Bear is a Markdown-focused note app with cross-note links, hashtag tagging, powerful search, Focus Mode, iCloud sync, and multiple export options. Users appreciate its clean interface and Apple ecosystem integration, though some seek alternatives with stronger privacy features or cross-platform availability.
Obsidian leads as the top-ranked Bear alternative, extending Markdown note-taking with backlinks, bidirectional links, and graph view for mapping relationships between ideas. Standard Notes adds end-to-end encryption and encrypted backups for privacy-focused users, expanding beyond Bear's iCloud-style syncing. Notesnook focuses on private, encrypted notes with two-factor authentication and reminders for security-conscious users.
Bear alternatives range from local-first vault apps like Obsidian to encrypted sync-first tools like Standard Notes and Notesnook, giving users options across privacy levels and platform support.
Open source choices like Zettlr suit users who prefer auditable code and community-driven development. Linux users have native desktop apps available through Standard Notes for workflows outside Windows and macOS.
For self-hosting, AFFiNE and Outline can run on your own infrastructure for complete data control. Markdown workflows remain portable with Obsidian keeping notes in plain-text format, while offline functionality works reliably with Anytype during travel or unreliable connections.
Cloud sync becomes essential for multi-device users, with Evernote and Notesnook both including syncing across devices. For WYSIWYG-style editing, Standard Notes, Notesnook, and Anytype all list WYSIWYG support among their notable features for users who prefer rich-text editing over raw Markdown.
Minimal - Writing & Notes is a writing app inspired by meditation. It includes features such as note lifetime, collaborative writing, note-to-website publishing, Todo integration, and cross-device syncing, with a focus on spacious and modern design.
jott.ing is a private, offline note-taking app with free AI features. Keep your notes secure and local on your device.
Squibler is an online book writing tool built to enable you to write books faster with a highly focused, minimalist editor and writing prompt generators to help you get ideas recorded fast.
Mindful is a space for your thoughts, ideas and ongoing tasks. It's a Chrome browser extension that helps you get ideas out and organize them with note-taking capabilities that automatically syncs across browser instances.
Without taking notes, only 10% of what you hear may last in memory [1]. With good note-taking, that number can go up to over 80%. Despite the benefits of note-taking, 1 out of every 3 students do not take notes.
For Mac users to write without distractions. WriteRoom is a full screen writing environment. Unlike the cluttered word processors you're used to, WriteRoom lets you focus on writing. Requires Mac OS X 10.
Safe Notes is a security project aimed at providing an encrypted, private note manager that works locally and protects notes from various threat actors.
a quick notetaking plugin. Contribute to fmoralesc/vim-pad development by creating an account on GitHub.
MarkMyWords is the ideal markup-writing tool for authors. By using Markdown, MultiMarkdown, Textile, Wikitext, HTML or BBCode MarkMyWords makes writing articles for the web a breeze and remains platform-independent by using plain text documents.
Create deep visual documents, adaptable and multi-level diagrams, flowcharts, concept maps, mind maps and models.
Citronote is a note-taking application for Windows that allows you to create Markdown, Scrap, ToDo, and Plaintext notes.
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