# Bear Markdown Notes & Journal vs MidSpark

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MidSpark at none against Bear Markdown Notes & Journal's 2. MidSpark also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 77%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Bear Markdown Notes & Journal's advantage is ratings volume (6.9K vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads 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. MidSpark asks for nothing beyond the download.

MidSpark holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bear Markdown Notes & Journal has 6.9K ratings behind it against 1, 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 100% of MidSpark's.

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal ships an update every 10 days, MidSpark every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bear Markdown Notes & Journal | MidSpark |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bear-markdown-notes-and-journal/id1016366447/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/midspark-scheduler/id6446994575/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 76.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 263 MB | 90 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shiny Frog Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/527618974) | [Denis MIshin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1676395523) |

## 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


### MidSpark

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/midspark-scheduler/id6446994575)

Capture, organize, and secure your thoughts and ideas with this versatile note-taking and task management tool. Features include offline access, home screen widgets for quick entry, and reminders for important dates and subscriptions.

**Highlights:** Create and edit notes, Organize notes with folders and labels, Offline note access, Home screen widgets for quick note creation, Task management with reminders and deadlines, Save favorite locations, Subscription and important date reminders, Financial tracking and savings goals

**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 MidSpark free?

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

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

MidSpark is rated higher. Bear Markdown Notes & Journal averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.9K ratings, while MidSpark averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

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

Neither Bear Markdown Notes & Journal nor MidSpark shows ads.

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

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal ships an update every 10 days, and MidSpark every 5 days. Most recently, Bear Markdown Notes & Journal was updated on November 6, 2026 and MidSpark 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.*