Bear vs SnipNotes

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

SnipNotes

• Apple Watch owners who want to dictate and read notes on the wrist
• Collecting copied text, links and addresses to act on later
• People who prefer a one-time purchase to a notes subscription

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.

SnipNotes

• It runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch only; the developer says there are no current plans for Windows or Android.
• iCloud sync, subcategories, tags, file attachments, drawing and voice recordings are all paid.
• Sync works through iCloud only; the FAQ rules out Dropbox, OneDrive and Nextcloud because notes are stored as database records.
• The feature table marks drawing, dictation, Siri, widgets, reminders and passcode protection as not yet supported on the Mac.

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.

SnipNotes

Capture from clipboard, voice and share sheet

Notes can be created from copied text, dictated with Siri or in-app voice input, dragged in from other apps or sent through the share sheet. A note can also store the current location.

Apple Watch app

Notes can be dictated, read and managed on the watch, and synced notes stay available when the iPhone is out of range. LTE watches can create notes on the go.

Inbox, archive, categories and tags

New notes land in an inbox and can be archived, pinned or filed in categories. Nested categories and colored tags are paid features.

Quick actions and automation

Detected addresses open in a map and phone numbers can be called, and a note can become a calendar event. Shortcuts actions and a URL scheme connect it to other apps.

Attachments, drawing and voice recordings

Paid upgrades add file attachments such as PDFs and videos, drawing with a finger or Apple Pencil on iPhone and iPad, and voice recordings that iOS 26 or later can transcribe.

iCloud sync with offline access

With SnipNotes Plus, notes sync through the user's private iCloud account. They are also stored locally, so they can be read and edited without a connection.

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.

SnipNotes

• Free$0

  The app with its core features on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. Paid features such as iCloud sync stay locked.

• SnipNotes Plus (Subscription)$1.99

  billing period not labelled; a monthly option exists

  Unlocks every paid feature on iOS and macOS, including ones added later, after a 7-day free trial. The US App Store lists two subscription items at $1.99.

• Single-feature upgrades$3.99

  one-time purchase per feature

  Subcategories, Note Attachments, Note Tags and Voice Recordings sold one at a time. The vendor's blog gave $4.99 for tags and voice recordings at launch.

• SnipNotes Plus (yearly subscription)$14.99

  per year

  The listing's promoted subscription for one year, with a free trial. Its price comes from the page's purchase data and is not shown as text.

• SnipNotes Plus (iOS)$14.99

  one-time purchase

  Premium features for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch only. Listed while the vendor says all purchases are reduced for a short time.

• SnipNotes Plus (iOS + macOS)$24.99

  one-time purchase

  Premium features on both iOS and macOS with one purchase. Also listed during the vendor's temporary sale; the regular price is not shown.

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.

SnipNotes

• Lifetime license

  One-time purchase instead of a subscription

  SnipNotes Plus can be unlocked permanently with a single purchase, for one platform or for iOS and macOS together, as an alternative to the monthly or annual subscription.

• Other savings

  Temporary sale on all in-app purchases

  The App Store description says all purchases are reduced for a short time and gives no end date. Tags and Voice Recordings are listed at $3.99 against the $4.99 quoted at launch.