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Bear vs Craft

Updated June 2026 · A structured head-to-head comparison.

Beautiful Markdown notes for Apple.

Beautiful documents and notes.

The verdict

Both Bear and Craft are credible note taking tools, and the right pick comes down to your priorities.

Bear — Beautiful Markdown notes for Apple.

Choose Craft if you'd rather have broader platform coverage. Beautiful documents and notes.

Bear vs Craft: side by side

DimensionBearCraft
Starting priceFree – $2.99/moFree – $10/mo
Free planYesYes
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Best forWriters, Apple UsersApple Users, Writers
PlatformsMac, IosWeb, Mac, Windows, Ios, AndroidWinner
Rating4.7/54.6/5

Bear key facts

Vendor
Shiny Frog
Pricing
Freemium — Free – $2.99/mo
Free tier
Yes
Platforms
Mac, Ios
Best for
Writers, Apple Users
Editor rating
4.7 / 5
Founded
2016
Headquarters
Italy

Craft key facts

Vendor
Craft
Pricing
Freemium — Free – $10/mo
Free tier
Yes
Platforms
Web, Mac, Windows, Ios, Android
Best for
Apple Users, Writers
Editor rating
4.6 / 5
Founded
2019
Headquarters
Budapest, Hungary

Frequently asked questions

Is Bear better than Craft?

Neither is universally better — Bear edges ahead on overall rating, but the best choice depends on price, platforms, and your use case. See the side-by-side table above.

Is Bear or Craft cheaper?

Bear is the more affordable of the two to get started, at free – $2.99/mo. Bear starts at free – $2.99/mo; Craft starts at free – $10/mo.

Can Bear replace Craft?

Yes for most teams — both are note taking tools with heavily overlapping features. The main trade-offs are pricing and platform support, covered in the comparison above.