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Bear alternatives · Note-Taking

Open-source alternatives to Bear

Bear is not described as open source on its own site. 50 of the 146 other note-taking apps in this directory are open source, according to their own sites.

Bear has a free plan. Paid plans start at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year. All of them are free or have a free plan.

50 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 9, 2026 · Where the facts come from

The 12 closest to Bear

  1. Reflect

    Open-source daily notes app with backlinks and local Markdown

    • Reflect starts at $9.99 per month, or $99 per year, for the iPhone and iPad app. Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Reflect is open source, according to its own site.
    • Reflect also covers daily notes.
    • Bear also covers web clipper.
    Reflect vs BearReflect pricing and details

  2. FSNotes

    Open-source Markdown notes app for Mac and iPhone

    • FSNotes starts at $4.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $8.99 one-time for Mac. Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Only Bear lists a browser extension.
    • FSNotes is open source, according to its own site.
    • FSNotes can be bought with a one-time purchase.
    FSNotes vs BearFSNotes pricing and details

  3. MiaoYan

    Native Mac Markdown notes app with a split editor and preview

    • MiaoYan starts at $14.99 one-time purchase (App Store edition). Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Only Bear lists a browser extension.
    • MiaoYan is open source, according to its own site.
    • MiaoYan can be bought with a one-time purchase.
    MiaoYan vs BearMiaoYan pricing and details

  4. Notesnook

    Open source, end-to-end encrypted notes on every platform

    • Notesnook starts at $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year (Essential). Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Only Notesnook lists a web app.
    • Only Notesnook lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
    • Notesnook is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
    Notesnook pricing and details

  5. Memos

    Open-source, self-hosted timeline of short Markdown notes

    • Memos is free. Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Only Memos lists a web app.
    • Only Bear lists macOS and iOS apps.
    • Memos is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
    Memos pricing and details

  6. QOwnNotes

    Open-source Markdown notes app with Nextcloud and ownCloud support

    • QOwnNotes is free. Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Only QOwnNotes lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
    • Only Bear lists an iOS app.
    • QOwnNotes is open source, according to its own site.
    QOwnNotes pricing and details

  7. Logseq

    Open-source outliner for linked notes stored as local files

    • Logseq starts at $5 per month for Open Collective backers, which unlocks Logseq Sync. Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Only Logseq lists a web app.
    • Only Logseq lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
    • Only Bear lists a browser extension.
    Logseq pricing and details

  8. Joplin

    Open source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose

    • Joplin starts at 2.40€ per month, billed yearly at 28.69€ (Joplin Cloud Basic). Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Only Joplin lists a web app.
    • Only Joplin lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
    • Joplin is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
    Joplin pricing and details

  9. Simplenote

    Free plain-text notes that sync across every major platform

    • Simplenote is free. Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Only Simplenote lists a web app.
    • Only Simplenote lists Android, Windows and Linux apps.
    • Only Bear lists a browser extension.
    Simplenote pricing and details

  10. Standard Notes

    End-to-end encrypted notes app with open source clients

    • Standard Notes starts at $90 per year (Productivity). Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Only Standard Notes lists a web app.
    • Only Standard Notes lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
    • Standard Notes is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
    Standard Notes pricing and details

  11. Trilium Notes

    Free, open-source hierarchical notes for a personal knowledge base

    • Trilium Notes is free. Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Only Trilium Notes lists a web app.
    • Only Trilium Notes lists Windows and Linux apps.
    • Only Bear lists an iOS app.
    Trilium Notes pricing and details

  12. Tolaria

    Free, open-source desktop app for Markdown knowledge bases

    • Tolaria is free. Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Only Tolaria lists Windows and Linux apps.
    • Only Bear lists an iOS app.
    • Only Bear lists a browser extension.
    Tolaria pricing and details

38 more that are open source

All 50 in one table

Common questions

Is there an open-source alternative to Bear?

Yes. Reflect, FSNotes, MiaoYan, Notesnook, Memos, QOwnNotes, Logseq, Joplin and 42 more are open source, according to their own sites.

Is Bear open source?

Bear is not described as open source on its own site. The listing was checked on Oct 4, 2026 against the pages it cites.

When was this checked?

Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 4, 2026 to Oct 9, 2026. Vendors change prices and plans without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.

This page is built from the listings. A tool is here because its listing says so, and the order is how close each is to Bear: the alternatives its listing names first, then the tools that share the most features with it.