What Bear does
Bear is a Markdown note-taking app for Mac, iPhone, and iPad by Shiny Frog. It organizes notes with nested tags, links notes together, and offers iCloud sync, encryption, and more exports with Bear Pro.
Bear is a note-taking and writing app for Apple devices. Notes are written in Markdown, but the syntax hides while you read, so notes look clean. You can mix text, photos, tables, sketches, and to-do lists in the same note. There is no signup or account; you open the app and start writing.
Organization is based on tags rather than folders. You add #tags anywhere in a note, including multi-word and nested tags, pin important tags in the sidebar, and give tags icons. WikiLinks connect notes to each other, and the Info Panel shows a table of contents and backlinks, so Bear can serve as a personal wiki. Headings can be folded to focus on one section.
Other features include inline sketches with Apple Pencil or a finger, image resizing and cropping, rich previews for links and PDFs, document scanning, Spotlight search, special searches such as @todo, custom fonts and line spacing, support for right-to-left languages, and an Apple Watch app for dictating notes. Developers can automate Bear with its x-callback-url scheme.
Bear is made by Shiny Frog. It won an Apple Design Award in 2017 and App Store App of the Year in 2016. Notes stay between you and iCloud; the company says it cannot see them. Individual notes can be encrypted, and Apple's Advanced Data Protection is supported.
The free version gives local access to notes, document scanning, and basic exports. Bear Pro adds iCloud sync across devices, export to PDF, HTML, DOCX, JPG, and ePub, search inside images and PDFs, more themes and app icons, and note encryption. Bear Pro costs $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year, with a free trial.
Best for
Writers, students, and anyone on Mac, iPhone, or iPad who wants fast Markdown notes organized with tags and linked notes.
Not for
Windows, Android, or web users, and teams that need real-time shared editing of documents.
Questions and answers
Is Bear free?
Yes, the free version gives local access to your notes, document scanning, and basic exports. Bear Pro adds sync, more exports, OCR search, themes, and encryption.
How much does Bear Pro cost?
Bear Pro costs $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year, and there is a free trial.
Does Bear sync between devices?
Yes. With Bear Pro, notes sync between iPhone, iPad, and Mac through iCloud.
Can Shiny Frog read my notes?
No. Your notes are stored between you and iCloud, and the company says it cannot see them. You can also encrypt individual notes.
Does Bear need an account?
No. There is no signup and no account. You open a note and start writing.