# Bear Markdown Notes & Journal vs SCRIBZEE®

The clearest difference is rating: Bear Markdown Notes & Journal at 4.7 against SCRIBZEE®'s 3.8. Bear Markdown Notes & Journal also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 53%) and ratings volume (6.9K vs 180). SCRIBZEE®'s advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bear Markdown Notes & Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and SCRIBZEE® sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bear Markdown Notes & Journal has 6.9K ratings behind it against 180, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Bear Markdown Notes & Journal's written reviews are positive against 53% of SCRIBZEE®'s.

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal ships an update every 10 days, SCRIBZEE® monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bear Markdown Notes & Journal | SCRIBZEE® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bear-markdown-notes-and-journal/id1016366447/reviews)** | [3.8 (180 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scribzee/id1192303022/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 180 |
| Positive reviews | **76.9% of reviews** | 53.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 230 MB | 157 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shiny Frog Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/527618974) | [Hamelin SAS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1192303021) |

## What reviewers say

### Bear Markdown Notes & Journal

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


### SCRIBZEE®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scribzee/id1192303022)

Securely access all your handwritten notes from any device, anytime. This app offers high-quality scans that are automatically enhanced for clarity and readability. Organize, share, and even convert notes to PDF for easy distribution.

**Highlights:** Secure cloud access for notes, High-quality automatic scanning, Cross-device synchronization, Note organization by subject/project, Share notes via social media/messaging, Convert notes to PDF, Revision progress tracking

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Scribzee+ monthly subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Scribzee+ monthly subscription | $6.99 | per month |
| Scribzee+ annual subscription | $24.99 | per year |
| Scribzee+ annual subscription | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Convenient digital note storage
- 🔍 Handwriting search functionality
- 🗂️ Organized folder structure
- 💻 Accessible across devices
- ✍️ Seamless scanning of handwritten notes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 🤖 Unreliable handwriting recognition
- 📁 Limited folder/organization options
- 🔄 Inconsistent syncing between devices
- 🔍 Ineffective search capabilities

**Reported bugs**

- App fails to open or get stuck on loading screen
- Issues with account creation and password reset
- Scanned notes not saving or disappearing
- Inconsistent behavior when scanning multiple pages
- Compatibility problems with certain device models

**Requested features**

- Add sub-folder support for better organization
- Improve handwriting recognition accuracy
- Implement a more user-friendly interface
- Allow scanning of non-proprietary notebooks
- Integrate with popular note-taking apps


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bear Markdown Notes & Journal free?

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SCRIBZEE® free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bear Markdown Notes & Journal or SCRIBZEE®?

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal is rated higher. Bear Markdown Notes & Journal averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.9K ratings, while SCRIBZEE® averages 3.8 from 180 ratings.

### Do Bear Markdown Notes & Journal or SCRIBZEE® have ads?

Neither Bear Markdown Notes & Journal nor SCRIBZEE® shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bear Markdown Notes & Journal or SCRIBZEE®?

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal ships an update every 10 days, and SCRIBZEE® monthly. Most recently, Bear Markdown Notes & Journal was updated on November 3, 2026 and SCRIBZEE® on November 2, 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.*