Bear
Ulysses
| Feature | Bear | Ulysses |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $2.99/mo | From $5.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.7 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | writers, note-takers, students, apple-users | bloggers, journalists, apple-users, writers |
| Founded | 2016 | 2013 |
| Markdown Editor | ✓ | ✓ |
| Nested Tags | ✓ | ✗ |
| Focus Mode | ✓ | ✗ |
| Export Formats | ✓ | ✗ |
| Themes | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cross Note Linking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Library Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Publishing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Goals | ✗ | ✓ |
| Icloud Sync | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Ulysses Pros
- Beautiful interface
- Markdown support
- iCloud sync
- Direct publishing
✗ Ulysses Cons
- Apple only
- Subscription model
- Limited formatting
The Verdict
Bear is built for writers and note takers, with a focus on markdown-editor and nested-tags. Ulysses targets bloggers and journalists and leads with markdown-editor and library-management.
Pricing is close: Bear starts at $2.99/mo versus $5.99/mo for Ulysses — not a deciding factor on its own.
Bear has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Ulysses requires a paid subscription from day one.
Both tools are a solid fit for writers, apple users — 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 beautiful interface matters most to you, Ulysses may still be the right call.