Bear
Joplin
| Feature | Bear | Joplin |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $2.99/mo | Free / from $2.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | apple-users, writers, students, developers | privacy-advocates, developers, linux-users, evernote-migrants |
| Founded | 2016 | 2017 |
| Markdown | ✓ | ✓ |
| Nested Tags | ✓ | ✗ |
| Themes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Export Options | ✓ | ✗ |
| Focus Mode | ✓ | ✗ |
| Apple Watch | ✓ | ✗ |
| Encryption | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sync | ✗ | ✓ |
| Web Clipper | ✗ | ✓ |
| Plugins | ✗ | ✓ |
| Notebooks | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Bear Pros
- Beautiful design
- Markdown support
- Nested tags
- Fast search
✗ Bear Cons
- Apple only
- No collaboration
- Limited free features
✓ Joplin Pros
- Free and open-source
- End-to-end encryption
- Self-host option
- Import from Evernote
✗ Joplin Cons
- Less polished UI
- Sync requires setup
- Limited collaboration
The Verdict
Bear is built for apple users and writers, with a focus on markdown and nested-tags. Joplin targets privacy advocates and developers and leads with markdown and encryption.
Both tools come in at similar price points ($2.99/mo for Bear, $2.99/mo for Joplin), so pricing won't make the decision for you.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Both tools are a solid fit for developers — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: Bear has a slight overall edge — but if free and open-source matters most to you, Joplin may still be the right call.