Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Capsule

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Capsule logo

Capsule

CRM & Sales

Visual CRM for small teams

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bear Notes has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bear Notes apple only: Bear runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad with no Windows, Android or web app; Capsule the free plan is capped at 2 users, 250 contacts, 5 custom fields and a single pipeline
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Capsule covers Contact management.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Capsule differ
AttributeBear NotesCapsule
Starting priceFree$19/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryProductivityCRM & Sales
Founded20152008

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Capsule

  • Contact management
  • Deal tracking
  • Task management
  • Email sync
  • Activity timeline
  • Slack
  • Zapier
  • Google Apps

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Capsule

  • Simple contact and pipeline CRM for a small teamnot Bear Notes
  • Tracking deals and follow-up tasksnot Bear Notes
  • Linking emails and notes to contact recordsnot Bear Notes
  • Multiple sales pipelines on the paid tiersnot 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

Capsule

  • The free plan is capped at 2 users, 250 contacts, 5 custom fields and a single pipeline
  • Contact ceilings gate every tier, from 30,000 on Starter to 120,000 on Advanced
  • Per-user prices are not shown as figures on the pricing page, only as tier names
  • Ultimate is quote-only

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Capsule

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Contact management
    • Task tracking
  • Professional$39/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Pipeline management
    • Reporting
  • Enterprise$99/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Custom fields
    • API access

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 Capsule if

  • You need contact management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want deal tracking.
Capsule review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Capsule better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Capsule at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Capsule?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and $19/month for Capsule.
Does Bear Notes or Capsule run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Capsule runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Capsule starts at $19/month.
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 Capsule is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Capsule cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Capsule covers Contact management, Deal tracking, Task management, Email sync.
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