# Bear pricing (2026): plans, cost, and compliance

**Entry price:** $0 (free)/mo (Free). Among the 4 note taking apps we track it is the cheapest; median entry $0/mo.
**Domain:** bear.app
**Free tier:** Yes · 7-day free trial
**Compliance:** HIPAA Not published · SOC 2 Not published · GDPR Not published
**Integrations:** iCloud Sync (Pro), Apple Pencil, Apple Advanced Data Protection
**Best for:** Writers and minimalists on Apple devices; Single-device or Apple-only note-takers; Users wanting affordable Markdown-first app; Privacy-minded users (iCloud encryption, no telemetry)
**Price tracked since:** June 2026

## Plans

| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Billing | Notes | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0 | — | flat | Free tier offers Markdown editing, full tag system and the core writing experience on a single device. Cloud sync, encryption and premium features require Bear Pro. | bear.app |
| Pro | $2.99 | −16% | flat | $2.99/mo or $29.99/year (~$2.50/mo) for new customers, single subscription covers all Apple devices on the same Apple ID. Unlocks iCloud sync, note encryption and app lock, advanced export (PDF/HTML/DOCX/JPG), 20+ themes, app-icon choices, OCR search. 14-day free trial. | bear.app |

**Key features:** Focused Markdown editor with rich text shortcuts; Nested tag system with 250+ tag icons; Sketch notes (Apple Pencil or finger); Document scanning; OCR search in PDFs and images (Pro); Individual note encryption and app lock (Pro); Rich media link/PDF previews; Section folding by heading; Export to TXT, Markdown, TextBundle, RTF, PDF, JPG, HTML, DOCX, ePub; 20+ themes (Pro); Apple Advanced Data Protection support.

**Plan limits:** Free: single device only (no iCloud sync); Free: 3 themes, 1 app icon; Free: no OCR search; Free: no note encryption or app lock; Free: no advanced export (PDF, HTML, DOCX, JPG); Pro: all Apple devices on same Apple ID; Billing handled by Apple (in-app purchase only).

Sources: 1 · Last verified 2026-06-13
Provenance: Prices read from the bear.app FAQ 'Features and price of Bear Pro' on 2026-06-13, which served $2.99/mo and $29.99/year with a 14-day free trial verbatim.
Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/software/note-taking-apps/bear/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, Bear's entry plan was $0 (free)/mo as of 2026-06-13 — https://frontdeskreview.com/software/note-taking-apps/bear/
License: CC BY 4.0. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl