Bear vs Craft — Which One Wins?
Pick Bear if: Apple users who want a beautiful, distraction-free writing experience
Pick Craft if: Apple users who want the most visually polished note-taking experience on Mac, iPad, and iPhone
Our take: Bear for simplicity, Craft for power users.
| Bear | Craft | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free with basic features | Bear Pro $2.99/mo or $29.99/year | Free with limited blocks | Pro $5/mo |
| Features | Beautiful markdown editor, Nested tags for organization, Focus and editor themes, Export to PDF, HTML, DOCX, Apple ecosystem integration | Beautiful native Apple design, Nested documents and folders, Real-time collaboration, Markdown export, AI assistant built-in |
| Best for | Apple users who want a beautiful, distraction-free writing experience | Apple users who want the most visually polished note-taking experience on Mac, iPad, and iPhone |
| Learning Curve | Easy | Easy |
The Real Difference
Both offer free tiers, so the real question is what you get when you start paying.
Bear stands out with Focus and editor themes. Craft counters with Real-time collaboration and AI assistant built-in.
Bear's Achilles heel: apple only — no windows, no android, no web app. and no tables or databases. Craft's: apple ecosystem only — windows and android users are second-class citizens at best. Pick whichever weakness you can live with.
Bottom Line
If you value focus and editor themes and apple users who want, go with Bear. If apple users who want matters more, Craft is your pick. Neither is a bad choice — but one will fit your workflow better.