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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs FigJam

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
FigJam logo

FigJam

Productivity

Free online whiteboard for teams

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; FigJam organization and Enterprise tiers are billed annually only, with no monthly billing option
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, FigJam covers Infinite whiteboard.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and FigJam differ
AttributeBear NotesFigJam
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android
Founded20152012

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 FigJam

  • Infinite whiteboard
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Sticky notes
  • Drawing tools
  • Shapes
  • Widgets
  • Templates
  • Voting

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

FigJam

  • Teams running collaborative brainstorming and whiteboarding sessions bundled into an existing Figma plannot 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

FigJam

  • Organization and Enterprise tiers are billed annually only, with no monthly billing option
  • Free Starter plan caps AI credit usage at 150 credits per day and 500 per month, well below the 3,000 monthly AI credits on a Professional full seat

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

FigJam

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited editable boards
    • Basic tools
    • Unlimited viewers
  • Paid$5/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Advanced templates
    • Moderation tools

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 FigJam if

  • You need infinite whiteboard.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
  • You also want real-time collaboration.
FigJam review

Questions people ask

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

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
FigJam: Is FigJam included with Figma or sold separately?

FigJam is included at no additional cost with all Figma plans, from the free Starter plan through Enterprise.

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
FigJam: How many AI credits does each Figma plan include for FigJam?

The Professional plan includes 3,000 AI credits per month, Organization plan includes 3,500 AI credits per month, and Enterprise plan includes 4,250 AI credits per month. Starter (free) does not include AI features.

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
FigJam: What can I do with FigJam's open sessions feature?

FigJam allows anyone to join open sessions for 24 hours without needing a Figma account, and you can create unlimited open sessions across your team.

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
FigJam: What diagramming capabilities does FigJam include?

FigJam includes advanced shapes for technical diagramming such as AWS, GCP, Azure, and Kubernetes components, plus standard diagramming tools and connectors. All these features are available on every paid plan.

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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