# Whitespace vs Bear

The clearest difference is rating: Bear at 4.7 against Whitespace's 2.8. Bear also leads on ratings volume (6.9K vs 10) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). Whitespace's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Whitespace sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Bear sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Bear holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bear has 6.9K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Whitespace's written reviews are positive against 77% of Bear's.

Whitespace ships an update every 2 months, Bear every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Whitespace | Bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.8 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whitespace-writer-and-editor/id687007919/reviews) | **[4.7 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bear-markdown-notes/id1016366447/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **6.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 56.0% of reviews | **76.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 7 MB | 230 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dynotes Mobile Technology LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/349039724) | [Shiny Frog Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/527618974) |

## What reviewers say

### Whitespace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whitespace-writer-and-editor/id687007919)

This app combines note-taking simplicity with text editor power, allowing you to structure and format diverse items like articles or lists. Organize your thoughts and projects within customizable spaces, with features for writing, organizing, and editing your content.

**Highlights:** Unlimited items and spaces, Markdown syntax highlighting, Attach photos and videos, Full text search, Color-coded spaces, Backup and restore (Pro), Passcode lock

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade for Backup, Restore and Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |


### Bear

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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Whitespace free?

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

### Is Bear free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Whitespace or Bear?

Bear is rated higher. Whitespace averages 2.8 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Bear averages 4.7 from 6.9K ratings.

### Do Whitespace or Bear have ads?

Neither Whitespace nor Bear shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Whitespace or Bear?

Whitespace ships an update every 2 months, and Bear every 9 days. Most recently, Whitespace was updated on June 1, 2026 and Bear on September 26, 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.*