Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Bear vs Circleback

Bear logo

Bear

Productivity

Markdown notes for Apple devices

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
C

Circleback

Productivity

Unbelievably good meeting notes

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bear built for Apple hardware only, with no Windows, Android or web client; Circleback individual pricing is set at $20.83 per user per month, above the $25 per user Team tier's effective rate once billed monthly rather than annually, as of August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear and Circleback actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear and Circleback differ
AttributeBearCircleback

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bear

  • Built for Apple hardware only, with no Windows, Android or web client
  • Free tier is limited to 3 themes, 1 app icon and restricted export formats; iCloud sync requires Bear Pro
  • Bear Pro is $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year after a 7 day free trial

Circleback

  • Individual pricing is set at $20.83 per user per month, above the $25 per user Team tier's effective rate once billed monthly rather than annually, as of August 2026.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Bear review.

Circleback

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Circleback review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Bear if

Nothing in the data separates Bear from Circleback on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Bear review

Choose Circleback if

Nothing in the data separates Circleback from Bear on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Circleback review

Questions people ask

Is Bear or Circleback better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear starts at On request and Circleback at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear or Circleback?
Bear starts at On request and Circleback at On request.
Does Bear or Circleback run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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