FSNotes
Bear's tagged Markdown heart, minus the house style and subscription.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-14
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- MIT
- Hosting Model
- Local (on your machine)
- Platforms
- desktopmobileone-click install
- Installation
- Install the notarized macOS app or the iOS app; free GitHub builds are available alongside optional paid App Store copies
- Operational Setup
- The app installs cleanly, but reliable free cross-device use is Apple-centric and normally means choosing an iCloud Drive folder; iOS does not support Dropbox, WebDAV, or Google Drive sync
- Where Your Data Lives
- User-chosen folders containing plain-text Markdown/RTF files, TextBundle packages, or AES-256 encrypted `.etp` bundles; optional iCloud Drive, Dropbox (macOS), or Git repositories sync those files
- The Catch / Trade-off
- It preserves the tagged plain-text idea, but Bear's editor, mobile polish, themes, and seamless first-party Apple sync are noticeably more refined.
Replaces 1 paid app
up to $2.99/mo ($36/yr) in subscriptions
FSNotes FAQ
Common questions
Is FSNotes free and open source?+
FSNotes is an open-source tool licensed under MIT that runs on local. Bear's tagged Markdown heart, minus the house style and subscription.
What paid software does FSNotes replace?+
FSNotes serves as a free replacement for 1 paid SaaS application: Bear Pro, saving up to $2.99/month ($36/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up FSNotes?+
Installation: Install the notarized macOS app or the iOS app; free GitHub builds are available alongside optional paid App Store copies. Setup notes: The app installs cleanly, but reliable free cross-device use is Apple-centric and normally means choosing an iCloud Drive folder; iOS does not support Dropbox, WebDAV, or Google Drive sync
What is the catch or trade-off with FSNotes?+
It preserves the tagged plain-text idea, but Bear's editor, mobile polish, themes, and seamless first-party Apple sync are noticeably more refined.