# Bear vs Google Keep

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Google Keep at none against Bear's 2. Google Keep also leads on chart position (#69 vs unranked) and ratings volume (29K vs 6.9K). Bear's advantage is review sentiment (77% vs 42%) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bear sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Google Keep asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Bear against 4.6 for Google Keep. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6.9K and 29K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of Bear's written reviews are positive against 42% of Google Keep's.

Bear ships an update every 2 weeks, Google Keep every 6 days. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bear | Google Keep |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bear-markdown-notes/id1016366447/reviews)** | [4.6 (29K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-keep-notes-and-lists/id1029207872/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6.9K | **29K** |
| Positive reviews | **76.8% of reviews** | 42.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#69** |
| Size | 230 MB | 212 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shiny Frog Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/527618974) | [Google](https://appshunter.io/developer/281956209) |

## What reviewers say

### Bear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bear-markdown-notes/id1016366447)

A beautiful and simple Markdown app for capturing, writing, and organizing your thoughts and ideas. It offers a distraction-free writing environment, flexible formatting, and powerful organizational tools like tags and tasks. Ideal for anyone looking to streamline their note-taking and creative processes.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free writing environment, Flexible Markdown formatting, Tag-based organization, Task management, Note linking (WikiLinks), Web clipping extension, Apple Pencil sketching

**Features:** Safari Extension, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Pro subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Pro subscription | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Elegant and minimalist design
- 🚀 Smooth and fast performance
- 💡 Flexible tagging system for organization
- 🔒 Secure and private notes
- 🎨 Customizable themes and fonts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Subscription required for syncing and advanced features
- 🔍 Limited search functionality within notes on iOS
- 🖼️ Issues with image handling and resizing
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes reported
- 💻 Lack of web/Windows app for cross-platform access

**Reported bugs**

- Sync issues causing note conflicts and data loss
- Cursor jumping and input issues on iPad
- Inconsistent behavior when importing/exporting content

**Requested features**

- Add password protection for individual notes
- Improve search capabilities to find text within notes
- Implement table support for more robust note-taking
- Develop a web-based version for broader accessibility
- Allow manual sorting and organization of notes


### Google Keep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-keep-notes-and-lists/id1029207872)

**Currently charting:** #69 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Capture, edit, and share notes and lists across all your devices. Organize with labels and colors, and set time or location-based reminders. Collaborate with others in real-time for shared tasks.

**Highlights:** Capture notes, lists, photos, and audio, Organize with labels and colors, Set time and location-based reminders, Collaborate on notes and lists, Transcribe voice memos, Extract text from images

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Lean and efficient
- 👍 Minimalistic and easy to use
- 🤝 Good for collaboration
- 💡 Useful for note-taking and lists

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🔄 Sync issues and data loss
- 🕰️ Slow performance and lag
- 📱 Limited functionality on mobile
- 🔒 Lack of security features

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly duplicating or disappearing
- Checkboxes not working as expected
- Keyboard issues and text input problems
- Refresh failures and connectivity problems

**Requested features**

- Add support for widgets
- Improve text formatting options
- Introduce folder/category organization
- Enable password protection for notes
- Enhance search and sorting capabilities


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bear free?

Bear is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Google Keep free?

Google Keep is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bear or Google Keep?

Bear is rated higher. Bear averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.9K ratings, while Google Keep averages 4.6 from 29K ratings.

### Do Bear or Google Keep have ads?

Neither Bear nor Google Keep shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bear or Google Keep?

Bear ships an update every 2 weeks, and Google Keep every 6 days. Most recently, Bear was updated on October 13, 2026 and Google Keep on October 13, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*