Bear
Scrintal
| Feature | Bear | Scrintal |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $2.99/mo | Free / from $12/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | apple-users, writers, students, developers | researchers, visual-thinkers, writers, students |
| Founded | 2016 | 2021 |
| Markdown | ✓ | ✗ |
| Nested Tags | ✓ | ✗ |
| Themes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Export Options | ✓ | ✗ |
| Focus Mode | ✓ | ✗ |
| Apple Watch | ✓ | ✗ |
| Infinite Canvas | ✗ | ✓ |
| Note Cards | ✗ | ✓ |
| Connections | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bi Directional Links | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mind Maps | ✗ | ✓ |
| Collaboration | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Bear Pros
- Beautiful design
- Markdown support
- Nested tags
- Fast search
✗ Bear Cons
- Apple only
- No collaboration
- Limited free features
✓ Scrintal Pros
- Visual note connections
- Infinite canvas
- Combines notes and mindmaps
- Good for visual thinkers
✗ Scrintal Cons
- Newer platform still maturing
- Limited integrations
- No mobile app yet
The Verdict
Bear is built for apple users and writers, with a focus on markdown and nested-tags. Scrintal targets researchers and visual thinkers and leads with infinite-canvas and note-cards.
On pricing, Bear is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $2.99/mo compared to $12/mo for Scrintal. That $9.01/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.
Both tools are a solid fit for writers, students — 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 visual note connections matters most to you, Scrintal may still be the right call.