Bear
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About Bear
Bear is a markdown-based note-taking app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, developed by Shiny Frog and released in 2016. Bear stands out for its exceptional writing experience — a clean, distraction-free editor with rich markdown support, syntax highlighting for 20+ programming languages, and a warm, beautifully designed interface. Notes are organized through a flexible tag system: typing #tag anywhere in a note automatically categorizes it, allowing nested hierarchies like #project/subproject without rigid folder structures. Bear 2, released in 2023, brought significant improvements including nested tags, a backlinks panel, improved table support, and canvas-style drawing. Pricing is free for basic use with Bear Pro at $2.99/month or $29.99/year, unlocking sync across all Apple devices, 9 additional themes, and export formats including PDF, Word, HTML, and ePub. Bear is Apple-ecosystem only — no Android or Windows apps — making it ideal for users fully committed to Apple devices. The app has won multiple Apple Design Awards for its interface quality. Sync uses iCloud, keeping data private without third-party servers. Bear appeals to writers, students, and developers who want a polished, fast, and beautiful note-taking experience on Apple hardware.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bear available on Windows or Android?
No. Bear is exclusively available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. If you need cross-platform notes, consider Notion, Obsidian, or Evernote instead.
What is Bear Pro and is it worth it?
Bear Pro ($2.99/month) unlocks iCloud sync across all Apple devices, additional themes, and export to PDF/Word/HTML/ePub. If you use Bear on more than one Apple device, it is essentially required.
How does Bear's tag system work?
Type any word with a # prefix anywhere in a note (e.g., #work or #project/website) and Bear automatically creates a tag and adds the note to that category. Nested tags work like folders. You can search and filter by any tag combination.
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All Comparisons
Bear vs Apple Notes
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