# Bear Markdown Notes & Journal vs Sunray by AidenJai

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sunray by AidenJai at none against Bear Markdown Notes & Journal's 2. Sunray by AidenJai 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 3) 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. Sunray by AidenJai asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sunray by AidenJai 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 3, 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 Sunray by AidenJai's.

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal ships an update every 10 days, Sunray by AidenJai every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bear Markdown Notes & Journal | Sunray by AidenJai |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bear-markdown-notes-and-journal/id1016366447/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sunray-by-aidenjai/id6774285241/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 76.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 230 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Shiny Frog Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/527618974) | [Aiden Jastrzembski](https://appshunter.io/developer/6774285243) |

## What reviewers say

### Bear Markdown Notes & Journal

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


### Sunray by AidenJai

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sunray-by-aidenjai/id6774285241)

This app encourages users to reduce phone usage and focus on tasks. It offers a minimal interface with customization options and task management features. The goal is to combat doomscrolling and promote productivity.

**Highlights:** Offline functionality, No account required, Ad-free experience, No in-app purchases, Task management, Time tracking, Customizable themes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**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 Sunray by AidenJai free?

Sunray by AidenJai is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bear Markdown Notes & Journal or Sunray by AidenJai?

Sunray by AidenJai is rated higher. Bear Markdown Notes & Journal averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.9K ratings, while Sunray by AidenJai averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Bear Markdown Notes & Journal or Sunray by AidenJai have ads?

Neither Bear Markdown Notes & Journal nor Sunray by AidenJai shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bear Markdown Notes & Journal or Sunray by AidenJai?

Bear Markdown Notes & Journal ships an update every 10 days, and Sunray by AidenJai every 9 days. Most recently, Bear Markdown Notes & Journal was updated on October 26, 2026 and Sunray by AidenJai on October 16, 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.*