Bear review
Beautiful Markdown notes for Mac, iPhone and iPad
- Shiny Frog
- Free + paid plans
- Mac, iPhone & iPad, Web
Does it deserve #3?
Is Bear worth it?
Yes. Bear scores 9.1/10 and ranks #3 in Productivity & Notes. It's best for writers and Apple users who want fast, good-looking Markdown notes. Skip it if you need your notes on Android or Windows. Price: Free without sync; Bear Pro is $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year.
The verdict
Bear is a Markdown notes app with a calm, polished editor that makes jotting things down a pleasure. Organize with nested tags instead of folders, add tables, callouts, math and Mermaid diagrams, and search text inside images and PDFs with Pro. Notes sync privately through your iCloud, and the price is gentle. It's Apple-only apart from a web version, and sync needs Pro.
- Nested tags and TagCons
- Tables, callouts and Mermaid diagrams
- OCR search in images and PDFs
- Per-note encryption
- MCP server and Claude connector
Score breakdown
Overall = features 30% · design 20% · speed 20% · value 15% · privacy 15%. Why these weights?
What's new
- Oct 2026Bear 3.0.2 adds iPhone Duo support and a fresh design for panels
- Sep 2026Bear 2.10 adds Siri AI support and complex Spotlight searches
- Jul 2026Use Tag as Workspace, and Mermaid diagrams inside notes
Privacy 9.4/10
App Store label: no tracking and no data linked to you, only crash data. Notes sync through your own iCloud, Shiny Frog says it can't access them, and Pro adds per-note encryption.
What we like
- Polished, distraction-free writing
- Notes stay in your iCloud, not on Bear's servers
- Pro costs just $29.99 a year
What could be better
- No Android or Windows app
- Sync and encryption require Pro
- Tags only, no traditional folders
Writers and Apple users who want fast, good-looking Markdown notes
you need your notes on Android or Windows
Questions about Bear
Is Bear worth it in 2026?
Yes. Bear scores 9.1/10 and ranks #3 in Productivity & Notes. It's best for writers and Apple users who want fast, good-looking Markdown notes. Skip it if you need your notes on Android or Windows. Price: Free without sync; Bear Pro is $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year.
Is Bear free?
Yes, you can use Bear for free on a device. Bear Pro adds sync, encryption, OCR search and more export formats for $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year.
Does Bear work on Windows or Android?
No. Bear has native apps for Mac, iPhone and iPad, plus Bear Web, which you sign in to with your Apple account.
Are Bear notes private?
Notes sync through your own iCloud, and Shiny Frog says it can't access them. Pro users can also lock individual notes with a password.
What are the best alternatives to Bear?
The closest alternatives are Obsidian, Craft and Evernote. See all of them ranked on our Bear alternatives page.
Where does Bear rank?
Bear ranks #3 of 13 in our Productivity & Notes ranking, with an overall score of 9.1 out of 10.