Bear is a Markdown-based note-taking app developed by Shiny Frog for the Apple ecosystem. It offers a distraction-free writing interface with inline Markdown formatting, hashtag-based nested organization instead of folders, and support for code blocks, images, tables, and to-do lists within notes. Notes can be exported to formats like PDF, Word, and HTML, and the app includes themes and typography options aimed at writers.
Bear is designed for people who want a fast, clean writing tool for journaling, drafting articles, technical notes, or personal knowledge management on Apple devices. The free tier supports local note-taking on a single device, while Bear Pro unlocks cross-device iCloud sync, note encryption, additional export formats, and custom themes.
The app is available only on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, with no Windows, Android, or web version. Bear Pro is offered as a subscription with a free trial, and the app supports automation through x-callback-url actions and Shortcuts integration.