Compose vs Bear Notes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Compose
This app helps you regain control of your phone usage by requiring a journal entry before accessing distracting apps. It analyzes your entries to reveal patterns and promote mindfulness, turning your phone into a tool rather than a reflex.
- Block selected apps and websites
- Create focus profiles and schedules
- Write with curated journal prompts
- Discover long-term themes and patterns
- Receive personalized quotes and affirmations
- Export or delete journal entries
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Every day, a war is being fought for your attention. Billions of dollars go into algorithms designed to capture your time, attention, and energy. Leaving you stressed, unfulfilled, and stuck in a loop you can't seem to break. You wake up, and the first thing you do is scroll. You get ready for bed, and the last thing you do is scroll. Life passes by, one more scroll at a time. Your phone should feel like a tool, not a reflex. When you open an app that pulls you into the void, Compose makes you write a short journal entry first. Then the choice is yours: stay focused, take a short break, or carry on. The gate is intentionally easy to cross. That's the point. A hard block can stop one scroll. Compose gives you something to build instead: a journal of what was happening each time you reached for your phone. Every entry becomes part of your story, one that grows more useful over time. Compose automatically organizes the people, places, emotions, activities, and topics in your writing. It reconnects related moments, asks thoughtful follow-up questions, and brings recurring themes and changes into view. This adds up to lasting change. A few sentences a day can ease stress, build self-awareness, help you notice the small moments, and be more present. With Compose, you can: • Block selected apps, websites, and categories • Create focus profiles and schedules • Write with curated, custom, and follow-up prompts • Find entries even when you can't remember the exact words • Revisit connected moments • Discover long-term themes, patterns, and insights • Receive quotes and affirmations shaped by your journal • Export or delete your entries whenever you like App blocking and journaling are always free. Compose isn't about giving up your phone. It's about using it on purpose and keeping more of your attention for the life around you.
Bear Notes
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Amazing app for note takers and people who are trying to remember things. Beautiful art is created specifically for this app, handcrafted by pencil. Every single page has individual art to make writing beautiful. Art of this app is inspired by the beautiful creatures from Mother Nature. You can write anything on this app. --Groceries --Password --Dates --Generic Notes --Students who want to take notes --Businessmen who want to write important things The app data is totally secured and remains in your phone. There is no privacy issues. It is not connected by iCloud or anything from outside. The art is personally designed by me with hours of work put into it. The developer of this app is my friend he put a lot of hardworking into this. This app is made by two people to be used by many many people around the world.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Compose at none against Bear Notes's 1. Bear Notes's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 9 days). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Bear Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Compose asks for nothing beyond the download.
Compose ships an update every 9 days, Bear Notes every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Compose | Bear Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 39 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Samir Thapa | Charly Nelson |
In-app purchases
Compose
No in-app purchases
Bear Notes
- Unlock all the doors$3.99









