# Bear Markdown Notes & Journal vs Markdown to PDF

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Bear Markdown Notes & Journal at 6.9K against Markdown to PDF's 9. Bear Markdown Notes & Journal also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and device support (4 vs 2). Markdown to PDF's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 10 days). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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 Markdown to PDF sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bear Markdown Notes & Journal has 6.9K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of Bear Markdown Notes & Journal's written reviews are positive against 83% of Markdown to PDF's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Bear Markdown Notes & Journal | Markdown to PDF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bear-markdown-notes-and-journal/id1016366447/reviews)** | [4.4 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/markdown-to-pdf-pro-editor/id6760420142/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 76.9% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 263 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shiny Frog Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/527618974) | [Zain Aaban](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883199867) |

## 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


### Markdown to PDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/markdown-to-pdf-pro-editor/id6760420142)

Convert markdown files to polished PDFs with live preview and extensive formatting support. Ideal for notes, documents, and sharing code. Offers multiple page sizes, orientations, and font options.

**Highlights:** Live Markdown preview, Export to PDF, Multiple page sizes and orientations, Extensive markdown superset support, Syntax highlighting, Table of contents generation, Siri & Shortcuts support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $7.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bear Markdown Notes & Journal free?

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

### Is Markdown to PDF free?

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

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

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal is rated higher. Bear Markdown Notes & Journal averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.9K ratings, while Markdown to PDF averages 4.4 from 9 ratings.

### Do Bear Markdown Notes & Journal or Markdown to PDF have ads?

Neither Bear Markdown Notes & Journal nor Markdown to PDF shows ads.

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

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal ships an update every 10 days, and Markdown to PDF every 4 days. Most recently, Bear Markdown Notes & Journal was updated on November 4, 2026 and Markdown to PDF 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.*