- Pick it if you are:
- Apple-only users; Quick capture and lists
- Top complaint:
- Apple Notes not syncing between iPhone and Mac
- Price:
- Free plan
- Pick it if you are:
- Apple users wanting beautiful Markdown notes; Writers who value simplicity over features
- Top complaint:
- Apple-only: No native Windows or Android apps
- Price:
- Free plan, paid from $2.99/mo
Score Comparison
Signals Comparison
Apple Notes
- Apple Notes not syncing between iPhone and Mac(8/10)
- Apple Notes disappeared or missing after update(9/10)
- Apple Notes shared note not updating or collaboration unavailable(7/10)
- Apple Notes not syncing when iCloud storage is full(7/10)
- Apple Notes crashing after iOS or macOS update(6/10)
Bear
- Bear notes not syncing between devices(7/10)
- Duplicate 'conflicted' notes after editing on two devices(6/10)
- Evernote import crashes and lost images(6/10)
- Backups are manual and restoring wipes all notes(7/10)
Apple Notes
- Forgot Apple Notes password for locked notes(8/10)
- Locked notes do not sync edits with collaborators(4/10)
Bear
- Forgot Bear note password = locked notes are gone(7/10)
Apple Notes
- Apple Notes slow, lagging or freezing with large notes(6/10)
Bear
- Why is Bear so slow with large notes?(6/10)
Apple Notes
- Apple Notes has no Android or Windows app(7/10)
- Gmail or Google notes not syncing in Apple Notes(5/10)
Bear
- Limited integrations beyond Apple automation(4/10)
Apple Notes
- Apple Notes export and import limits(6/10)
- Apple Notes lacks features of dedicated note apps(5/10)
Bear
- Apple-only: No native Windows or Android apps(9/10)
- No folders - Bear only organizes with tags(6/10)
- No collaboration features(6/10)
- No graph view for linked notes(5/10)
- No voice recording; sketches lag in heavy notes(4/10)
- Bear Web doesn't work with Advanced Data Protection(5/10)
Pricing Comparison
Apple Notes
Users: One Apple Account
Storage: Counts against iCloud storage (5 GB free)
Limits: Apple devices only (iCloud.com on the web), no Android or Windows app, no in-app Markdown writing, limited linking
Bear
Users: 1 user
Storage: Unlimited local notes (one device)
Limits: No iCloud sync, no encryption, no OCR search in PDFs/images, no PDF/DOCX/HTML/ePub export
Users: 1 user (all Apple devices)
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Apple devices only
Users: 1 user (all Apple devices)
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Apple devices only
Users: 1 user (all Apple devices)
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Not available to new customers; resubscribing after a lapse is not guaranteed to keep the old price
Users: 1 user
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Request a code from support with school email/ID; not valid with an active subscription or trial; codes expire
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Apple Notes | Bear |
|---|---|---|
| Security | ||
| Locked notes A forgotten separate password cannot be recovered | ||
| Note encryption Pro only | ||
| Performance | ||
| Native Apple apps macOS, iOS, iPadOS | ||
| Sharing | ||
| Shared editing iCloud notes only | ||
| Usability | ||
| Markdown support Excellent inline preview | ||
| Bear Web Beta, limited features | ||
| Fast search Excellent performance | ||
| OCR search in PDFs and images Pro only | ||
| Data | ||
| Markdown export Needs iOS 26 or macOS Tahoe | ||
| Organization | ||
| Tag organization Nested tags instead of folders | ||
| Bidirectional linking [[Wiki links]] + Backlinks panel | ||
| Core | ||
| Document scanning | ||
| Reliability | ||
| iCloud sync Pro only, some reported issues | ||
| Automatic backups Manual File > Backup Notes only | ||
| Platforms | ||
| Android app Not available | ||
| Windows app iCloud.com web only | ||
| Customization | ||
| Multiple themes Pro only | ||
| Power | ||
| Backlinks and plugins | ||
| Portability | ||
| Export to multiple formats Free: TXT, MD, TextBundle, RTF; Pro: PDF, DOCX, HTML, JPG, ePub | ||
| Pricing | ||
| Education discount 30% off first year | ||
| Collaboration | ||
| Collaboration Not available | ||
| Visualization | ||
| Graph view Not available | ||
| Capture | ||
| Drawing support Inline sketcher (Apple Pencil/finger); ruled, dotted, grid backgrounds | ||
| Voice recording Not available | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Third-party integrations x-callback-url, Shortcuts, BearCLI, MCP server, Claude Connector (2026); no Zapier | ||
| Editing | ||
| Mermaid diagrams Added July 2026 | ||
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