---
title: Bear Reviews
meta_title: 'Bear Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2'
meta_description: Filter 45 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to
  find out how Bear works for a business like yours.
aggregate_rating:
  rating_value: 4.5
  review_count: 45
  scale: '5'
date_modified: '2026-08-07'
parent_category:
  name: Collaboration & Productivity
  url: https://www.g2.com/categories/collaboration-productivity
---


# Bear Reviews
**Vendor:** Shiny Frog  
**Category:** [Note-Taking Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/note-taking-software)  
**Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0  
**Total Reviews:** 45
## About Bear
Bear is a note taking tool for Mac and iOS.



## Bear Pros & Cons
**What users like:**

- Users value the **ease of use** in Bear, allowing for distraction-free note-taking and efficient organization. (2 reviews)
- Users admire the **ease of use** in Bear, enabling focused and organized note-taking without distractions. (2 reviews)
- Users love the **intuitive design** of Bear, enabling focused writing without distractions from menus or notifications. (1 reviews)
- Users value the **ease of use** in Bear, appreciating its organization and seamless cloud sync for note-taking. (1 reviews)
- Users value the **organization features** of Bear, appreciating easy tagging and seamless cloud sync for note-taking. (1 reviews)

**What users dislike:**

- Users desire **additional features** like slash commands found in Notion/Craft to enhance their experience with Bear. (1 reviews)
- Users find the **tool limitations** frustrating, especially the lack of free syncing across devices. (1 reviews)

## Bear Reviews
  ### 1. Minimalist, Focus-Friendly Writing—But Syncing Costs Extra

**Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** Victor Z. | COO, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** January 30, 2026

**What do you like best about Bear?**

Bear feels like a quiet desk when I open it. There is nothing shouting for attention. I can just type and not get pulled into menus or notifications. It makes focusing on text actually possible.

**What do you dislike about Bear?**

To sync across devices I have to pay. If I just want a simple free tool, that feels irritating. I expect syncing these days without a subscription.

**What problems is Bear solving and how is that benefiting you?**

Clean and distraction free writing space


## Bear Discussions
  - [Does Bear require iCloud to sync?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/32298-does-bear-require-icloud-to-sync) - 1 comment, 1 upvote

- [View Bear pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/bear/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2482630&qs=pros-and-cons&section=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-08-14+18%3A18%3A32+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=79ad750e-8d90-4ae1-9f81-da2ada3e28e0&secure%5Btoken%5D=23f8ba365f4070279856ab3b50fbfe1971965587ef216fe4e36b5e5c154fee67&format=llm_user)

## Bear Features
**Additional Functionality**
- Third-Party Integrations
- To-Do List
- @mentions
- Single Sign On
- File Management
- Activity Dashboard
- Drag & Drop
- Alerts/Notifications
- Prioritization
- Access Controls/Permissions
- Screen Sharing
- Content Management
- Brainstorming
- AI Copilot
- File Transfer
- Calendar Management
- Status Tracking
- Real-Time Notifications
- Version Control
- Task Management
- Activity Tracking
- Real Time Editing
- Communication Management
- Chat/Messaging
- Tagging
- Generative AI
- Assignment Management
- Task Scheduling
- Project Management
- Collaboration Tools
- Workflow Management
- Secure Data Storage
- File Sharing
- Document Storage
- Task Progress Tracking
- Discussions/Forums
- Commenting/Notes
- Reporting & Statistics
- Contact Management
- Video Conferencing
- Progress Tracking
- Mobile Access
- API
- Document Management
- Customizable Branding

**Agentic AI - Note-Taking Software**
- Autonomous Task Execution

**Additional Functionality**
- @mentions
- Search/Filter
- Data Import/Export
- Alerts/Notifications
- Document Classification
- Task Management
- Meeting Notes
- Drag & Drop
- Wiki
- Reminders
- Access Controls/Permissions
- Calendar/Reminder System
- Document Storage
- Activity Dashboard
- Notes Management
- Calendar Sync
- Tagging
- Multi-Device Support
- Collaboration Tools
- Templates
- Dashboard
- File Sharing
- To-Do List
- Generative AI
- Commenting/Notes
- Content Scan
- Offline Access
- Annotations
- Full Text Search
- Task Tagging
- Handwriting Recognition
- Reporting/Analytics
- AI Copilot

## Top Bear Alternatives
  - [Notion](https://www.g2.com/products/notion/reviews) - 4.6/5.0 (12,457 reviews)
  - [Evernote](https://www.g2.com/products/evernote/reviews) - 4.3/5.0 (2,012 reviews)
  - [Microsoft OneNote](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-onenote/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (1,825 reviews)