Bear vs Microsoft OneNote
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Bear is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 8.1. Bear wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Microsoft OneNote on 1.
Writers and Apple users who want fast, good-looking Markdown notes
Students and tablet users who take handwritten or mixed-media notes
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Bear | Microsoft OneNote |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Productivity & Notes | Productivity & Notes |
| Category rank | #3 of 13 | #12 of 13 |
| 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 OneNote?
Bear is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 8.1. Bear wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Microsoft OneNote on 1.
Which is cheaper, Bear or Microsoft OneNote?
Bear: Free without sync; Bear Pro is $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year. Microsoft OneNote: Free; Microsoft 365 adds Copilot features and more OneDrive storage. On value for money, Microsoft OneNote scores higher.
Do Bear and Microsoft OneNote work on the same devices?
Only Microsoft OneNote runs on Android, Windows.
Which is more private, Bear or Microsoft OneNote?
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 OneNote
- Free on every major platform except Linux
- Excellent handwriting and stylus support
- Works well with Microsoft 365 and Teams
- Sync can be slow and occasionally conflicts
- Interface and organization feel dated
Microsoft OneNote works like a digital binder: notebooks, sections and pages where you can type, draw, paste and handwrite anywhere on the canvas. Pen support is excellent, it can search text inside images, and it is free on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and the web. Copilot features come with Microsoft 365. The downsides are a dated feel, occasional sync conflicts, and freeform pages that get messy.
Full Microsoft OneNote review
