# Bear vs Craft Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 Bear and Craft are both notes on a Mac, so the pick depends on workflow. Buy Bear Pro for personal writing across Apple devices. Buy Craft Plus (or Family/Team) when documents must be structured, shared, and presented. Keep Apple. As of October 2026, both install with brew install --cask bear and brew install --cask craft. Bear is the better buy for solo Apple writers who want Markdown, tags, and Pro sync near $30/year. Craft is the better buy when documents need structure, sharing, and a web client that non-Markdown teammates can open. Neither replaces a full Notion-style database suite; they compete as personal and small-team note surfaces with different shapes. Match the app to export habits and collaboration needs, not to which landing page looks calmer. ## Head to head | Factor | Bear | Craft | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Paid | Free | | Open Source | No | No | | Replaces | — | Ulysses ($39.99/year) | | Best for | notes, markdown, writing | notes, documents, writing | | Install | brew install --cask bear | brew install --cask craft | | Category | Productivity | Productivity | ## Bear Beautiful and flexible Markdown writing app for notes and long-form writing on Mac. Install: `brew install --cask bear` [Bear on Bundl](https://bundl.run/apps/bear) ## Craft Native document editor Install: `brew install --cask craft` [Craft on Bundl](https://bundl.run/apps/craft) ## Features - **Writing Experience & Editor.** Bear edges pure writing joy; Craft edges structured document composition. - **Organization & Linking.** Craft wins when notes must become navigable shared documents; Bear wins lightweight personal tagging. - **Sync & Platforms.** Craft's web + multi-surface story beats Bear's Apple-only Pro sync model. - **Collaboration & Sharing.** Craft is the collaboration and presentation winner. - **AI Features (2026).** Craft leads on built-in AI assist; Bear leads on non-AI writing focus. - **Privacy, Encryption & Locking.** Bear's Pro lock/encryption story is clearer for private personal notes. - **Pricing & Value.** Bear wins price-to-delight for individuals; Craft's higher price tracks doc/collaboration scope. - **Export & Longevity.** Both export well enough; neither is as file-native as Obsidian vaults. ## FAQ ### Is Bear or Craft cheaper in 2026? For one person who needs sync, Bear Pro at $29.99/year is usually cheaper than Craft Plus at about $96/year. Craft Free can be cheaper than both until you hit the 1,500-block limit. App Store and web checkout can show different tax lines. ### Which is better for long-form writing? Bear. Its Markdown editor and themes are optimized for prose. Craft is excellent too but shines more when structure and sharing matter. Family seats change the math versus a single Bear Pro subscription. ### Which is better for team documents? Craft. Family and Team plans, web access, and share flows are built for multi-person document work. Bear is primarily personal. Export a sample doc both ways before you commit a whole archive. ### Does Bear work on Windows or Android? No native apps. Shiny Frog focuses on Apple platforms; web remains a companion beta. Choose Craft or Obsidian if you need broader OS coverage. AI credit bundles expire or refill on plan rules, so read the current Plus terms. ### Does Craft require a subscription? Not immediately, Free works with limits. Heavy daily use typically needs Plus for blocks, history, storage, and AI credits. Web access matters if any collaborator is not on iOS or macOS. ### Can I migrate from Bear to Craft without losing notes? Yes with exports, but expect cleanup on formatting, tags, and attachments. Keep a Bear archive until you verify imports. Nested tags in Bear do not map 1:1 to Craft cards without manual cleanup. ### Which handles privacy better? Bear's Pro encryption/lock and optional local-only free mode are clearer for private personal notes. Craft is fine for typical docs but is cloud-centric. Team spaces are a Craft reason to pay more than $30/year. ### Do either replace Notion? Craft replaces Notion for many small-team docs if you do not need databases. Bear does not try to be Notion. Database-heavy work still favors Notion-class tools. Free tiers are enough to judge typing feel within a few days. ### What about AI features? Craft includes AI assistant credits on its plans. Bear focuses on writing UX and Pro OCR search rather than a headline AI workspace. ### Did the verdict change since May 2026? Not dramatically: pricing and roles remain similar, with Craft's plan names/prices clarified around Free/Plus/Family/Team and Bear Pro still at $2.99/$29.99. The winner still depends on writing-vs-docs. ## Sources - [Bear homepage pricing and Pro features](https://bear.app/) - [Bear Pro features and price FAQ](https://bear.app/faq/features-and-price-of-bear-pro/) - [Craft pricing plans](https://www.craft.do/pricing) - [Craft plans and pricing help](https://support.craft.do/en/account-and-subscription/subscription-plans/plans-and-pricing) - [Bear platform FAQ (Web/Android/Windows)](https://bear.app/faq/what-about-bear-for-web-android-windows/) - [Craft product site](https://www.craft.do/) - [The Verge on Bear 2](https://www.theverge.com/23786996/bear-2-notes-app-iphone-ipad-mac) ## Related - [Bear vs Obsidian](https://bundl.run/compare/bear-vs-obsidian) - [Bear vs Apple Notes](https://bundl.run/compare/bear-vs-apple-notes) - [Craft vs Notion](https://bundl.run/compare/craft-vs-notion) - [Craft vs Obsidian](https://bundl.run/compare/craft-vs-obsidian) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://bundl.run/#organization", "name": "Bundl.run", "url": "https://bundl.run", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bundl.run/og-image.png", "width": 1200, "height": 630 }, "description": "The Ninite for Mac. 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