# Bear Markdown Notes & Journal vs GitWriter

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Bear Markdown Notes & Journal at 77% against GitWriter's 0%. Bear Markdown Notes & Journal also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.0) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 4 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 GitWriter sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.0. 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 0% of GitWriter's.

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal ships an update every 10 days, GitWriter every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bear Markdown Notes & Journal | GitWriter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bear-markdown-notes-and-journal/id1016366447/reviews)** | [2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gitwriter-markdown-anywhere/id6757675586/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **76.9% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 263 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shiny Frog Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/527618974) | [Anthony Brooks](https://appshunter.io/developer/1511811463) |

## 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


### GitWriter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gitwriter-markdown-anywhere/id6757675586)

This app provides a mobile Markdown editor integrated with Git repositories. It allows users to write, edit, and sync Markdown files directly from their iPhone or iPad, offering features like version control, offline editing, and export options.

**Highlights:** Edit Markdown files with distraction-free interface, Git repository integration with OAuth login, Offline editing and background sync, Version history and revert functionality, Export Markdown to Word documents, Create new branches and files on mobile

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Backer | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly Backer | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bear Markdown Notes & Journal free?

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

### Is GitWriter free?

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

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

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal is rated higher. Bear Markdown Notes & Journal averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.9K ratings, while GitWriter averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.

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

Neither Bear Markdown Notes & Journal nor GitWriter shows ads.

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

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal ships an update every 10 days, and GitWriter every 4 months. Most recently, Bear Markdown Notes & Journal was updated on November 5, 2026 and GitWriter on October 31, 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.*