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Bear alternatives · Note-Taking

Self-hosted alternatives to Bear

The Bear listing does not say it can be self-hosted. 20 of the 146 other note-taking apps in this directory can be self-hosted, 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.

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

The 12 closest to Bear

  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. SilverBullet

    Scriptable Markdown knowledge base, self-hosted or on desktop

    • SilverBullet starts at $50 per user / year (Desktop Pro, required for work use). Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Only SilverBullet lists a web app.
    • Only SilverBullet lists Windows and Linux apps.
    • Only Bear lists an iOS app.
    SilverBullet pricing and details

  7. flatnotes

    Self-hosted notes web app on a flat folder of Markdown files

    • flatnotes is free. Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Only flatnotes lists a web app.
    • Only Bear lists macOS and iOS apps.
    • Only Bear lists a browser extension.
    flatnotes pricing and details

  8. Jotty

    Self-hosted notes and checklists stored as Markdown files

    • Jotty is free. Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Only Jotty lists a web app.
    • Only Bear lists macOS and iOS apps.
    • Only Bear lists a browser extension.
    Jotty pricing and details

  9. NoteDiscovery

    Self-hosted Markdown knowledge base that runs in the browser

    • NoteDiscovery is free. Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Only NoteDiscovery lists a web app.
    • Only Bear lists macOS and iOS apps.
    • Only Bear lists a browser extension.
    NoteDiscovery pricing and details

  10. SiYuan

    Open-source, local-first notes built on linked content blocks

    • SiYuan starts at $64 one-time payment (PRO Features). Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Only SiYuan lists a web app.
    • Only SiYuan lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
    • SiYuan is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
    SiYuan pricing and details

  11. TiddlyWiki

    Open-source personal wiki kept in a single HTML file

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

  12. Lockbook

    Open-source encrypted notes app with Markdown and drawing

    • Lockbook starts at $2.99 per month. Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
    • Only Lockbook lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
    • Only Bear lists a browser extension.
    • Lockbook is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
    Lockbook pricing and details

8 more that can be self-hosted

All 20 in one table

Common questions

Is there a self-hosted alternative to Bear?

Yes. Notesnook, Memos, Joplin, Standard Notes, Trilium Notes, SilverBullet, flatnotes, Jotty and 12 more can be self-hosted, according to their own sites.

Can Bear be self-hosted?

The Bear listing does not say it can be self-hosted. 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.