Updated May 20, 2026 for Raven's current Mac and iPhone feature set.
Same native feel. Your notes are actual files.
Raven is a native Markdown notes app for Mac and iPhone. The part you came to Bear for, the
typography, scrolling, and feel under your thumb, gets attention here too. The
difference: every note is a plain
.md
file in a folder you can open. The storage model is visible files rather than a SQLite database, export step, or subscription.
$14 lifetime until June 30. Keep the native feel. Lose the database.
Raven keeps the part Bear users notice first: a native, typographically careful Apple app on Mac and iPhone.
It replaces the SQLite database with a folder of plain
.md
files. You get [[wiki-style]] backlinks, Claude and MCP folder access, and a $14 one-time price
instead of a $30-a-year subscription.
What sends long-time Bear users looking.
Bear is a beautiful app. These are the trade-offs that send people out.
Your notes are trapped in a SQLite database.
Bear's beautiful app is a window onto a proprietary SQLite file. You can't open a note in Finder. You can't grep your vault. You can't hand it to Claude. If you want to use your own writing elsewhere, you export first.
Panda has been 'coming soon' for years.
The next-generation Bear editor has been in perpetual beta since 2020. You love the app you have. You're also aware the app you have is waiting on a rewrite that keeps not landing.
Subscription with no lifetime option.
$29.99 every year, forever. Skip a year and you lose sync. For an app you use daily, the math adds up. Raven still offers a one-time price through June 30, 2026.
Claude can't reach your notes.
Claude, Cursor, and MCP servers work with plain files on disk. Bear's notes aren't on disk in a form they can read. Every outside tool needs an export first.
What you get when you switch.
Your writing becomes a folder again.
Raven stores every note as a plain .md file in a folder you can open. Finder, Terminal, git, and Claude can see your notes the moment you save.
Same native feel. Less friction.
Raven is SwiftUI and UIKit, built for Mac and iPhone. The typography, scrolling, and keyboard behavior get the same care as the file format.
$14. Once. Not once a year.
Lock in lifetime access at $14 through June 30, 2026. Subscription only from July 1, 2026. One payment, no yearly renewal, every future update included.
Claude can read the vault folder.
Every note is a .md file on disk. Point Claude or any MCP agent at your vault and it works through folder access.
Raven vs Bear, side by side.
Choose Raven for files, backlinks, and Claude access. Choose Bear for tags, encryption, and attachment polish.
| Raven |  Bear | |
|---|---|---|
| Plain .md files on disk · Bear uses SQLite | - | |
| Native Mac app | ||
| Native iPhone app | ||
| Beautiful out of the box | ||
| Fast open time | ||
| [[Wiki-style]] backlinks | - | |
| Hashtag organization | - | |
| Grep / git / terminal access | - | |
| Works with Claude / MCP agents · SQLite blocks agent access | - | |
| Cloud sync | ||
| One-time purchase option · Bear is subscription-only | - | |
| Free tier | - | |
| Encrypted notes (Face ID) | - | |
| Table support | ||
| Rich inline attachments | - | |
| Daily and weekly Journal | - | |
| Tasks across notes | - | |
| Active development · Panda delayed |
Who should switch. Who shouldn't.
Choose Raven for file-first writing. Stay with Bear for encrypted notes, OCR search, themes, and hashtag organization.
Switch to Raven if...
- People who want their notes as plain files they can grep, git, or hand to Claude
- People who want a one-time purchase instead of a subscription
- People who've been waiting years for Panda and want active development
- People who use [[wiki-links]] for knowledge management
- People who want Claude or Cursor to read a notes folder directly
Stay on Bear if...
- People who love Bear's specific typography and editor feel
- People who prefer hashtag organization over folders and wiki-links
- People who want encrypted notes with Face ID / Touch ID
- People who work with heavy inline images and attachments
- People content with a subscription model
Export once. Keep the folder from then on.
Bear's Markdown export is the only migration step you'll need. From then on, your notes are a folder you can open anywhere.
Export your Bear notes as Markdown (File → Export Notes → Markdown)
Drop the exported folder anywhere on disk; that becomes your Raven vault
Hashtags in your notes remain as plain-text `#tags` in the Markdown
Images and attachments are exported alongside the notes
Your Bear library stays untouched if you want to keep both apps during the transition
Bear-specific questions.
How do I move my Bear notes to Raven?
Will my hashtags still work?
Can I keep using Bear while I try Raven?
Does Raven have [[wiki-style]] backlinks?
Does Raven have encrypted notes like Bear?
Why plain files instead of a database?
What does Raven cost compared to Bear?
Is Raven as polished as Bear?
Your notes. Your folder. Native.
Lock in lifetime at $14. Subscription-only from July 1, 2026.
Apple refunds in 48 hours. Your vault is a folder you can always open elsewhere.
Also looking at Obsidian or doing a Raven vs Bear comparison?