# Bear Markdown Notes & Journal vs Xiemala Real

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Xiemala Real at none against Bear Markdown Notes & Journal's 2. Xiemala Real also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16). Bear Markdown Notes & Journal's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 4 weeks). On price, ads and device support 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. Xiemala Real asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal ships an update every 10 days, Xiemala Real every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bear Markdown Notes & Journal | Xiemala Real |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bear-markdown-notes-and-journal/id1016366447/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 76.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 230 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shiny Frog Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/527618974) | [Suzhou Ruilisi Technology Co. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1456245270) |

## 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


### Xiemala Real

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xiemala-real-time-productivity/id1600457089)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**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 Xiemala Real free?

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

### Do Bear Markdown Notes & Journal or Xiemala Real have ads?

Neither Bear Markdown Notes & Journal nor Xiemala Real shows ads.

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

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal ships an update every 10 days, and Xiemala Real every 4 weeks. Most recently, Bear Markdown Notes & Journal was updated on October 23, 2026 and Xiemala Real on October 14, 2026.

---

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