# Bear Markdown Notes & Journal vs Halo

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Bear Markdown Notes & Journal at 77% against Halo's 25%. Bear Markdown Notes & Journal also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.9) and ads (none vs shown). Halo's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price 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. Halo asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bear Markdown Notes & Journal has 6.9K ratings behind it against 14, 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 25% of Halo's.

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal ships an update every 10 days, Halo every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bear Markdown Notes & Journal | Halo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bear-markdown-notes-and-journal/id1016366447/reviews)** | [3.9 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/halo-location-reminders/id1254131645/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | **76.9% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 230 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shiny Frog Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/527618974) | [David Azancot](https://appshunter.io/developer/507868249) |

## 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


### Halo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/halo-location-reminders/id1254131645)

Receive location-based alerts for various needs, from access codes to shopping lists. Get timely reminders as you approach designated areas, making sure you never miss an important task or discovery.

**Highlights:** Geo-localized alerts, Location-based reminders, Customizable alerts, Push notifications, Access alerts from home screen

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bear Markdown Notes & Journal free?

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

### Is Halo free?

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

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

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal is rated higher. Bear Markdown Notes & Journal averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.9K ratings, while Halo averages 3.9 from 14 ratings.

### Do Bear Markdown Notes & Journal or Halo have ads?

Halo shows ads; Bear Markdown Notes & Journal does not.

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

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal ships an update every 10 days, and Halo every 3 months. Most recently, Bear Markdown Notes & Journal was updated on November 2, 2026 and Halo on October 24, 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.*