Bear review

Bear is the app to pick if you care how writing feels. It is a Markdown editor that hides the syntax, with text, photos, tables and to-do lists in the same note, flexible tags instead of folders and themes that make long sessions pleasant. It won an Apple Design Award, and it shows. The free plan keeps notes local and includes document scanning and many export formats. Bear Pro costs $2.99 per month after a seven-day trial, or $29.99 per year, and adds iCloud sync, search inside photos and PDFs, and more themes and app icons. Notes stay between you and iCloud, notes can be encrypted, and Apple's Advanced Data Protection is supported. The limits are simple: Bear runs only on Mac, iPhone and iPad, there is no web app for a Windows work laptop, and there is no real-time collaboration. For personal writing on Apple devices, it is a delight at a very low price.

Who it is for

Apple users who want a fast, beautiful writing app for personal notes.

Price

Free plan; Bear Pro $2.99 per month after a 7-day trial, or $29.99 per year.

A 7 day free trial, then $2.99 /month
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 4, 2026.

Key features

• Markdown editor with text, photos, tables and to-do lists
• Flexible tags with icons and pinned tags
• iCloud sync across devices on Pro
• Search inside photos and PDFs on Pro
• Note encryption and support for Apple's Advanced Data Protection

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: The most polished writing experience on this list
• Strength: Low price at $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year
• Strength: Notes stay between you and iCloud
• Weakness: Apple devices only
• Weakness: Sync across devices requires Pro
• Weakness: No real-time collaboration

Key facts

• Platforms: Mac, iPhone, iPad
• Yearly price: $29.99 per year
• Awards: Apple Design Award winner

Where it ranks

Bear is No. 4 in our Best Note-Taking Apps verdict.