Bear notes app — A minimal Markdown notes app for Apple devices where the free core is genuinely usable and sync is the only paid tier.
What it is
Bear is a Markdown note app for Mac, iPhone and iPad from an independent Italian team, built around plain-text notes organized with nested hashtags.
Editor's review
Long-form introduction by the BetterPicker editors · checked against the official site · Oct 24, 2026
Bear is the notes app for people who want to write, not configure. Everything about it - the plain Markdown editor, the nested hashtags, the local-first storage - is designed to stay out of the way, and reviewers who have cycled through the big names keep circling back for exactly that reason. One reviewer who admits to trying more note apps than she can remember calls it the tool she returns to every time, drawn by what she describes as the cleanest, simplest writing experience she has found. The free version is genuinely complete: unlimited notes, all editing features, full export. Only sync across devices sits behind Bear Pro, a subscription of $2.99 monthly or $29.99 yearly with a 7-day trial. Under the hood the app stays snappy, and the nested-tag system doubles as folders: type a hashtag like #projects/website and the hierarchy builds itself, which reviewers describe as folders you never have to create. If your notes live on one Mac, the paid tier is optional; if you carry an iPhone, it is the whole point.
What it does well
Plain text without lock-in: notes are Markdown and export to PDF, HTML, DOCX, JPG and TextBundle, so leaving Bear is a five-minute chore rather than a data-hostage situation. The developer's stated stance - your data is your data - is backed by formats, not promises.
The writing layer is the product: focus mode, keyboard shortcuts, a todo pane that aggregates tasks across notes, drag-and-drop attachments and a read-time estimator. The reviewer's verdict: minimal by design rather than minimal by omission.
Privacy posture with receipts: notes live on your device, sync rides your own iCloud account, and Pro adds per-note encryption plus OCR search inside images and PDFs. An Apple Design Award and a decade of steady updates support the trust case.
Who it's for
Writers, students, journalers and planners inside the Apple ecosystem who found Evernote heavy and Notion distracting. If your notes are mostly prose, lists and images rather than databases, Bear is the fastest route from thought to text. Long-time users also point to the Bear 2 generation - tables, footnotes, callouts and math finally arrived - as proof the small team ships, slowly but without breaking the simplicity. It also suits anyone tired of subscriptions: the free core never nags, and even the reviewer who keeps paying for Notion alongside it calls Bear worth the small fee for sync alone.
Where it falls short
Apple only. No Windows, Android or web client exists. A web version has been rumored for years, and the small team behind the app has never shipped it.
No databases, no true folders. Organization is hashtag trees, so users coming from Notion lose views, templates and multi-column layouts. The same reviewer concedes she still needs Notion for exactly those features.
Sync mechanics are yours to manage. Pro sync runs through your iCloud storage, so the storage bill and the low-space warnings belong to your Apple plan, not to Bear.
Specs at a glance
Facts from the official site · not editorial opinion
| Latest version | Bear 2 line - tables, footnotes, callouts, math and folding shipped after the Panda beta |
|---|---|
| Price | Free core; Bear Pro $2.99/month or $29.99/year with a 7-day trial |
| Platforms | macOS, iPhone, iPad (Apple devices only) |
| Open source | No - closed source with local-first storage |
| Core capability | Markdown writing with nested tags, focus mode, todo aggregation and Pro OCR search |
| Integrations | Exports to PDF, HTML, DOCX, JPG and TextBundle; web clipper; iCloud sync on Pro |
| Best for | Writers and students in the Apple ecosystem who want plain-text notes without workspace overhead |
Frequently asked questions
▸Is Bear actually free?
Yes for the core app: unlimited notes and all editing features cost nothing. Pro ($2.99/month or $29.99/year) adds iCloud sync, note encryption, advanced exports, extra themes and OCR search, and both tiers start with a 7-day trial.
▸Does Bear work on Windows or Android?
No. Bear is Apple-only (Mac, iPhone, iPad), and the long-discussed web version has never shipped. If your devices are mixed, plan for a different tool.
▸Where do my notes live?
On your device. With Pro they sync through your own iCloud account, and Apple's Advanced Data Protection is supported. Everything exports to open formats, so you can leave whenever you want.
▸Bear, Obsidian or Notion?
Bear wins on writing polish and simplicity; Obsidian wins on plugins, backlinks and a local knowledge graph; Notion wins on databases and team workspaces. If your notes are prose-first, Bear is the pleasant daily driver.
Video reviews
5 review videos aggregated · praise and criticism included alike · click through to the original video
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