Bear AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Text Editors

The best Text Editor alternative to Bear is Obsidian, which is free. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Bear and many of them are Text Editors so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Text Editor alternatives to Bear are Zettlr, Manuskript, QOwnNotes and FocusWriter.

filter to find the best alternatives

Bear alternatives are mainly Text Editors, but if you're looking for Note-taking Tools or Todo List Managers you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Windows, Linux, Mac, Open Source and Android. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Bear.
Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard
Bear alternatives page was last updated

Alternatives list

  1. Obsidian icon
     1137 likes

    Privacy-oriented note-taking app for non-linear thinking, blending knowledge graph creation with wiki-style linking. Supports Markdown, end-to-end encryption, and plugins for customization. Offers distraction-free mode, tags, themes, syntax highlighting, and operates offline without tracking.

    244 Obsidian alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Safari
    • AppImage
    • Mozilla Firefox
     
    |
    1
  2. Zettlr icon
     257 likes

    Unified writing platform offering note-taking, easy citations with Zotero integration, LaTeX/Word templates, snippets, themes, dark modes, code highlighting, multi-language support, and knowledge management with Zettelkasten for seamless writing from notes to books.

    204 Zettlr alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
     
  3. Manuskript icon
     171 likes

    Open-source software offering a hierarchical outliner, distraction-free editor, character management, plot tools, Snowflake method support, section multi-organization, customizable writing workflows, cross-platform availability, and export to standard formats.

    132 Manuskript alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
     
  4. QOwnNotes icon
     100 likes

    Plain text notepad with markdown support and todo list manager for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows, that works together with the notes application of ownCloud.

    294 QOwnNotes alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Qt
     
  5. FocusWriter icon
     213 likes

    Simple but configurable and themeable, distraction-free text editor for writers. Open-source and available across desktop platforms.

    103 FocusWriter alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
     
    |
    1
  6. Clean, native Markdown editor for macOS with syntax highlighting, real-time GitHub Flavored Markdown and Mermaid diagram preview, KaTeX math support, synchronized side-by-side editing, QuickLook integration, PDF export, format shortcuts, and no subscriptions.

    55 Clearly Markdown alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
     
  7. iA Writer icon
     97 likes

    The key to good writing is not that magical glass of Bordeaux, the right kind of tobacco or that groovy background music. The key is focus. What you need to write well is a spartan setting that allows you to fully concentrate on your text and nothing but your text.

    125 iA Writer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
  8. acreom icon
     30 likes

    acreom is an actionable personal knowledge base for developers. It helps developers ship faster by centralizing personal and team context in one place.

    Cost / License

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
     
  9. Ulysses icon
     70 likes

    Ulysses is a text editor for creative writers. Used by bloggers, poets, students and published novelists all over the world, it offers an integrated environment to brainstorm, draft, revise and even submit text on a professional level.

    146 Ulysses alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
  10. FuseBase icon
     93 likes

    Combines AI-powered client portals, unlimited external accounts, internal workspaces, collaborative document editing, smart task management, and no-code knowledge bases with smart documents, supporting 2000+ embeds for streamlined project delivery and feedback.

    235 FuseBase alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Google Chrome
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Mozilla Firefox
     
  11. Heynote icon
     19 likes

    Block-organized, privacy-focused scratchpad for developers with language-specific syntax highlighting and auto-formatting, supporting JavaScript, JSON, Markdown, notes, API responses, and daily planning, all in a persistent local buffer with minimalist interface.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  12. Itsypad icon
     5 likes

    Lightweight Mac scratchpad and clipboard manager featuring multi-tab editing, 1,000-item clipboard, syntax highlighting for 185+ languages, local privacy-focused storage, global hotkeys, split view, clickable links, iCloud sync, auto-save, and minimal resource usage.

    20 Itsypad alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
     
12 of 37 Bear alternatives