Bear
by Shiny Frog Ltd. · Productivity · Note Taking
Beautiful Markdown note-taking app for Apple devices with tag-based organization.
Quick Answer: Bear has a verified Real Score of 4.3/5 based on 20,000 verified reviews, compared to its App Store rating of 4.7/5. Highly recommended by verified users.
Real Score vs App Store Rating
App Store Rating
Includes unverified reviews
Verified Real Score
Based on 20,000 verified reviews
Gap Alert: Bear's App Store rating is 0.4 points higher than its verified Real Score. This suggests that some store reviews may be inflated by fake or incentivized ratings.
Pros & Cons
What Users Love
- Beautiful design
- Tag-based organization
- Clean Markdown editor
- Fast and lightweight
Common Complaints
- Apple-only
- No web version
- Limited organizational structure
- Premium required for sync
Verified Reviews (20)
The prettiest note app
Bear is gorgeous. The typography, the themes, the way Markdown renders inline - everything about the design is top-notch. It makes writing enjoyable, which means I write more.
Tags > Folders
Bear's tag-based system is liberating. A note can have multiple tags without being copied. Nested tags (work/projects/alpha) create a folder-like hierarchy if you want it. Best of both worlds.
Bear 2 was worth the wait
Bear 2 brought tables, backlinks, and better editor features. It took years but the update was substantial. The app feels modern and competitive again.
Still Apple-only in 2025
I love Bear but the lack of a web or Android version is a dealbreaker for mixed-platform households. When will they expand beyond Apple? This limits their audience significantly.
Perfect for writers
As a freelance writer, Bear is my daily tool. The distraction-free writing experience, word count, reading time estimate, and export options (PDF, HTML, DOCX) are exactly what I need.
Backlinks in Bear 2 are great
The addition of backlinks between notes gives Bear wiki-like capabilities. Not as powerful as Obsidian's graph view, but for a simple, elegant implementation, it works perfectly.
Fast is an understatement
Bear opens instantly, search is instant, switching notes is instant. With 2000+ notes, it still flies. Compare this to Evernote or Notion and the speed difference is shocking.
Inline Markdown is clever
Bear shows formatted text while still showing the Markdown syntax (faded). So you see the bold text AND the asterisks. Best of both worlds for people who like seeing their formatting marks.
Wish it had more export options
Bear can export notes but the options are limited. No bulk export to Markdown files (without manual work), no API for automation. Getting your notes out isn't as easy as it should be.
Perfect daily journal
I write in Bear every day. Morning pages, work notes, personal reflections. The simplicity encourages writing. No templates or structure to fuss with - just open and write.
Tables finally in Bear 2
The lack of tables was my biggest complaint about Bear 1. Bear 2 added them and they work well. Simple to create, easy to edit. Not spreadsheet-level but perfect for notes.
Apple Watch complication is nice
The Apple Watch app lets me dictate quick notes from my wrist. The complication provides instant access. For capturing fleeting thoughts on walks, it's surprisingly useful.
Themes make it personal
Love the variety of themes - Solarized, Dracula, Gandalf, Red Graphite. Switching between light for daytime writing and dark for evening is delightful.
Not ideal for complex notes
Bear is great for text-heavy notes but struggles with complex content. No databases, no embeds, limited media support. For rich, multimedia notes, Notion is better.
Best quick capture on iPhone
The share extension and widget make capturing notes from anywhere on iPhone seamless. See something interesting? Share to Bear. Have an idea? Widget, type, done. Frictionless.
Pricing is fair
$3/month for premium gets you sync, themes, and export options. Reasonable for the quality of the app. One of the few apps where I feel the subscription is fairly priced.
Code blocks work well
As a developer who takes technical notes, the syntax-highlighted code blocks are well-implemented. Multiple language support and clean rendering. Good for mixing code and prose.
Migrated from Apple Notes easily
The import function brought all my Apple Notes over cleanly. Tags were created based on folder structure. Smooth transition that took about 10 minutes.
Handles long documents well
I've written 10,000+ word documents in Bear without any performance issues. Some note apps choke on long notes but Bear handles them smoothly.
Simple but not simplistic
Bear looks simple on the surface but has depth - nested tags, link previews, info panel with stats, and keyboard shortcuts. It rewards exploration without overwhelming newcomers.
Showing 1-20 of 12,847 reviews
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Last updated: April 2026