Bear vs Notebooks
We give Bear a 3.4 GPA and Notebooks a 3.2, out of 4.0. Bear grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. Notebooks grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bear
Markdown notes app for Mac, iPhone and iPad with tags and links
Notebooks
Writing, documents and tasks organized in nested books
How we grade them
| 3.4GPABearVery good | 3.2GPANotebooksVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | ABear Pro is $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year, half of the $5.99 a month this category typically charges. One subscription covers every device on your Apple ID. Students and academics can ask for 30% off the first year. | AOne-time prices: $17.99 for iPhone and iPad, $19 for Windows, $43.99 for Mac. Each is under a year of the $5.99 a month that's typical here, and nothing recurs. Just add them up first if you need more than one, because each platform is its own purchase. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree covers writing and organising notes, with tags, links, tables, sketches and 3 themes. But there's no sync between devices, and encryption, OCR search and export to PDF, HTML or DOCX are Pro. Pro has a 7-day trial. | CNo free plan. There are free trial versions for Mac and Windows, and the Windows one expires after 30 days. The iPhone and iPad app is a straight $17.99 purchase. |
| Features | AA Markdown editor that mixes text, photos, tables, to-dos and sketches. Nested tags, wiki links with backlinks, and a Web Clipper for Safari, Chrome and Firefox. Pro adds note encryption and search inside photos and PDFs. Export covers nine formats, from plain text to ePub. | APlain text, Markdown and formatted documents with tables, images and attachments. Books nest inside books, and any book can become a task list with due dates and repeats. Wiki-style links, backlinks, search inside PDFs, and export to PDF or eBook round it off. |
| Ease of use | A4.7 from about 6,900 App Store ratings. There are no folders to plan out, just tags you type as you write. And Bear has migration guides for Evernote, Apple Notes and Obsidian if you're moving in. | BWe have no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is our ceiling. It installs like any app. Sync is the part to think about, since WebDAV has no automatic mode and has to be set off by hand. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, with browser clippers on top. That's all Apple. There's no Windows, Android or web version, and sync runs through your own iCloud. | BiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac and Windows, with files synced through iCloud Drive, Dropbox or WebDAV, or straight between devices over Wi-Fi. No Android, Linux or web version, which keeps it off the A. |
| Best for | writing in Markdown on Mac, iPhone and iPad | notes, long documents and tasks kept as plain files |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bear and Notebooks. How we grade
Where they differ
- Bear starts at $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year. Notebooks starts at $17.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $43.99 one-time for Mac.
- Bear has a free plan. Notebooks does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Bear lists a browser extension.
- Only Notebooks lists a Windows app.
- Notebooks can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Bear also covers web clipper.
- Notebooks also covers tasks and long-form writing.
At a glance
| Bear | Notebooks | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $2.99 per month, or $29.99 per year | $17.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $43.99 one-time for Mac |
| Free plan | The free version covers writing and organizing notes with 3 themes. iCloud sync, note encryption, OCR search and export to PDF, HTML, DOCX and JPG need Bear Pro. | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial on both the monthly and yearly Bear Pro subscriptions. | Free trial versions for Mac and Windows; the Windows trial expires after 30 days |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Shiny Frog | Alfons Schmid |
| Price read from | bear.app | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Notebooks
- Writers who want notes, long documents and tasks in one app
- People who prefer one-time purchases to subscriptions
- Users who want their documents kept as regular files they can reach from other apps
Worth knowing
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.
Notebooks
- Each platform is a separate purchase: $17.99 for iPhone and iPad, $19 for Windows and $43.99 for Mac.
- The site offers no Android, Linux or web version.
- On iPhone and iPad, Custom Storage Locations is a $2.99 in-app purchase on top of the app price.
- WebDAV sync has no automatic mode and has to be triggered manually.
Key features
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.
Notebooks
- Text, Markdown and formatted documents
- Write in plain text, Markdown or formatted text with styles, tables, checklists, images and attachments, and convert between the formats at any time.
- Nested books
- Documents and imported files live in books that nest into hierarchies and can be reordered freely. Smart Books collect recent items, favorites and tasks.
- Task lists inside books
- Any book can become a task list and nested books become nested projects, with due dates, alerts and recurring tasks. Tasks can be extracted from documents.
- Links, backlinks and search
- Wiki-style links connect documents, backlinks show where a document is referenced, and full-text search covers documents, PDFs and attachments.
- PDF and eBook export
- Compile one or more documents into a PDF or an eBook at any time; the developer's own handbooks are produced this way.
- Regular files and flexible sync
- Documents are regular files in standard formats, synced through iCloud Drive, Dropbox or WebDAV, or directly between devices over a local Wi-Fi network.
Plans
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.
Notebooks
Notebooks for iPhone and iPad$17.99
one-time purchase (US App Store)
The iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch app. Custom Storage Locations is a $2.99 in-app purchase, and optional tips are offered.
Notebooks for Windows$19
one-time license
A license file for the Windows app, which shares its files with the iPhone and iPad app through iCloud Drive, Dropbox or WebDAV.
Notebooks for Mac$43.99
one-time purchase
Sold directly, with activation on up to five Macs, or through the Mac App Store at the same price. There are no recurring fees.
Ways to pay less
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.
Notebooks
No public discounts listed.
