Markdown in Bear: how it works, and where it ends
Bear speaks fluent Markdown at the keyboard — type the marks, get the styling. The part people miss: your notes live in a database, and Markdown files only exist when you ask for an export.
Two different questions hide inside “does Bear do Markdown?” The first is about typing, and the answer is a clean yes — Bear’s editor styles your marks as you write, tucking most of the syntax out of sight. The second is about ownership: are my notes Markdown, as files, on my disk? There the answer is no — Bear stores notes in a local database, and the .md versions are something you generate on the way out. Neither answer is a scandal. But knowing which question you’re actually asking is the whole game when picking a notes app.
The same keystrokes, two philosophies
| Locus | Bear | |
|---|---|---|
| Type **bold**, # headings, - lists | Yes — syntax dissolves into formatting | Yes — styled inline as you write |
| Raw syntax on screen | Never — blocks, not markup | Mostly hidden; visible while editing a mark |
| Notes stored as .md files | No — plain workspace files you can open | No — a local database; export makes files |
| Markdown export | Any page, or the whole workspace | Yes — per note or in bulk |
| Markdown import | Point File → Import at a folder of .md | Yes — .md and TextBundle |
| Tables | Real rows and columns | Markdown tables |
| To-dos | Real checkboxes with state | - [ ] syntax, tappable |
| Organization | Page trees, backlinks, workspaces | #tags and nested tags |
| Sync & mobile | None — Mac only, by design | iCloud, with subscription |
| Price | Free while in development | Free tier; Pro subscription |
Worth saying plainly: neither app stores raw .md as its working format — both keep richer structure and treat Markdown as the doorway. Bear’s real edge is polished iPhone and iPad apps; Locus trades that for Mac-only depth.
Where the two roads split
Bear renders Markdown as one continuous, tagged stream of styled text — a beautiful river. Locus turns the same keystrokes into blocks: to-dos with real state, tables with real columns, toggles that fold, code that highlights in 18 languages — living in plain files in a folder you choose, with 60 snapshots of version history per page. If your notes are linear and tag-shaped, Bear remains excellent. If they keep wanting structure, the full Bear comparison walks the trade honestly, and Markdown that types itself shows what the syntax-free version of the same muscle memory feels like. The file-ownership test — and six others worth running on any app — is in local-first notes.
Questions people ask
Does Bear use standard Markdown?
Today, essentially yes. Current Bear handles the common marks — emphasis, headings, lists, to-dos, fenced code, links — the way you’d expect. Older versions used a modified markup of their own, which is why long-lived forum threads still complain about compatibility; if you last tried Bear years ago, that particular gripe is dated.
Are my Bear notes Markdown files on disk?
No. Bear keeps your notes in a local database and shows you a Markdown-flavored editor on top of it. That’s a fine design — it’s fast and reliable — but it means the .md files only exist once you export. If "my notes are files I can see" is the point for you, that’s the property to check in any app, ours included.
How do I get Markdown out of Bear?
Select the notes you want (or a whole tag), then export and choose Markdown — or TextBundle if you want images and attachments carried along rather than left behind. Doing this once is easy; the honest caveat is that export is a deliberate act, not the resting state of your notes.
Can I move Bear notes into Locus?
Yes — export from Bear as Markdown, then File → Import in Locus and point it at the folder. Each note becomes a page of native blocks; #tags arrive as plain text, and in Locus you’d lean on pages, sub-pages, and backlinks instead. The broader switch is covered in the Bear comparison.