Alternatives to
9 Best Bear Alternatives in 2026
The best Bear alternatives depend on whether you prioritize cost, control, or a different workflow.
- Reviewed
- Sep 2026
- Open source
- 4
- Self-hosted
- 3
What you are leaving
Bear at a glance
- Pricing model
- Free tier; Bear Pro $2.99/mo or $29.99/yr with a 7-day free trial
- Deployment
- Apple platforms only
- Open source
- No - proprietary
- Self-host
- No
- Free tier
- Yes, with 3 free themes and basic syncing
- Category
- Notes
- Markdown
- Yes, a strength
- Organisation
- Tag-based rather than folders
- Encryption
- Per-note encryption on Pro
- Platforms
- macOS, iOS and iPadOS
Compare at a glance
Bear alternatives compared
Short facts side by side. Filter by what matters to your team, then open any row for the full decision brief.
| # | Product | Overlap | Substitutability | Free? | Starting price | Self-host | Open source | Migration | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Obsidian | Markdown note-taking and knowledge storage | Mostly replaces | Yes | — | No | No | Easy | |
| 02 | Standard Notes | Note-taking and syncing | Mostly replaces | Yes | $90/year | Yes | Yes | Moderate | |
| 03 | Joplin | Markdown note-taking and syncing | Mostly replaces | Yes | — | Yes | Yes | Moderate | |
| 04 | Notesnook | Note-taking and syncing | Mostly replaces | Yes | — | Yes | Yes | Moderate | |
| 05 | Craft | Note-taking and document writing | Mostly replaces | Yes | — | No | No | Moderate | |
| 06 | Ulysses | Markdown writing and note organisation | Partial replacement | No | — | No | No | Moderate | |
| 07 | Notion | Note-taking and knowledge storage | Partial replacement | Yes | — | No | No | Moderate | |
| 08 | Apple Notes | Note-taking and syncing | Partial replacement | Yes | — | No | No | Easy | |
| 09 | Simplenote | Simple note-taking and syncing | Narrow overlap | Yes | — | No | Yes | Easy |
Community signal
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Frequently asked
Bear alternatives FAQ
- Is Bear free?
- Yes. Bear has a free tier that includes writing, tagging and syncing across Apple devices, with 3 free themes. The free tier is fully usable for basic note-taking. Bear Pro adds advanced export options, more themes, encryption for individual notes and additional editor features.
- How much does Bear cost?
- Bear Pro is $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year, with about 15% saved on the yearly plan. There is a 7-day free trial. The free tier remains available with basic writing, tagging and syncing. Prices may vary by country due to currency and taxes.
- What is the best Bear alternative?
- Obsidian is the strongest alternative for people who want Markdown files they own locally with a large plugin ecosystem. Standard Notes and Notesnook are the best choices if end-to-end encryption matters, and both can be self-hosted. Craft is the closest alternative for Apple users who want a more visual, document-oriented writing app. Apple Notes is free and built in if you only need basic notes.
- Is Bear available on Windows or Android?
- No. Bear is Apple-only, available on macOS, iOS and iPadOS. If you need Windows or Android support, Obsidian, Standard Notes, Joplin, Notesnook and Notion all work across platforms. This is the most common reason people leave Bear, so check your device mix before committing.
- What should I check before switching away from Bear?
- Check whether you rely on Bear's tag-based organisation, since most alternatives use folders, links or a combination instead. Export your notes first, because Bear exports to Markdown, PDF, DOCX and other formats but nested tags and attachments may not transfer cleanly. If you use Bear's encryption for individual notes, confirm the replacement encrypts everything or supports per-note encryption. Finally, test the writing experience, since Bear's editor is the main reason people stay.
Switcher Reports
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Record the alternative you chose, why you switched, whether you still use it, and what new users should know.
Editorial method
Evidence before opinion.
We compare public product information and cite the sources used for each verified fact.