Obsidian vs Bear
Obsidian: Local-first notes in a folder of Markdown files, with optional paid sync and publishing. Bear: Apple-only notes app with flexible tags and Markdown formatting.
| Obsidian | Bear | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free for personal use | Free tier, Pro $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year |
| Free option | Free without limits for personal use, no sign-up required | Free tier with local notes and some exports; iCloud sync and OCR search need Pro |
| License | Proprietary, free for personal use | Proprietary |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | macOS, iOS, iPadOS |
| Notes stored as | Plain Markdown files on your device | Bear app library, iCloud sync with Bear Pro |
Choose Obsidian if
- you want your notes to stay as plain Markdown files you control
- you like extending your editor with community plugins
- you work alone or share notes by file rather than by live workspace
Strengths
- Your notes are ordinary Markdown files in a folder, so any other editor can open them
- Large plugin and theme ecosystem
- Backlinks and graph view for linked notes
- End-to-end encrypted sync (AES-256) if you pay for it
Limits
- The app itself is not open source
- Sync and Publish are paid add-ons
- No real-time multi-user editing like a shared workspace tool
Pricing details
- Sync: $4 per user per month billed annually, or $5 billed monthly
- Publish: $8 per site per month billed annually, or $10 billed monthly
- Commercial license: $50 per user per year, optional (the vendor says commercial use does not require it)
- Catalyst: $25 one-time optional license
Choose Bear if
- you all your devices are Apple devices
- you want a polished notes app with tags
- you do not need Windows or Linux
Strengths
- Tags with icons and nested organization instead of folders
- Exports to Markdown, PDF, HTML, DOCX, ePub and more
- Inline sketching and OCR search in photos and PDFs (Pro)
Limits
- Apple devices only
- iCloud sync requires Bear Pro
Pricing details
- Pro: $2.99 per month after a 7 day trial, or $29.99 per year, as listed on bear.app
Obsidian
Local-first notes in a folder of Markdown files, with optional paid sync and publishing.
Proprietary
- Price: Free for personal use
- Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
- Storage: Plain Markdown files on your device
Bear
Apple-only notes app with flexible tags and Markdown formatting.
Proprietary
- Price: Free tier, Pro $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year
- Platforms: macOS, iOS, iPadOS
- Storage: Bear app library, iCloud sync with Bear Pro
Details come from each vendor's own website and were checked on 2026-10-18. Confirm current prices on the vendor page.