Key takeaways
- Apple Design Award winner with Editor's Choice recognition
- Subscription model at $2.99/month or $29.99/year for sync and premium features
- Apple-only ecosystem with native Mac, iPhone, and iPad apps
FAQ
What is Bear app?
Bear is a beautiful, tag-based markdown note-taking app for Mac, iPhone, and iPad with iCloud sync and customizable themes.
How much does Bear cost?
Bear is free for basic use on a single device; Pro subscription costs $2.99/month or $29.99/year for sync and premium features.
Who competes with Bear?
Competitors include Apple Notes, Obsidian, Ulysses, and iA Writer in the markdown notes space.
Executive Summary
Bear is a beautifully designed markdown note-taking app exclusively for Apple devices, created by Shiny Frog. First released in October 2016, Bear won the 2016 Apple App of the Year and 2017 Apple Design Award. Bear 2 launched in July 2023 after three years of development, introducing new features while maintaining the elegant simplicity users love.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Company | Shiny Frog |
| Founded | 2005 (Bear: 2016) |
| Funding | Bootstrapped |
| Employees | ~10 (distributed team) |
| Headquarters | Dublin, Ireland (originally Parma, Italy) |
Product Overview
Bear makes markdown accessible with beautiful formatting that renders as you type. Notes are organized through flexible nested tags rather than folders, and the app features over a dozen customizable themes. With native apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad, Bear emphasizes speed and elegant design over feature density.
Key Capabilities
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Seamless Markdown | In-line rendering with photos, tables, and todo lists |
| Tag Organization | Nested hashtags for flexible organization without folders |
| Beautiful Themes | 12+ themes including dark mode |
| OCR Search | Search text inside images and PDFs (Pro) |
| Note Encryption | Encrypt individual notes with password protection |
Product Surfaces / Editions
| Surface | Description | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | Native Mac app | GA |
| iOS | iPhone app | GA |
| iPadOS | iPad app with Apple Pencil support | GA |
Technical Architecture
Bear is built natively in Swift for Apple platforms, storing notes in a SQLite database with iCloud sync. The app supports standard Markdown plus Bear's own extensions.
Key Technical Details
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Storage | SQLite database (proprietary format) |
| Sync | iCloud (Pro feature) |
| Export | MD, PDF, HTML, DOCX, JPG, Bear Archive |
| Open Source | No |
Strengths
- Exceptional design — Apple Design Award winner with polished, minimal interface
- Accessible Markdown — Makes markdown approachable with beautiful in-line rendering
- Flexible organization — Nested tags provide powerful organization without rigid folder structures
- Privacy-focused — iCloud encryption supported; Shiny Frog cannot access notes
- Generous free tier — Full editing on single device without paying
Cautions
- Apple-only — No Windows, Android, or web version; not suitable for cross-platform users
- Proprietary storage — Notes stored in SQLite database, not plain markdown files on disk
- Subscription required for sync — Must pay $30/year for iCloud sync across devices
- No folders — Tag-only organization frustrates users who prefer traditional folders
- Sync issues reported — Some users experienced sync problems after Bear 2 upgrade
Pricing & Licensing
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Full editing, single device, basic themes |
| Pro | $2.99/month or $29.99/year | iCloud sync, export formats, all themes, OCR, encryption |
Licensing model: Freemium subscription
Hidden costs: Free tier is single-device only; multi-device sync requires ongoing subscription
Competitive Positioning
Direct Competitors
| Competitor | Differentiation |
|---|---|
| Apple Notes | Bear has markdown, themes, tags; Apple Notes has free sync and better handwriting |
| Obsidian | Bear is more polished and accessible; Obsidian has linking, plugins, and cross-platform |
| Ulysses | Bear is cheaper with better free tier; Ulysses has more writing-focused features |
When to Choose Bear Over Alternatives
- Choose Bear when: You want beautiful, accessible markdown notes in the Apple ecosystem
- Choose Apple Notes when: You need free sync and don't care about markdown
- Choose Obsidian when: You want cross-platform, local files, and knowledge graphs
Ideal Customer Profile
Best fit:
- Apple ecosystem users with Mac, iPhone, and iPad
- Users who want beautiful, simple note-taking with markdown
- People who prefer tags over folders for organization
Poor fit:
- Users needing Windows or Android access
- People who want plain markdown files on disk
- Power users needing linking, plugins, or advanced features
Viability Assessment
| Factor | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Financial Health | Strong |
| Market Position | Leader (Apple ecosystem) |
| Innovation Pace | Steady |
| Community/Ecosystem | Active |
| Long-term Outlook | Positive |
Shiny Frog has operated independently since 2005, demonstrating sustainable business practices. The Bear 2 release showed continued investment, though the 3-year development cycle raised some user concerns about pace.
Bottom Line
Bear is the most elegant markdown notes app in the Apple ecosystem—beautiful, fast, and accessible. Its tag-based organization and polished design make it ideal for users who want more than Apple Notes without Obsidian's complexity.
Recommended for: Apple users who want beautiful, accessible markdown notes with flexible tag organization.
Not recommended for: Cross-platform users, power users needing plugins/linking, or users who insist on plain file storage.
Outlook: Strong position in Apple ecosystem; main risk is competition from improving Apple Notes.
Research by Ry Walker Research • methodology