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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Granola

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Granola logo

Granola

Productivity

AI notepad that transcribes meetings and merges transcripts with user notes

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; Granola free plan limits note access to 30 days; older notes become inaccessible unless upgraded
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Granola differ
AttributeBear NotesGranola
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSmacOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams
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 Granola

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

Granola

  • Automatic meeting documentation without dedicated note-takernot Bear Notes
  • Action item extraction and task assignmentnot Bear Notes
  • Meeting context retrieval via AI agent queriesnot Bear Notes
  • Multi-language meeting transcriptionnot Bear Notes
  • Compliance-friendly note generation for regulated industriesnot 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

Granola

  • Free plan limits note access to 30 days; older notes become inaccessible unless upgraded
  • Premium pricing not published on main website; requires account signup or sales contact
  • Requires local computer audio; not suitable for purely phone-based calls via traditional phone lines
  • Note retention limits may affect long-term project documentation

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Granola

Free
  • BasicFree
    • AI meeting notes with limited history
    • AI chat and shared folders
    • Customized templates
  • Business$14/month
    • Unlimited meeting notes and history
    • Advanced AI models
    • Integrations with Notion, Slack, HubSpot
  • Enterprise$35/month
    • Everything in Business plus
    • Enterprise security features
    • Single sign-on (SSO)

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 Granola if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams.
Granola review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Granola better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Granola at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Granola?
Bear Notes starts at Free and Granola at Free.
Does Bear Notes or Granola run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Granola runs on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams.
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 Granola is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Granola 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
Granola: What is Granola's pricing model?

Granola offers a freemium model with a free Basic tier, Business tier at 14 USD per user per month, and Enterprise tier at 35 USD per user per month.

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
Granola: What features are included in the free tier?

The free Basic tier includes AI meeting notes with limited history, AI chat, shared folders, customized templates, and multi-language support.

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
Granola: What integrations does Granola support?

Granola Business tier and above support integrations with Notion, Slack, HubSpot, and includes API access with MCP integration capabilities.

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
Granola: What enterprise security features are included?

Enterprise tier includes single sign-on (SSO), priority support, admin controls, org-wide data deletion policies, and enterprise-grade security features.

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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