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DeNotes vs Bear

Bear and DeNotes want the same thing: a beautiful, quiet place to write Markdown. They differ on which devices you can do that from and where the writing ends up.

What Bear does well

Bear is one of the best-looking writing apps ever made. The typography is considered, Markdown syntax fades away as you type, the tag system is elegant, and everything about it feels crafted rather than assembled. On an iPhone or a Mac it is a pleasure to use, and it deserves the affection people have for it.

Where DeNotes is different

Bear is an Apple app, and syncs through Apple infrastructure. If you have a Windows machine at work or an Android phone, Bear is not available to you. DeNotes runs in any modern browser and installs from there as an app, so the same workspace opens everywhere. Storage differs too: Bear keeps notes in its own library and exports Markdown when you ask, while DeNotes writes the Markdown file itself into your Google Drive. Bear organizes by nested tags; DeNotes uses nested folders and files, and adds goals that notes can attach to.

Side by side

Structural differences only. Plans and prices change often enough that comparing them here would go out of date faster than it would help.

DeNotes compared with Bear, feature by feature.
FeatureDeNotesBear
Note formatPlain Markdown (.md) filesMarkdown-based, in Bear's own library
Where notes liveYour own Google Drive, or your deviceApple sync, in Bear
PlatformsAny modern browser, installable as an appApple devices only
OrganizationNested folders and filesNested tags
Reading notes without the appYes, they are files in your DriveAfter an export
Goals attached to notesYesNo
Writing experienceLive Markdown, no toolbarsLive Markdown, widely admired

Should you use DeNotes or Bear?

Choose Bear

Choose Bear if you are entirely on Apple devices and want the most polished Markdown writing experience available there.

Choose DeNotes

Choose DeNotes if you use more than Apple devices, prefer folders to tags, or want the Markdown file itself sitting in your own Drive rather than inside an app.

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