Bear review

Bear is the calm, writer-friendly option for Apple users. Notes are written in simple Markdown, with text, photos, tables and to-do lists in the same note, and organized with tags you can pin and mark with over 250 icons. Headings fold so you can focus on one section of a long draft, and you can drop a sketch inline with an Apple Pencil or a finger. Privacy is a strength: Bear says your notes are between you and iCloud, notes can be encrypted, and Apple's Advanced Data Protection is supported. The free version includes document scanning, search inside PDFs and images and many export formats. The catch for anyone using several devices is that iCloud sync is a Pro feature, at $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year after a 7-day trial. Bear also runs only on Mac, iPhone and iPad, so it is not an option for Windows or Android users.

Who it is for

Writers and students on Apple devices who want clean Markdown notes organized by tags.

Price

Free version; Bear Pro $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year after a 7-day free trial.

A 7 day free trial, then $2.99 /month
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 9, 2026.

Key features

• Markdown formatting with text, photos, tables and to-do lists in one note
• Flexible tags with over 250 icons and pinned tags
• Inline sketches with Apple Pencil or a finger
• Note encryption and support for Apple's Advanced Data Protection
• Exports to PDF, HTML, DOCX, JPG, ePub and more

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free version includes document scanning and search inside PDFs and images
• Strength: Bear Pro costs $29.99 a year
• Strength: Fast native apps that work online and offline
• Weakness: iCloud sync between devices needs Bear Pro
• Weakness: Apps cover only Mac, iPhone and iPad
• Weakness: Tags replace folders, which takes adjusting for some users

Key facts

• Platforms: Mac, iPhone, iPad
• Bear Pro: $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year
• Free trial: 7 days
• Sync: iCloud, with Bear Pro
• Themes: 3 free, 28+ with Pro

Where it ranks

Bear is No. 6 in our Best Note Taking Apps verdict.