Bear
Memos
| Feature | Bear | Memos |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $2.99/mo | Free / from $0/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.7 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | writers, note-takers, students, apple-users | self-hosters, quick-note-takers, journaling, privacy-focused-users |
| Founded | 2016 | 2022 |
| Markdown Editor | ✓ | ✗ |
| Nested Tags | ✓ | ✗ |
| Focus Mode | ✓ | ✗ |
| Export Formats | ✓ | ✗ |
| Themes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cross Note Linking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Markdown | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tags | ✗ | ✓ |
| Search | ✗ | ✓ |
| Api | ✗ | ✓ |
| Docker Deployment | ✗ | ✓ |
| Embed Resources | ✗ | ✓ |
| Timeline View | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Bear Pros
- Gorgeous design
- Flexible tag system
- Supports Markdown
- Very affordable Pro plan
✗ Bear Cons
- Apple only (no Windows/Android)
- Limited collaboration
- No web version
✓ Memos Pros
- Completely free and open-source
- Lightweight and fast (single binary deployment)
- Twitter-like quick note interface
- Full data ownership with self-hosting
✗ Memos Cons
- No real-time collaboration features
- Limited organizational tools (no folders/hierarchy)
- Self-hosting required (no managed cloud option)
The Verdict
Bear is built for writers and note takers, with a focus on markdown-editor and nested-tags. Memos targets self hosters and quick note takers and leads with markdown and tags.
Pricing is close: Memos starts at $0/mo versus $2.99/mo for Bear — not a deciding factor on its own.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Memos offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Bear takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Bear has a slight overall edge — but if completely free and open-source matters most to you, Memos may still be the right call.