All Specs Considering the initial acclaim Evernote received when it first released, it's surprising that there are so few truly competitive contenders among note-taking apps. Roads to innovation in this category go largely unpaved. The app simply known as Bear, which is for Apple devices only, doesn't do anything particularly innovative either, but it is a low-cost alternative to Evernote, and one that aims for simplicity. Bear does away with folders and notebooks, giving you a place to simply create notes and store them. It also omits elaborate text styling, opting instead for Markdown language. Though light on features, it's a decent option for people with modest note-taking needs.