# Bear vs BugShot, Mark Photo with VOICE

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BugShot, Mark Photo with VOICE at none against Bear's 2. BugShot, Mark Photo with VOICE also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16). Bear's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bear sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. BugShot, Mark Photo with VOICE asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bear holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bear has 6.9K ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Bear's written reviews are positive against 67% of BugShot, Mark Photo with VOICE's.

Bear ships an update every 2 weeks, BugShot, Mark Photo with VOICE every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bear | BugShot, Mark Photo with VOICE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bear-markdown-notes/id1016366447/reviews)** | [4.5 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bugshot-mark-photo-with-voice/id1092862147/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 23 |
| Positive reviews | **76.9% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 230 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16 | **9.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shiny Frog Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/527618974) | [政武 刘](https://appshunter.io/developer/1198867325) |

## 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


### BugShot, Mark Photo with VOICE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bugshot-mark-photo-with-voice/id1092862147)

Easily annotate screenshots and photos with text, shapes, and voice notes. Quickly share marked-up images and long screenshots via a simple link, streamlining communication for testers and developers.

**Highlights:** Annotate with shapes, text, and arrows, Record voice explanations, Merge multiple screenshots, Undo/Redo functionality, Share via link, Select photos from library or camera

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bear free?

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

### Is BugShot, Mark Photo with VOICE free?

BugShot, Mark Photo with VOICE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bear or BugShot, Mark Photo with VOICE?

Bear is rated higher. Bear averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.9K ratings, while BugShot, Mark Photo with VOICE averages 4.5 from 23 ratings.

### Do Bear or BugShot, Mark Photo with VOICE have ads?

BugShot, Mark Photo with VOICE shows ads; Bear does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bear or BugShot, Mark Photo with VOICE?

Bear ships an update every 2 weeks, and BugShot, Mark Photo with VOICE every 3 months. Most recently, Bear was updated on October 20, 2026 and BugShot, Mark Photo with VOICE on October 7, 2026.

---

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