# Bear vs Noted

Bear and Noted both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 77% of Bear's written reviews are positive against 55% of Noted's. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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 3.7K 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 2 weeks, Noted weekly. Both last shipped on October 21, 2026.

## 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 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noted-transcribe-audio-notes/id1149425482/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 3.7K |
| Positive reviews | **76.9% of reviews** | 55.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 230 MB | 384 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16** | 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-transcribe-audio-notes/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 3.7K 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 2 weeks, and Noted weekly. Most recently, Bear was updated on October 21, 2026 and Noted on October 21, 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.*