About
Bear is a Markdown notes app for capturing, writing, and organizing notes, journals, lists, tasks, and sketches across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It features WikiLinks to connect notes into a personal knowledge base, flexible Markdown formatting with support for RTL languages like Arabic and Hebrew, and organization via hashtags with nested tag support. Notes are private by default—Bear cannot access your content. The app includes Apple Pencil sketching on iPad, web clipping via app extension, Siri and Shortcuts integration, and Apple Watch dictation. Bear Pro adds iCloud sync across devices, password-encrypted individual notes, Face/Touch ID locking, and export to HTML, DocX, PDF, JPG, and ePub formats.
Highlights
- WikiLinks to connect notes and build a personal knowledge base or wiki
- Hashtag organization with nested tags, pinnable tags, and TagCons for visual distinction
- Apple Pencil sketching on iPad with extendable canvas
- Private by default—Bear cannot access your notes, tags, or content
- Export to plain text, Markdown, TextBundle, HTML, DocX, PDF, JPG, and ePub formats
- iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac with Bear Pro subscription
Best for
Writers, students, lawyers, teachers, and professionals who want a distraction-free space to journal, plan, organize research, and build personal knowledge bases without surrendering privacy.
At a glance
Bear - Markdown Notes is rated 4.7 out of 5 from 6,675 ratings and is available on iOS and macOS — all free to download.
It is developed by Shiny Frog Ltd..
Screenshots
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Bear - Markdown Notes free?
- Yes — Bear - Markdown Notes is free to download on iOS and macOS.
- What platforms is Bear - Markdown Notes available on?
- Bear - Markdown Notes is available on iOS and macOS.
- What is Bear?
- Bear is a Markdown notes app for writing, organizing, and connecting notes across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It supports WikiLinks for building personal wikis, hashtag-based organization, sketching with Apple Pencil, and keeps all notes private—Bear cannot access your content.
- Can I sync notes across my devices?
- Yes, with Bear Pro. The subscription enables iCloud sync between your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, plus password encryption for individual notes and Face/Touch ID locking.
- Does Bear support right-to-left languages?
- Yes. Bear supports all scripts, including RTL languages like Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian.
- What export formats does Bear offer?
- Free users can export to plain text, Markdown, TextBundle, Bear note, and rich text. Bear Pro adds HTML, DocX, PDF, JPG, and ePub export options.
- What are the alternatives to Bear - Markdown Notes?
- Bear - Markdown Notes is similar to Google NotebookLM, Google Docs, Grammarly: AI Keyboard & Notes, and Today App: To-Do Lists & Notes. Browse related apps by tag: note taking.
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