Bear vs Goodnotes:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Goodnotes had more branded searches than Bear among note taking apps worldwide. Goodnotes had about 673,000 branded searches, while Bear had 8,800. Goodnotes made up 14.4% of all note taking app searches we track, and Bear accounted for 0.19%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about note taking apps, Goodnotes appeared in two of the five answers and Bear in none.
Who do people search for more?
Goodnotes, about 76 searches for every 1 for Bear
Who does AI mention more?
Goodnotes, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Bear in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Goodnotes, the only one of the two named
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Top note taking apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Goodnotes was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Bear did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
OneNote1st
Notion2nd
Apple Notes3rd
Obsidian4th
Google Keep5th- Goodnotes6th
Evernote7th
Bear–
Roam Research–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- OneNote4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Notion4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Google Keep3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Obsidian3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Apple Notes3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Goodnotes2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Evernote2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Bear0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Roam Research0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about note taking apps
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which note taking app should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best note taking apps?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best note taking app for class notes?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“note taking app”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“note app”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Bear or Goodnotes more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Bear and Goodnotes by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine note taking apps we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Goodnotes, Bear. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | OneNote | Google Keep | Goodnotes | Evernote | Obsidian | Notion | Apple Notes | Bear | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 39.7% | 32.5% | 11.9% | 8% | 3.4% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.29% | 0.21% |
| Nov 2025 | 36.3% | 36.3% | 10.9% | 8.9% | 3.1% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 0.32% | 0.24% |
| Dec 2025 | 31.2% | 38.1% | 11.5% | 9.4% | 4% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 0.41% | 0.31% |
| Jan 2026 | 35.3% | 35.3% | 10.6% | 8.7% | 4.5% | 3.2% | 1.7% | 0.38% | 0.23% |
| Feb 2026 | 37.5% | 37.5% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 3.2% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 37.5% | 37.5% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 3.2% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.33% | 0.16% |
| Apr 2026 | 37.5% | 37.5% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 3.2% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.33% | 0.16% |
| May 2026 | 33% | 40.6% | 10% | 8.1% | 2.9% | 3% | 2% | 0.29% | 0.15% |
| Jun 2026 | 33.8% | 41.6% | 8.4% | 6.8% | 4.3% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 0.55% | 0.34% |
| Jul 2026 | 32.4% | 39.6% | 9.8% | 8% | 4.2% | 3.6% | 2% | 0.35% | 0.18% |
| Aug 2026 | 31.9% | 39.2% | 11.8% | 6.4% | 4.9% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 0.63% | 0.32% |
| Sep 2026 | 39.2% | 32.1% | 14.4% | 5.3% | 4.8% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.19% | 0.09% |
How has the Bear and Goodnotes comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Goodnotes was ahead of Bear in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bear’s share of searches among note taking apps worldwide moved from 0.29% to 0.19%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 13.2K to 8.8K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Goodnotes’ share of searches among note taking apps worldwide moved from 11.9% to 14.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 550K to 673K.
How did search popularity change for note taking apps worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Goodnotes gained share of searches among note taking apps worldwide, from 11.8% to 14.4%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Bear worldwide fell 33.3% over 12 measured months, from 13.2K to 8.8K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Bear’s and Goodnotes’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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