Bear vs Microsoft To Do
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Bear is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 8.4. Bear wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Microsoft To Do on 1.
Writers and Apple users who want fast, good-looking Markdown notes
Windows and Outlook users who want a free, no-fuss to-do list
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Bear | Microsoft To Do |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Productivity & Notes | Productivity & Notes |
| Category rank | #4 of 17 | #11 of 17 |
| Developer | Shiny Frog | Microsoft |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | — | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | — | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Bear better than Microsoft To Do?
Bear is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 8.4. Bear wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Microsoft To Do on 1.
Which is cheaper, Bear or Microsoft To Do?
Bear: Free without sync; Bear Pro is $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year. Microsoft To Do: Free with a Microsoft account; no paid tier. On value for money, Microsoft To Do scores higher.
Do Bear and Microsoft To Do work on the same devices?
Only Microsoft To Do runs on Android, Windows.
Which is more private, Bear or Microsoft To Do?
Bear scores higher on 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.
Strengths and weaknesses
Bear
- Polished, distraction-free writing
- Notes stay in your iCloud, not on Bear's servers
- Pro costs just $29.99 a year
- No Android or Windows app
- Sync and encryption require Pro
- Tags only, no traditional folders
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.
Full Bear review
Microsoft To Do
- Completely free, with no ads
- Apps for Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and the web
- Works hand in hand with Outlook and Microsoft 365
- Recent updates are mostly bug fixes
- No calendar or board view for planning your week
- Needs a Microsoft account to sync
Microsoft To Do is a clean, free to-do list from the team behind Wunderlist. Each morning, My Day helps you pick what to tackle, with suggestions from your other lists. Break tasks into steps, set repeating reminders, share lists with family, and see emails you flagged in Outlook. It runs on almost everything. Recent updates have mostly been bug fixes, so don't expect big new features.
Full Microsoft To Do review
