Bear vs Simplenote

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

Simplenote

• Plain-text notes synced across phone, desktop and browser at no cost
• People who prefer tags and search over folders
• Publishing a note to a public web link

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.

Simplenote

• Notes are text only: images, PDFs and other files cannot be attached, though Markdown can embed an image hosted elsewhere.
• Notes are encrypted in transit but not at rest, and Automattic advises against storing particularly sensitive information.
• An account is required; Simplenote cannot be used without one.
• Notes are shared one at a time, and an individual note cannot be hidden.

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.

Simplenote

Automatic sync

Notes stay updated across phones, computers and the web app automatically and in real time, with no sync button to press.

Tags, pins and instant search

Notes are organized with tags and pins, and search finds them as you type with keyword highlighting.

Version history

Notes are backed up with every change, so you can look back at what a note said last week or last month.

Markdown

Notes can be written, previewed and published in Markdown. The help center lists Markdown support on the web, Android, iOS, Windows and Linux apps.

Collaboration and publishing

A note can be shared with another person by email address so both can edit it, or published to a public simp.ly link for read-only viewing.

Checklists and internal links

Notes can contain checklists with nested items, and internal links jump from one note to another.

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.

Simplenote

• Free$0

  Every app and feature, including sync, version history, collaboration and publishing, with a Simplenote account.

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.

Simplenote

No public discounts listed.