Updated June 20, 2026 for Raven's current Mac, iPhone, and iPad app.
Bear alternative
Bear-like writing, files you own.
Raven is a native Markdown notes app for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. It keeps the quiet Apple feel Bear users care about, but every note is a plain
.md
file in a folder you can open, move, back up, or hand to another tool.
$14 lifetime until July 31. Native feel, files you own.
Native feel, files you keep.
Write natively. Keep your notes in a folder you can use anywhere.
Design principles
What Raven protects.
Principle #1
Ownership
Raven keeps the quiet writing feel, but every note is a plain `.md` file in a folder you can open.
Principle #2
Instant feel
The app should be ready before the thought is gone. Raven opens and searches fast, and works offline.
Principle #3
Platform fit
Widgets and Shortcuts belong on iPhone, and Companion CLI/MCP belongs on Mac. Raven uses each platform's tools instead of hiding notes in an app library.
Raven keeps the part Bear users notice first: a calm, native Apple app on Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
It also makes ownership literal. Every note is a plain
.md
file in your folder. You also get [[wiki-style]] backlinks and fast local search, with platform integration through widgets, Shortcuts, Companion, MCP, and CLI.
Where Bear stops short.
Bear is a beautiful app. These are the limits you feel when your notes need to leave the app.
Your notes are trapped in a SQLite database.
Bear's app is a window onto a proprietary SQLite file. You can't open a note in Finder or point a local agent at a Markdown folder. To use your writing elsewhere, you export first.
Your files still arrive after export.
Bear 2 is a polished writing app. The trade-off is still the storage model: your working notes live in Bear's library, so other tools wait for an export instead of reading a normal Markdown folder.
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 July 31, 2026.
Claude can't reach your notes without an export.
Claude, Codex, Cursor, and local MCP clients work best with plain files on disk. Bear's notes aren't on disk in that shape, so outside tools need an export or bridge first.
What Raven protects.
Your writing becomes a folder again.
Raven stores every note as a plain .md file in a folder you can open. Finder, Terminal, git, Claude, Codex, Cursor, and local MCP clients can read the notes without an export step.
Same native feel, less friction.
Raven is SwiftUI and UIKit, built for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. The typography and keyboard behavior receive the same care as the file format.
$14 once, not once a year.
Lock in lifetime access at $14 through July 31, 2026, before subscription-only pricing takes effect. One payment covers every future update with no yearly renewal.
Local agents can read the vault folder.
Every note is a .md file on disk. Raven also ships Companion CLI/MCP, so local agents can use permissioned Raven-aware tools instead of raw file mutation.
Raven vs Bear, side by side.
Raven is the better fit for ownership, instant feel, and platform integration. Bear holds the advantage on 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.
Raven is the better fit for file-first writing. Bear is the stronger option 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, then work from the folder.
Bear's Markdown export is the only migration step you need. After that, your notes live in 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 before August 1, 2026, when subscription-only pricing takes effect.
Apple handles refunds through Report a Problem, and your vault is a folder you can open elsewhere at any time.
Also looking at Obsidian or doing a Raven vs Bear comparison?