Software · head to head
Bear Notes vs Toggl Plan
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; Toggl Plan limited day-to-day task management features compared to full-featured alternatives
- They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Toggl Plan covers Timeline planning.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bear Notes and Toggl Plan actually diverge.
| Attribute | Bear Notes | Toggl Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | Unknown |
| Platforms | MacOS, IOS, IPadOS | Web, iOS, Android |
| Founded | 2015 | 2006 |
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 Toggl Plan
- Timeline planning
- Team availability
- Milestones
- Drag-and-drop
- Workload management
- Google Calendar
- Slack
- GitHub
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Bear Notes
- Markdown note taking on Apple devicesnot Toggl Plan
- Organising notes with nested hashtags rather than foldersnot Toggl Plan
- Exporting notes to PDF, DOCX, HTML or ePubnot Toggl Plan
Toggl Plan
- Schedulingnot Bear Notes
- Appointment bookingnot Bear Notes
- Time trackingnot Bear Notes
- Resource managementnot Bear Notes
- Team coordinationnot 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
Toggl Plan
- Limited day-to-day task management features compared to full-featured alternatives
- Many teams run Toggl Plan alongside another tool for comprehensive project tracking
- Starter plan limited to five users maximum
Pricing, plan by plan
Bear Notes
Free- FreeFree
- Note creation and organization
- Tags
- Local sync
- Premium$1.99/month
- iCloud sync
- Themes
- Markdown export
Toggl Plan
Free- FreeFree
- Basic timeline view
- Starter$10/month
- Up to 5 users
- Gantt charts
- Integrations
- Business$25/month
- Unlimited users
- Advanced features
- Full integrations
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.
Choose Toggl Plan if
- You need timeline planning.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want team availability.
Questions people ask
- Is Bear Notes or Toggl Plan better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Toggl Plan at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Toggl Plan?
- Bear Notes starts at Free and Toggl Plan at Free.
- Does Bear Notes or Toggl Plan run on more platforms?
- Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Toggl Plan runs on Web, 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 Toggl Plan is typically brought in for.
- What can Bear Notes do that Toggl Plan cannot?
- Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Toggl Plan covers Timeline planning, Team availability, Milestones, Drag-and-drop.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Toggl Plan: What are Toggl Plan's pricing tiers?
Toggl Plan has a free tier for individuals, Starter plan at $10 per user per month for up to five users, and Business plan at $25 per user per month with unlimited features.
SourceToggl Plan: Does Toggl Plan include time tracking?
Toggl Plan integrates with Toggl Track for time tracking, allowing you to start timers directly from tasks, though time tracking is not natively built into Toggl Plan.
SourceToggl Plan: What is Toggl Plan's main strength?
Toggl Plan excels at visual Gantt chart scheduling with drag-and-drop task management, timeline views, and workload visualization for teams.
SourceToggl Plan: Can Toggl Plan handle day-to-day task management?
Toggl Plan has limited day-to-day task management compared to full project management suites, making teams often run it alongside other task management tools.
SourceRelated pages
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