Productivity · head to head
Bear Notes vs Toggl Track

Toggl Track
Consulting
Time tracking that's easy, powerful, and frictionless
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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 Track no native invoicing or billing generation despite having billable rates feature
- They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Toggl Track covers One-click time tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bear Notes and Toggl Track actually diverge.
| Attribute | Bear Notes | Toggl Track |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | Unknown |
| Platforms | MacOS, IOS, IPadOS | Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS |
| Category | Productivity | Consulting |
| Founded | 2015 | 2006 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Track
- One-click time tracking
- Manual time entry
- Billable hours tracking
- Project & client tracking
- Detailed reports
- Team timesheets
- Browser extensions
- Offline tracking
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 Track
- Organising notes with nested hashtags rather than foldersnot Toggl Track
- Exporting notes to PDF, DOCX, HTML or ePubnot Toggl Track
Toggl Track
- Billable hours trackingnot Bear Notes
- Project time managementnot Bear Notes
- Team productivity analysisnot Bear Notes
- Client reportingnot Bear Notes
- Payroll processingnot 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 Track
- No native invoicing or billing generation despite having billable rates feature
- No payroll integration, requiring manual data export to payroll systems
- No GPS tracking or shift scheduling for field teams
- Anti-surveillance policy limits manager visibility in certain work scenarios
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 Track
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 5 users
- Unlimited time tracking
- Unlimited projects
- Starter$9/month
- Billable rates
- Project estimates
- Saved reports
- Premium$18/month
- Team approvals
- Profitability reports
- Project budgets
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 Track if
- You need one-click time tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
- You also want manual time entry.
Questions people ask
- Is Bear Notes or Toggl Track better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Toggl Track at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Toggl Track?
- Bear Notes starts at Free and Toggl Track at Free.
- Does Bear Notes or Toggl Track run on more platforms?
- Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Toggl Track runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
- 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 Track is typically brought in for.
- What can Bear Notes do that Toggl Track cannot?
- Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Toggl Track covers One-click time tracking, Manual time entry, Billable hours tracking, Project & client tracking.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Toggl Track: Does Toggl Track offer a free plan?
Yes, Toggl Track has a permanent free plan supporting up to 5 users with unlimited time tracking, unlimited projects, autotracker, idle detection, Pomodoro timer, calendar integration, and 100+ integrations.
SourceToggl Track: Can I track time offline with Toggl Track?
Yes, Toggl Track supports offline tracking on both mobile apps and desktop app. Entries are stored locally and sync automatically when reconnected to the internet.
SourceToggl Track: Does Toggl Track integrate with invoicing software?
Toggl Track integrates with QuickBooks Online and Xero for accounting, but lacks native invoicing capabilities. Users must export hours to create invoices manually.
SourceToggl Track: What platforms does Toggl Track support?
Toggl Track runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS with browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
SourceToggl Track: How much does Toggl Track cost for a team?
Toggl Track pricing is $9 per user per month (annual) for Starter plan or $18 per user per month for Premium. Free plan supports up to 5 users.
SourceRelated pages
More on Toggl Track
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- Toggl Track vs Todoist
- Toggl Track vs Things 3
- Toggl Track vs OmniFocus 3
- Toggl Track vs Brain.fm
- Toggl Track vs TickTick
- Toggl Track vs Akiflow
- Toggl Track vs Any.do
- Toggl Track vs Focus@Will
- Toggl Track vs Forest
- Toggl Track vs Google Workspace
- Toggl Track vs Hubstaff
- Toggl Track vs Remember The Milk
- Toggl Track vs Structured
- Toggl Track vs Tana
- Toggl Track vs Time Doctor
- Toggl Track vs 7-Zip
- Toggl Track vs Bear
- Toggl Track vs BoldSign
- Toggl Track vs Harvest
- Toggl Track vs Avaza
- Toggl Track vs BigTime
- Toggl Track vs Function Point

