Bear Alternatives

Bear provides flexible writing and note-taking with markdown support and cross-note linking, popular among Mac users for its clean interface. Users seek alternatives primarily due to privacy concerns over its reliance on Apple's ecosystem, cost complaints for plain text functionality, and the availability of better options on Mac.

For users wanting stronger privacy protection, Standard Notes encrypts notes end-to-end across all devices while maintaining markdown support and seamless syncing. Those frustrated by Bear's Apple-only limitations can turn to Obsidian, which offers similar markdown editing and internal linking but works across Windows, Mac, and Linux with a powerful graph view to visualize note connections. Users seeking more advanced knowledge management find Roam Research's graph-based approach superior for linking and visualizing complex note relationships. Trillium Notes handles hierarchical note organization with rich text formatting, making it ideal for complex projects that outgrow Bear's simpler structure.

filter to find the best alternatives

Bear alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools, but if you're looking for Todo List Managers or Task Management Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Windows, Android, Linux, Mac and Open Source. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Bear.
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Alternatives list

  1. Bloks icon
     3 likes
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    Put your notes, tasks, and meetings on autopilot.

    Cost / License

    • Subscription
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Google Chrome
     
  2. Byword icon
     53 likes
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    Byword is designed to make writing more enjoyable with Markdown on your Mac, iPhone and iPad.

    149 Byword alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
  3. Perixi icon
     5 likes
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    The desktop app designed from the ground up to make it easier to plan your story. Whether you're an author, world-builder, or someone who likes creating, Perixi is the right choice for your next project.

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
     
  4. Notebag icon
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    Notebag is a fully keyboard-compatible note taking app that links all your knowledge and gets out of your way.

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  5. Nute icon
     1 like
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    Nute is a super simple lightning fast one page note taking app.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
     
  6. PaperRoll icon
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    PaperRoll is a Mac app that gives you all the superpowers of great note-takers, without any of the work of keeping great notes.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
     
  7. Write for Mac icon
     4 likes
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    A clean & intuitive design focused on things that matter most - your notes! Write offers a well designed writing experience with beautiful inline markdown rendering and some gorgeous fonts. Add Folders from Anywhere.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
     
  8. Boardist icon
     11 likes
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    Perfect personal productivity tool 🙀 Never lose your data again and store your notes, links, files, and a lot more. The whole infrastructure is designed to help an advanced user to be in a good shape with data.

    242 Boardist alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
     
  9. Agenda icon
     5 likes
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    An elegant new take on notes and organize your time.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
  10. Inspire Writer icon
     16 likes
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    Inspire is a clone of Ulysses for Windows, with many of the core features but not all.

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
  11. RexPad icon
     1 like
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    Note-taking app for individuals and team. Clean, speedy, and real-time collaborative. Markdownish with multiple panes and good search.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Online
     
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