How much is Bear Pro?

Bear Pro costs $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year after a 7-day trial. It adds iCloud sync across Mac, iPhone and iPad, PDF and image search and extra themes. The free version works locally on one device with export and 3 themes.

Does Bear have a free plan?

Yes. Bear offers a free tier with limits; paid plans unlock higher usage or team features.

What are the main drawbacks of Bear?

The trade-offs we noted: Apple platforms only; Sync requires the subscription; Limited collaboration.

When should you not use Bear?

Skip Bear if: You need sync for free: the free tier is local-only with 3 themes and no PDF/image search; You use Windows, Android or the web — Bear is Apple only; You need collaboration or shared notebooks.

Productivity

Bear

Markdown notes for Apple devices.

What it is

Bear is a Markdown note app for Apple devices with tag-based organisation and a focus on writing. Tags replace folders, so structure emerges from writing rather than being decided up front, and export to Markdown, HTML or PDF is clean. It is Apple-only, which rules it out the moment part of your work happens on Windows or Android.

Bear pricing

Bear publishes 1 plan. Paid tiers start at $2.99/mo.

Bear plans and published prices, taken from the vendor’s pricing page.
Plan	Price	What the vendor’s page says
Bear Pro	$2.99/mo	Bear Pro $2.99/month or $29.99/year; 7-day trial

Prices read from the vendor's own pricing page on 2026-09-08. Vendors change plans without notice — check the source before you budget. Source

Cheaper alternatives to Bear — same category, ordered by verified starting price.

Key features

Tag-based organisation
Files notes by inline tags instead of a fixed folder tree.
Markdown editing
Writes in Markdown with formatting rendered in place.
Apple-ecosystem sync
Syncs notes across Mac, iPhone and iPad through iCloud.

Strengths and trade-offs

What works well

Beautiful, distraction-free writing
Tag organisation instead of folders
Fast and native

Where it falls short

Apple platforms only
Sync requires the subscription
Limited collaboration

Who it is for

Apple users who write a lot and want the app to disappear.

Pick it or skip it

Pick Bear if

Apple users who want a beautiful Markdown notes app with tags and wiki links
Writers who need iCloud sync across Mac, iPhone and iPad for $2.99/month or $29.99/year
People who want to try before paying — 7-day trial

Skip it if

You need sync for free: the free tier is local-only with 3 themes and no PDF/image search
You use Windows, Android or the web — Bear is Apple only
You need collaboration or shared notebooks

Our verdict

One of the nicest writing apps anywhere. Cross-platform teams cannot use it.

Frequently asked questions

How much is Bear Pro?: Bear Pro costs $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year after a 7-day trial. It adds iCloud sync across Mac, iPhone and iPad, PDF and image search and extra themes. The free version works locally on one device with export and 3 themes.
Does Bear have a free plan?: Yes. Bear offers a free tier with limits; paid plans unlock higher usage or team features.
Who is Bear best for?: Apple users who write a lot and want the app to disappear.
What are the main drawbacks of Bear?: The trade-offs we noted: Apple platforms only; Sync requires the subscription; Limited collaboration.
When should you not use Bear?: Skip Bear if: You need sync for free: the free tier is local-only with 3 themes and no PDF/image search; You use Windows, Android or the web — Bear is Apple only; You need collaboration or shared notebooks.

What we checked

Public APIOffers a documented API you can build against.No
Mobile appHas a native app for iOS or Android, not just a mobile website.Yes
Open source / self-hostableSource is open and the tool can be run on your own infrastructure.No
SSO (SAML)Supports SAML single sign-on on at least one plan.No

“Not checked” means exactly that — we have not verified it, and we do not guess.

Evidence and freshness

Status: Vendor pricing page verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-08

Bear — Home ↗
Checked 2026-09-08 · Supports: Bear Pro $2.99/month or $29.99/year; 7-day trial, free: local notes, scanning, export to many formats, 3 themes; no iCloud sync or PDF/image search, Mac, iPhone, iPad

Limit: Vendor pricing page was reviewed by an editor on this date; this record is not a ToolCompare benchmark. Prices and limits change.

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