Bear - Markdown Notes

74 of 100 · reviews
4.7of 5 · store
6,836ratings on the App Store
500reviews read

An editorial reading of the saved reviews

The best plain-text Markdown note-taking tool in the sample. Opens instantly, and the tag system replaces folders while working more flexibly. iCloud sync is reliable. Bear 2.0 removed the convenient toolbar, worsening the iPhone experience.

Screenshots

What people use it for

Writers, developers, and researchers who need a fast Markdown editor with reliable sync across the Apple ecosystem.

What reviews praise

The tag system lets you find a note across multiple intersecting topics without creating folders.
Works equally fast on iPhone and Mac, and iCloud sync requires no separate account.
Markdown renders beautifully without getting in the way while typing.

What reviews complain about

Bear 2.0 removed the compact toolbar: formatting is now awkward on a small screen.
Search does not support advanced filters and is slow in large archives.
Attachments and PDFs are not supported without the premium subscription.

What users experience

3 excerpts from the breakdown. These are individual cases, not a verdict on all users.

UPDATE: I've had this app for a few years now and still use it DAILY. I've looked at a couple other notes apps at times, just out of curiosity when I see them, but none have come close. I haven't needed to use a single other notes-like app since I switched to Bear.

Bear was absolutely perfect before the 2.0 update. There was a very slim/narrow bar along the top of the keyboard with all the functions. You had to slide it to get to some of them, but after 30 minutes' use, it wasn't a big deal. Plus it was FAST.

The first time I tried this app I got overwhelmed, it felt like the tags were fussy and I wasn't sure how to organize stuff. This was when I first got apple products and was seeking a notes app. Then I slowly worked my way through all the features.