# Octarine vs Bear

Plain files on every desktop vs a polished Apple-only app

Last reviewed: 2026-11-04
Web page: https://octarine.app/compare/bear

Bear and Octarine are both calm markdown writing apps. The difference is where they run and where your notes live.

Bear is Apple-only, and it makes the most of it: native apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad, Apple Pencil sketching, an Apple Watch app, password-locked notes, and search inside scanned PDFs and photos. Notes live in Bear's database, and iCloud sync comes with a Bear Pro subscription.

Octarine keeps notes as plain markdown files and runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux. You get the same kind of minimal writing view, plus split panes, tabs, a graph, and separate workspaces when you need them. Sync runs through Git or the folder service you already use, at no extra cost. Bear exports to markdown, so trying Octarine costs you nothing.

- Moving from Bear: https://octarine.app/docs/importing/bear

## Comparison

"Yes", "No", and "Partly" are the status shown on the web page; any text after the colon is the note shown with it.

### Files

| Feature | Octarine | Bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plain markdown files | Yes | No: Bear's database; markdown export |
| Per-note encryption | No: Relies on disk encryption | Yes: Pro |
| Search inside images and PDFs | No | Yes: Pro |

### Writing and organization

| Feature | Octarine | Bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wiki-links and backlinks | Yes | Yes |
| Graph view | Yes | No |
| Task management | Yes: Projects, list or board, cycles (Pro) | Partly: Checkboxes in notes; a Todo list of notes with open items |
| Split panes and tabs | Yes | No |
| Multiple workspaces | Yes | No: One library per account |
| Apple Pencil sketching | No | Yes |
| Export | PDF, HTML, DOCX | Markdown, TextBundle, RTF; DOCX, PDF, ePub with Pro |

- Task management: Tasks groups work into projects with statuses, priorities, labels, due dates, subtasks, saved filters, and optional cycles. Each task is a Markdown file in your workspace, and a checkbox in a note can become a task.

### AI

| Feature | Octarine | Bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Built-in AI | Yes: Your own key or a local model (Pro) | No |

- Built-in AI: Ask Octarine searches, reads, and follows links across your notes to answer questions. The Writing Assistant edits inline. Indexing stays on your device.

### Platforms and sync

| Feature | Octarine | Bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Desktop | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS |
| iPhone | Partly: TestFlight for Pro users; widgets, Shortcuts, Siri | Yes: App Store; widgets, Shortcuts, Siri |
| iPad | Partly: Through the iOS app | Yes: Native, with Apple Pencil |
| Apple Watch | No | Yes: Dictate notes, check off tasks |
| Sync | Yes: Git or any folder sync, free | Yes: iCloud, with Bear Pro |

- Sync: Octarine syncs with built-in Git, or you put the workspace in iCloud Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, or Syncthing.

### Plans

| Feature | Octarine | Bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | Yes: Core features, no time limit | Yes: Without sync |
| Paid | Pro $79 one-time | Bear Pro subscription |

## Sources

Compared against Bear's help center and Bear 2 release notes. Bear's subscription price is set in the App Store, so we describe what Pro includes rather than quoting a number. Octarine's side was checked against its docs, including the iOS widgets, Shortcuts, and Siri support.

- [Bear 2 release notes](https://blog.bear.app/2023/07/bear-2-is-here/)
- [Linking notes in Bear](https://bear.app/faq/how-to-link-notes-together/)
- [Bear export formats](https://bear.app/faq/export-your-notes/)
- [Bear syncing and privacy](https://bear.app/faq/syncing-privacy/)
- [Encrypting notes in Bear](https://bear.app/faq/how-to-encrypt-lock-notes-with-bear/)
- [Searching text in attachments](https://bear.app/faq/how-to-search-text-inside-notes-in-bear/)
- [Sketching in Bear](https://bear.app/faq/how-to-sketch-in-bear/)
- [Bear for Apple Watch](https://bear.app/faq/bear-for-apple-watch-overview)
- [Bear sidebar (Todo section)](https://bear.app/faq/about-the-sidebar-in-bear/)

Product names belong to their owners; no affiliation or endorsement is implied. Corrections: https://octarine.app/compare/bear has a "Suggest a correction" link.