Note-taking apps for Mac and iPhoneHead to head
Bear vs Notion
Bear ranks #2 and Notion ranks #3 in our guide to the best note-taking apps for Mac and iPhone. Bear is the better pick for most people.
BearPick Bear if you want good-looking private notes that sort themselves with hashtags and need no account.Free to start#3 in the guide
NotionPick Notion if your notes double as trackers and project boards, like a reading list or content calendar.Free to startWhat decides it
- Bear costs less over 3 years: $89.97, against $360 for Notion.
- Both run on Mac, iPhone and iPad. Only Bear runs on Apple Watch.
- Notion has the higher App Store rating: 4.8 from 91K ratings, against 4.7 for Bear.
Side by side
Prices are checked every day.
| At a glance | Bear | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free on each device. Bear Pro is $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year | Free for personal use. Plus is $12 a month or $120 a year per member |
| How you pay | Free, with paid upgrades | Free, with paid upgrades |
| 3 years of use | $89.97 Yearly plan Cheaper | $360 Yearly plan |
| Free trial | Free to start | Free to start |
| Runs on | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | Mac, iPhone, iPad |
| Where to buy | App Store | App Store, Developer |
| Rating | 4.7 6.9K ratings | 4.8 91K ratings Higher |
| Features | No account, iCloud sync, Shortcuts, Free trial | None flagged |
| Made by | Shiny Frog Ltd. | Notion Labs, Incorporated |
| Last updated | 22 Oct 2026 | 28 Oct 2026 |
Who should get which
Get Bear if
You want a private, good-looking home for notes and drafts that sorts itself with tags.
Get Notion if
You want to build your own trackers, like a reading list, content calendar or project board, in 1 place.
Skip Bear if
You edit notes together with family or coworkers, which free Apple Notes does and Bear doesn't.
Skip Notion if
You want notes that open instantly with no setup, which free Apple Notes gives you.
Our verdicts
Bear
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.
Notion
Most people end up with tasks in 1 app, notes in another and a spreadsheet for the rest, and Notion puts all 3 into pages built from 50+ kinds of blocks. Templates give you a reading list or project tracker fast, and Notion AI answers questions about your pages. It is free for 1 person but takes time to set up, and Anytype is the pick if you want your data kept on your device.
What each one helps you do
Bear
- 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
Notion
- Build your own trackers from templates
- Keep notes, tasks and docs in one place
- Ask AI questions about your own pages
- Share a page with family or coworkers
Where to get them
Bear
Free on each device. Bear Pro is $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year
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App Store, iPhone, iPad and Apple WatchWith in-app purchasesFree downloadApp Store
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Mac App StoreWith in-app purchasesFree downloadMac App Store
Neither one quite right?
The other picks in our guide to the best note-taking apps for Mac and iPhone.
ObsidianPick it if you want your notes as plain files you own, with links and plugins to shape your own system.Free to start
GoodnotesPick this if you write with an Apple Pencil in class or meetings and mark up lots of PDFs and slides.Free to start
NotabilityPick it if you handwrite lecture notes and want the recorded audio tied to what you wrote.Free to start
DraftsPick this if you capture quick ideas all day and send each one on to another app.Free to start
CraftPick it if your notes turn into client-facing docs you share as a polished web page.Free to start
LogseqPick this if you think in bullet points and want free, open source linked notes with a daily journal.Free, open source
CapacitiesPick it if you'd rather organize notes as people, books and ideas than as folders.Free to start
AnytypePick this if you like how Notion works but want everything encrypted on your own devices.Free to start
MindNodePick it if you think visually and want a mind map that turns into an outline.Free to start
NotePlanPick this if you want a daily note with your tasks and calendar on the same page.From $12
TotPick it if you only need 7 small scratchpads for text you keep close, synced over iCloud.Free to start
ReflectPick this if you want simple daily notes with backlinks on the Mac, saved as plain files in your own folder.Free, open source
Read the full guideAll Bear alternativesAll Notion alternatives