Bear

About

Bear is a flexible, freemium note-taking and writing tool originating from Italy, primarily designed for Apple enthusiasts across Mac, iPhone, and iPad platforms, with an online public beta also available. Operating as proprietary software, it offers a free version alongside a very affordable paid subscription for additional features. Its comprehensive product portfolio boasts advanced markdown support with in-line images, cross-note links, live preview, hashtags, Focus Mode, and plain text storage. Key functionalities include iCloud sync, one-tap formatting, smart data recognition, and extensive export options to RTF, Plain Text, Word, PDF, and HTML. Bear distinguishes itself with features like encryption, note synchronization, syntax highlighting, robust tagging capabilities (including inline, multi-word, and nested tags), a web clipper, dark mode, offline functionality, and no registration requirement. It also integrates with Apple Shortcuts and offers extensions for Safari, Opera, Firefox, and Google Chrome. While some users praise its beautiful design, user-friendliness, and unique tagging system, positioning it as a strong choice for Apple users in the competitive note-taking application market, others suggest better alternatives exist for Mac users.