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Software · head to head

Bear Notes vs Elicit

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Software

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Elicit logo

Elicit

Software

The AI research assistant

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; Elicit free Basic tier has limited usage for Research Agent and Research Reports

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Elicit differ
AttributeBear NotesElicit
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb
Founded2015Unknown

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

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 Elicit

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 Elicit
  • Organising notes with nested hashtags rather than foldersnot Elicit
  • Exporting notes to PDF, DOCX, HTML or ePubnot Elicit

Elicit

No use cases recorded yet. See the Elicit review.

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

Elicit

  • Free Basic tier has limited usage for Research Agent and Research Reports
  • Systematic Literature Reviews at full usage require the $169/month Scale plan; Enterprise usage is custom quoted

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Elicit

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Elicit review.

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 Elicit if

  • You want to start without paying.
Elicit review

Questions people ask

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