# Bear Markdown Notes & Journal vs Allume

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Bear Markdown Notes & Journal at 6.9K against Allume's 338. Bear Markdown Notes & Journal also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 64%). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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 Allume sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Bear Markdown Notes & Journal against 4.6 for Allume. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bear Markdown Notes & Journal has 6.9K ratings behind it against 338, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of Bear Markdown Notes & Journal's written reviews are positive against 64% of Allume's.

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal ships an update every 10 days, Allume every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bear Markdown Notes & Journal | Allume |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bear-markdown-notes-and-journal/id1016366447/reviews)** | [4.6 (338 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/allume-for-focused-thinking/id1501563902/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 338 |
| Positive reviews | **76.9% of reviews** | 64.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 263 MB | 100 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shiny Frog Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/527618974) | [Milestone Made, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476538400) |

## What reviewers say

### Bear Markdown Notes & Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bear-markdown-notes-and-journal/id1016366447)

Capture, write, and organize your thoughts and ideas with a beautiful and powerful Markdown editor. Create lists, tasks, link notes, and export in various formats. Offers a private and distraction-free writing experience.

**Highlights:** Markdown editor with formatting, Note linking and organization with tags, Task creation and management, Web content clipping, Apple Pencil sketching support, Export to multiple formats, Dictate notes with Apple Watch

**Features:** Safari Extension, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo 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


### Allume

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/allume-for-focused-thinking/id1501563902)

This app provides a digital canvas for organizing thoughts and ideas. It allows users to create nested boards, link content, and combine various media types like text, images, and PDFs. Collaborate with others in real-time on shared workspaces.

**Highlights:** Nested boards for deep ideation, Linked cards for referencing, Remixing content from PDFs and images, Unified canvas for text, ink, and files, Real-time collaboration with shared workspaces, PDF annotation and export

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited membership, monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro membership, monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Unlimited membership, yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Pro membership, yearly | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Organize ideas and information
- 🚀 Unique and very cool features
- 👍 Indispensable app - incredibly well designed
- 👍 Great thinking and creative tool
- 👍 Exceptional app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Too expensive subscription price
- 🔒 Lack of privacy of user data
- 🔒 Requires email to try
- 🐛 Bugs are prevalent
- 🔒 Outrageous pricing

**Reported bugs**

- Eraser size issues
- Undo history reset when navigating between boards
- Crashes when erasing large areas
- Syncing issues between devices
- iPhone app not usable without iPad or Mac

**Requested features**

- More pen color and workspace options
- Zoom in/out within a board
- Search functionality
- Checklists
- Support for pen tablets on Mac


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bear Markdown Notes & Journal free?

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

### Is Allume free?

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

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

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal is rated higher. Bear Markdown Notes & Journal averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.9K ratings, while Allume averages 4.6 from 338 ratings.

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

Neither Bear Markdown Notes & Journal nor Allume shows ads.

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

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal ships an update every 10 days, and Allume every 2 weeks. Most recently, Bear Markdown Notes & Journal was updated on November 6, 2026 and Allume on November 3, 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.*