# Bear Markdown Notes & Journal vs Bill Punch

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bill Punch at none against Bear Markdown Notes & Journal's 2. Bill Punch also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16). On price, update cadence, 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. Bill Punch asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal ships an update every 10 days, Bill Punch every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bear Markdown Notes & Journal | Bill Punch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 41 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) | [Bumppy Media Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1751638081) |

## 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


### Bill Punch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bill-punch/id6738488008)

**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 Bill Punch free?

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

### Do Bear Markdown Notes & Journal or Bill Punch have ads?

Neither Bear Markdown Notes & Journal nor Bill Punch shows ads.

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

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal ships an update every 10 days, and Bill Punch every 3 weeks. Most recently, Bear Markdown Notes & Journal was updated on November 12, 2026 and Bill Punch on November 8, 2026.

---

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