1Writer vs Bear

1Writer

• Writing Markdown on an iPhone or iPad with files kept in Dropbox, iCloud Drive or WebDAV
• People who automate text work with JavaScript actions or URL schemes
• Anyone who wants an editor bought once, with no subscription

Bear

• Writers who want a focused Markdown editor on Mac, iPhone and iPad
• People who prefer organizing notes with tags rather than folders
• Apple users who want notes synced through their own iCloud account

1Writer

• iPhone and iPad only: there is no Android, Windows or web version, and on the Mac it runs only as the iPad app on Apple silicon.
• There is no free version or trial; the app costs $4.99 up front on the US App Store.
• The App Store version history lists only bug-fix releases since April 2021; the most recent is version 3.3.8 from September 2025.

Bear

• Bear is offered only for Apple devices: Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
• Syncing notes between devices requires a Bear Pro subscription.
• Note encryption, OCR search and export to PDF, HTML, DOCX and JPG are Pro features.
• Subscriptions are billed through Apple's App Store, and prices vary by country.

1Writer

Markdown editing with inline preview

Plain-text and Markdown files show their formatting inline while you write, with a full rich-text preview when you are done. MultiMarkdown is supported.

Sync with iCloud Drive, Dropbox and WebDAV

Pick the Dropbox or WebDAV folders to sync, or sync them all. Changes made offline sync at the next connection, and a document started on a Mac in iCloud Drive can be continued in 1Writer.

Custom actions in JavaScript

Built-in actions can be extended with your own, written in JavaScript or built on the onewriter:// URL scheme, which supports the x-callback-url protocol.

Sharing and export

Generate a link to a document as plain text or PDF, email it as plain text, formatted text or PDF, or copy its HTML to the clipboard.

In-app web browser

Look things up without switching apps, and copy a selection from a web page to the clipboard as Markdown in one action.

Customizable keyboard row

An extra row above the keyboard holds navigation, formatting and special characters, and can be assigned the actions you use most.

Bear

Markdown editor

Notes mix text, photos, tables and to-do lists in one place, with sketches inserted inline next to text and attachments.

Tags and nested tags

Notes are organized with tags, including nested tags, and more than 250 icons help individual tags stand out.

Wiki links and backlinks

Notes link to each other with wiki links, and an info panel shows each note's backlinks and table of contents.

Web Clipper

Extensions for Safari, Chrome and Firefox save a full page or a highlighted selection as a note, with the clipping done on your device.

Sync, encryption and OCR search (Pro)

Bear Pro syncs notes through iCloud, encrypts individual notes, locks the app and searches for text inside photos and PDFs.

Export and import

Exports to TXT, Markdown, TextBundle, RTF, PDF, JPG, HTML, DOCX and ePub, with migration guides for Evernote, Apple Notes and Obsidian.

1Writer

• 1Writer$4.99

  one-time purchase on the App Store

  The full app for iPhone and iPad. The in-app purchases are optional tips from $0.99 to $19.99, and the release notes say no update has been charged for.

Bear

• Free$0

  Markdown notes with tags, links, tables and sketches, and 3 themes. No sync between devices.

• Bear Pro$2.99

  per month, or $29.99 per year

  Adds iCloud sync across devices, note encryption and app lock, OCR search in PDFs and images, 28+ themes and export to PDF, HTML, DOCX and JPG.

1Writer

No public discounts listed.

Bear

• Annual discount

  About 15% lower price with the yearly subscription

  Bear's site marks the $29.99 yearly subscription as 15% cheaper than paying $2.99 each month.

• Education

  30% off the first year for students and academics

  Students and people working in academia can ask support for a code giving 30% off the first year of the Bear Pro yearly subscription. It renews at the regular price.