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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Coggle

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Coggle logo

Coggle

Productivity

Simple, Fast, and Powerful Mind Maps. Just Coggle it!

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; Coggle free plan limited to 3 private diagrams; upgrade required for more private diagrams
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Coggle differ
AttributeBear NotesCoggle
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 Coggle

Nothing recorded that Bear Notes does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Coggle

  • Real-time team collaboration on diagramsnot Bear Notes
  • Mind mapping and visual brainstormingnot Bear Notes
  • Process documentation and flowchartsnot Bear Notes
  • Project planning visualizationnot 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

Coggle

  • Free plan limited to 3 private diagrams; upgrade required for more private diagrams
  • Organisation plan requires per-member billing with minimum 3-member commitment
  • Enterprise pricing requires email inquiry with no published rates

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Coggle

Free
  • Free ForeverFree
    • 3 private diagrams
    • Unlimited public diagrams
    • Real-time collaboration
  • Awesome$5/month
    • Unlimited private diagrams
    • Advanced formatting options
    • Full chat history
  • Organisation$8/month
    • SAML Single Sign On
    • Separate personal workspace
    • Consolidated billing

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 Coggle if

  • You want to start without paying.
Coggle review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Coggle better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Coggle at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Coggle?
Bear Notes starts at Free and Coggle at Free.
Does Bear Notes or Coggle run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Coggle runs on Web.
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 Coggle is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Coggle cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support.

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
Coggle: How much does Coggle cost?

Coggle offers a free plan forever for up to 3 private diagrams and unlimited public diagrams. Awesome plan costs $5/month for unlimited private diagrams. Organisation plan costs $8 per member per month with team administration features and SAML SSO.

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
Coggle: Is there a free version of Coggle?

Yes, Coggle Free Forever is available at no cost and includes 3 private diagrams, unlimited public diagrams, real-time collaboration, and PDF/image export capabilities.

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
Coggle: What does Coggle charge for enterprise plans?

Enterprise pricing is custom and requires contacting [email protected]. No published rates are available on the pricing page.

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
Coggle: Can multiple team members use one Coggle account?

All plans include real-time collaboration. The Organisation plan ($8/member/month) adds SAML SSO, separate workspaces, and consolidated billing for team administration.

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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