# Bear vs Bookmark URL Saver

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Bear at 6.9K against Bookmark URL Saver's 57. Bear also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). Bookmark URL Saver's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 77%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bear sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Bookmark URL Saver sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 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 against 4.7 for Bookmark URL Saver. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bear has 6.9K ratings behind it against 57, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of Bear's written reviews are positive against 86% of Bookmark URL Saver's.

Bear ships an update every 9 days, Bookmark URL Saver monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bear | Bookmark URL Saver |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bear-markdown-notes/id1016366447/reviews) | [4.7 (57 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookmark-url-saver-trace/id6477563940/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 57 |
| Positive reviews | 76.9% of reviews | **85.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 230 MB | 298 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shiny Frog Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/527618974) | [Youssef Ismaili](https://appshunter.io/developer/1696488085) |

## What reviewers say

### Bear

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


### Bookmark URL Saver

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookmark-url-saver-trace/id6477563940)

Easily save articles, screenshots, PDFs, and links from any app. Organize your saved content into custom collections with tags and notes. Read saved items distraction-free, even offline, with powerful search capabilities.

**Highlights:** Save links and screenshots from any app, Distraction-free reader, Offline reading, Organize with collections and tags, Powerful search, Syncs across devices via iCloud

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Trace Pro | $1.99 | per month |
| Prismoria Monthly Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| All Access | $2.99 | per month |
| Trace Pro Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| All Access | $9.99 | per year |
| Trace Pro | $14.99 | per year |
| Trace Pro | $19.99 | per year |
| Free Lifetime offer | Free | one-time |
| Trace Pro Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |
| Trace Pro | $19.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Access | $29.99 | one-time |
| Trace Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bear free?

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

### Is Bookmark URL Saver free?

Bookmark URL Saver is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Bear or Bookmark URL Saver?

Bear and Bookmark URL Saver are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6.9K and 57 ratings respectively.

### Do Bear or Bookmark URL Saver have ads?

Neither Bear nor Bookmark URL Saver shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bear or Bookmark URL Saver?

Bear ships an update every 9 days, and Bookmark URL Saver monthly. Most recently, Bear was updated on September 24, 2026 and Bookmark URL Saver on September 13, 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.*