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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Capacities

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Capacities logo

Capacities

Productivity

A studio for your mind with object-based notes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bear Notes apple only: Bear runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad with no Windows, Android or web app; Capacities pro plan pricing not prominently displayed on website
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Capacities covers Object-based notes.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear Notes and Capacities actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear Notes and Capacities differ
AttributeBear NotesCapacities
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
Founded20152020

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Bear Notes

  • Markdown-based notes
  • Powerful tag system
  • Rich text formatting
  • Image support
  • iCloud sync
  • Dark and light themes
  • Encryption support
  • Backup and restore

Only in Capacities

  • Object-based notes
  • Daily notes
  • Properties and relations
  • Graph view
  • AI assistant
  • Readwise
  • Web clipper
  • GDPR

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bear Notes

  • Markdown note taking on Apple devicesnot Capacities
  • Organising notes with nested hashtags rather than foldersnot Capacities
  • Exporting notes to PDF, DOCX, HTML or ePubnot Capacities

Capacities

  • Productivitynot Bear Notes
  • Collaborationnot Bear Notes
  • Task managementnot Bear Notes
  • Organizationnot Bear Notes

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bear Notes

  • Apple only: Bear runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad with no Windows, Android or web app
  • Sync across devices requires Bear Pro and works through iCloud only
  • The free version is limited to 3 export formats, 3 themes and 1 app icon
  • OCR search inside images and PDFs is Pro only
  • Note encryption is Pro only
  • The Pro trial lasts 7 days

Capacities

  • Pro plan pricing not prominently displayed on website
  • Smaller community and ecosystem compared to Notion or Obsidian
  • Limited third-party integration marketplace

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Note creation and organization
    • Tags
    • Local sync
  • Premium$1.99/month
    • iCloud sync
    • Themes
    • Markdown export

Capacities

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited spaces and objects
    • Device synchronization
    • Unlimited custom object types
  • Pro$10/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Unlimited notes
    • Advanced graph views
  • Believer$149.88/year
    • Everything in Pro
    • Beta access to new features

Which should you pick?

Choose Bear Notes if

  • You need markdown-based notes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS.
  • You also want powerful tag system.
Bear Notes review

Choose Capacities if

  • You need object-based notes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android.
  • You also want daily notes.
Capacities review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Capacities better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Capacities at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Capacities?
Bear Notes starts at Free and Capacities at Free.
Does Bear Notes or Capacities run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Capacities runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Bear Notes best used for?
Bear Notes is most often used for markdown note taking on apple devices, organising notes with nested hashtags rather than folders, exporting notes to pdf, docx, html or epub. Of those, markdown note taking on apple devices and organising notes with nested hashtags rather than folders are not what Capacities is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Capacities cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Capacities covers Object-based notes, Daily notes, Properties and relations, Graph view.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bear Notes: How much does Bear Pro cost per month or year?

Bear Pro costs $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year. Annual subscribers receive a 15% discount compared to monthly pricing.

Source
Capacities: What platforms does Capacities support?

Capacities is available on Web, Desktop (macOS, Windows, Linux), and Mobile (iOS, Android), allowing seamless work across devices.

Source
Bear Notes: Does Bear offer a free trial before committing to a subscription?

Yes, Bear Pro includes a 7-day free trial with no credit card required.

Source
Capacities: Does Capacities have a free plan?

Yes, Capacities offers a free plan with unlimited spaces, objects, and blocks, device synchronization, unlimited custom object types, and 5GB media uploads total.

Source
Bear Notes: What export formats are available with Bear Pro?

Bear Pro subscribers can export notes in multiple formats including TXT, Markdown, TextBundle, RTF, PDF, JPG, HTML, DOCX, and ePub.

Source
Capacities: What AI features does Capacities include?

Capacities includes an AI Assistant available on Pro and higher plans for brainstorming, summarization, and contextual Q&A about your notes.

Source
Bear Notes: Can I sync my notes across devices with the free Bear plan?

No, iCloud sync is only available with Bear Pro. The free plan allows local note access but does not support cloud synchronization across devices.

Source
Bear Notes: What features are included in the free Bear plan?

The free plan includes local note access, document scanning, limited export formats, 3 themes, and 1 app icon. PDF and image search requires Bear Pro.

Source
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