Bear
Evernote
| Feature | Bear | Evernote |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $2.99/mo | Free / from $10.83/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 3.8 / 5 |
| Best For | apple-users, writers, students, developers | note-takers, researchers, professionals, knowledge-workers |
| Founded | 2016 | 2004 |
| Markdown | ✓ | ✗ |
| Nested Tags | ✓ | ✗ |
| Themes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Export Options | ✓ | ✗ |
| Focus Mode | ✓ | ✗ |
| Apple Watch | ✓ | ✗ |
| Notes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Web Clipper | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ocr | ✗ | ✓ |
| Notebooks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tags | ✗ | ✓ |
| Search | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Bear Pros
- Beautiful design
- Markdown support
- Nested tags
- Fast search
✗ Bear Cons
- Apple only
- No collaboration
- Limited free features
✓ Evernote Pros
- Great web clipper
- OCR for images
- Cross-platform
- Long track record
✗ Evernote Cons
- Expensive
- Feels outdated
- Very limited free plan (50 notes)
- Performance issues
The Verdict
Bear is built for apple users and writers, with a focus on markdown and nested-tags. Evernote targets note takers and researchers and leads with notes and web-clipper.
On pricing, Bear is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $2.99/mo compared to $10.83/mo for Evernote. That $7.84/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Bear edges out on user ratings (4.5 vs 3.8). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Bottom line: Bear has a slight overall edge — but if great web clipper matters most to you, Evernote may still be the right call.
