Bear head to head
The details
- Runs on
- Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
- Requires
- macOS 16 or later
- Version
- 3.0.3
- Size
- 241 MB
- Made by
- Shiny Frog Ltd.
- Rating
- 4.7 from 6.9K ratings on the App Store
- No account
- Works without signing up
- iCloud sync
- Syncs across your devices
- Shortcuts
- Works with the Shortcuts app
- Free trial
- Try the paid version first
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