| Price from | $2.50/mo | $1.67/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 5 | 7 |
| Spec score · Notes apps | 9.1 (#4) | 8.4 (#26) |
| Spec score · Note-taking apps | 8.9 (#26) | 8.3 (#81) |
| Advanced Data Protection | Bear says its sync supports Apple Advanced Data Protection, while note titles and tag names remain unencrypted. | The user guide lists end-to-end encrypted iCloud content protection when Advanced Data Protection is enabled. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | Bear documents Apple Shortcuts support on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with actions such as creating notes, adding tags, and searching notes. | The user guide describes integrations with email, messages, Dropbox, Evernote, Todoist, and other services, and lists Shortcuts and AppleScript support. |
| Note sharing | Yes | Yes |
| Offline access | Yes | Yes |
| Organization | Bear supports flexible tags, pinned tags, headings, and folding sections within notes. | New entries go to the Inbox, where users can tag, flag, or archive them. |
| Supported platforms | web,macos,ios | The maker’s homepage lists iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch downloads; the App Store listings identify iOS and Mac versions. |
| Purpose | Bear is a Markdown note-taking app for capturing, writing, and organizing notes. | Drafts is a quick-capture notes app that opens to a new page with the keyboard ready so users can start typing immediately. |
| Support | Bear provides support pages and accepts support requests through its contact page or [email protected]. | The maker directs users to the User Guide, the Drafts Community, the in-app Send Feedback option, or [email protected]. |
