# Bear vs Noted

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Bear at 77% against Noted's 55%. Bear also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume, 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 and Noted sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Bear holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6.9K and 3.6K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Bear's written reviews are positive against 55% of Noted's.

Bear ships an update every 9 days, Noted every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bear | Noted |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bear-markdown-notes/id1016366447/reviews)** | [4.5 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noted-record-and-ai-transcribe/id1149425482/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 3.6K |
| Positive reviews | **76.9% of reviews** | 55.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 230 MB | 384 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shiny Frog Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/527618974) | [Digital Workroom Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/941209527) |

## 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


### Noted

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noted-record-and-ai-transcribe/id1149425482)

Record, transcribe, and organize audio notes for meetings and studies. Link audio moments to text notes, skip silences, and dictate your thoughts. Share and sync across devices with customizable themes and reminders.

**Highlights:** Audio transcription, Time-stamped notes, Intelligent playback, Voice typing, Crystal-clear recording, Cross-device sync, Easy sharing

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Noted Assistant | $2.99 | per month |
| Weekly Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $6.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription – Promo | $6.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Secret Discount (1 year) | $44.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription – Promo | $49.99 | per year |
| Noted+ Lifetime (Upgrade) | $39.99 | one-time |
| Noted+ Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent note-taking features
- ⏱️ Helpful time-stamping and audio playback
- 📝 Versatile and organized note-taking
- 🤖 Impressive AI transcription capabilities
- 👍 Sleek and user-friendly interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Overly restrictive free version
- 💰 Subscription-based model
- 🐛 Sync and stability issues
- 🖌️ Limited formatting and customization options
- 🔇 Inconsistent audio recording quality

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Issues with audio playback and syncing
- Inconsistent performance on different devices
- Unexpected data loss and note deletion

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit and trim audio recordings
- More advanced formatting and layout options
- Integration with other note-taking and productivity apps
- Improved search and organization tools
- Offline mode for recording and note-taking


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bear free?

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

### Is Noted free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bear or Noted?

Bear is rated higher. Bear averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.9K ratings, while Noted averages 4.5 from 3.6K ratings.

### Do Bear or Noted have ads?

Neither Bear nor Noted shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bear or Noted?

Bear ships an update every 9 days, and Noted every 6 days. Most recently, Bear was updated on September 24, 2026 and Noted on September 22, 2026.

---

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