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Software · head to head

Bear Notes vs Flock

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Software

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Flock logo

Flock

Software

Organized team communication platform

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; Flock the Starter plan only makes the most recent 10,000 messages searchable and caps public channels at 10
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Flock covers Team chat.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Flock differ
AttributeBear NotesFlock
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android
Founded20152014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Flock

  • Team chat
  • Channels
  • Threads
  • File sharing
  • Polls
  • Integrations
  • Mobile apps
  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Flock

  • Team messaging with channels, direct messages and file sharingnot Bear Notes
  • Running polls, to-dos and reminders inside a chat workspacenot Bear Notes
  • Video conferencing and screen sharing for small teamsnot 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

Flock

  • The Starter plan only makes the most recent 10,000 messages searchable and caps public channels at 10
  • Starter storage is 5 GB for the entire team, against 10 GB per member on Pro and 20 GB per member on Enterprise
  • Starter allows a single team admin and a single approved domain
  • Group video calls and screen sharing require the Pro plan; Starter is limited to 1-1 video calls
  • Group video calls are capped at 20 participants even on Enterprise
  • Single Sign-On and Active Directory sync are Enterprise only
  • Enterprise is quote only, with no published rate, and is positioned for organisations with 100 or more members
  • Unlimited auto-join and announcement channels require Enterprise; Starter and Pro get one of each

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Flock

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited chats
    • Channels
    • File sharing
  • Pro$5/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Advanced search
    • 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 Flock if

  • You need team chat.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
  • You also want channels.
Flock review

Questions people ask

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

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