Alternatives to Bear
Apple-exclusive markdown notes app with tag-based organization and a polished editor. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Bear
Apple-exclusive markdown notes app with tag-based organization and a polished editor.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Bear.
Apple Notes
Apple's built-in notes app with sync, sketches, and text recognition.
Apple Notes is free and preinstalled on Apple devices with sketches and text recognition, but it does not use Markdown or tag-based organization like Bear.
Obsidian
A notes app that works on a folder of plain Markdown files on your own disk, with links between them.
Obsidian keeps Markdown notes as plain files across Windows, Linux and Android too, with backlinks and plugins, though sync requires Obsidian Sync or your own tool.
Craft
Native docs app with real-time collaboration and deep integration into Apple's ecosystem.
Craft remains an Apple-focused app but adds real-time collaboration and nested pages, with premium features behind a paid subscription.
Simplenote
Minimal note app that syncs plain-text and Markdown notes across devices.
Simplenote is free and open source with unlimited sync on Windows, Linux and Android, but has no attachments, folders or rich formatting and no content encryption.
Joplin
An open source note and to-do app that syncs end-to-end encrypted through storage you already have.
Joplin is free and open source with apps on every major platform and end-to-end encrypted sync, though its editor feels less polished than commercial apps.
Standard Notes
Encrypted notes built for the long term, where sync is free on unlimited devices and you can host the server.
Standard Notes adds end-to-end encryption and free sync on all platforms, but its free tier is plain text only and editors are a paid feature.
Notesnook
An end-to-end encrypted note app where the company cannot read your notes, with clients on every platform and full source published.
Notesnook brings end-to-end encryption and published source to Windows, Linux and the web, but it needs an account and some features sit behind Pro.
UpNote
A cross-platform notes app with rich text, Markdown support, nested notebooks and automatic sync.
UpNote brings Markdown, rich text and nested notebooks to Windows, Linux and Android as well as Apple devices, with the full feature set on a paid plan.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Bear as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Drafts
An Apple-platform app for capturing text quickly and sending it elsewhere with actions.
Bear is an Apple-only Markdown notes app with tag-based organisation, aimed more at keeping notes than at capturing and routing text elsewhere.
Effie
A minimalist writing app combining notes, outlines and mind maps, with an optional AI assistant.
Bear is an Apple-only Markdown notes app with tag-based organization and a polished editor, trading Effie's mind maps and cross-platform clients for native Apple design.
FSNotes
An open-source Markdown notes app for Mac and iPhone that stores notes as plain files.
Bear is an Apple-only Markdown app with tag-based organization and a polished editor, but it is closed source and advanced features like export require a subscription.
iA Writer
Minimalist Markdown writing app focused on the text.
Bear is a freemium Markdown notes app with tag-based organization on Apple platforms only, and stores notes in its own library rather than your folders.
Inkdrop
A Markdown note-taking app for developers with notebooks, tags, encrypted sync and AI features.
Bear is a freemium Markdown notes app with tag-based organisation and a polished editor, limited to macOS and iOS with advanced features behind a subscription.
Keep It
A notebook and document organizer for Mac, iPhone and iPad that integrates with the Finder.
Bear is a freemium Apple-only Markdown notes app with tag-based organization, focused on writing notes rather than storing PDFs, emails and web archives.
Notebooks
A writing, notes and task app for Mac and iOS that organises documents in nested books.
Bear is a freemium Apple-only Markdown notes app with tag-based organization instead of nested books, and advanced export options need a subscription.
Octarine
A local-first Markdown note-taking app for macOS that keeps notes as plain files.
Bear is a polished Markdown notes app for macOS and iOS with tag-based organisation, adding an iPhone and iPad app, with export options behind a subscription.
Tot
A small text scratchpad for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch that syncs through iCloud.
Bear stays on Apple platforms but offers a full Markdown notes library with tag-based organization, with advanced features like export requiring a subscription.
Ulysses
A focused writing app for Mac, iPad and iPhone with project management, sync and export.
Bear is an Apple-only Markdown notes app with tag-based organization and a freemium model, aimed at notes more than long writing projects.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
