Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Bear vs MeetGeek

Bear logo

Bear

Productivity

Markdown notes for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MeetGeek logo

MeetGeek

Productivity

AI meeting recording, transcription and summaries with published per-seat pricing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bear built for Apple hardware only, with no Windows, Android or web client; MeetGeek the free tier is capped at three hours of transcription a month and one month of audio retention, which is a demonstration rather than a working allowance, and the retention limit deletes evidence just as it becomes useful.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear and MeetGeek actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear and MeetGeek differ
AttributeBearMeetGeek
Pricing modelfreemiumPer user per month
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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

Nothing recorded that MeetGeek does not also cover.

Only in MeetGeek

  • Automatic meeting join
  • Transcription
  • AI summaries and action items
  • Highlight clips
  • Team workspace
  • Published retention tiers
  • CRM and task sync
  • Enterprise controls

What people use each for

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

Bear

  • Note-taking with document scanningnot MeetGeek
  • Cross-device note synchronizationnot MeetGeek

MeetGeek

  • A sales team that needs every discovery call summarised into the CRM record automatically so a handover does not depend on whoever took notes.not Bear
  • An agency that must be able to show a client exactly what was agreed on a call six months ago, where transcript retention length is the deciding feature.not Bear
  • A recruitment team running many first-stage interviews who want structured summaries and highlight clips to share with a hiring manager instead of a full recording.not Bear
  • A distributed team where people miss calls across time zones and need a searchable record rather than a recording nobody watches.not Bear

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

MeetGeek

  • The free tier is capped at three hours of transcription a month and one month of audio retention, which is a demonstration rather than a working allowance, and the retention limit deletes evidence just as it becomes useful.
  • Pro is capped at 20 hours a month, so anyone in back-to-back meetings hits the ceiling in the first fortnight and is pushed to the Business tier regardless of team size.
  • A visible assistant joins the call, which changes how candidly people speak, and in jurisdictions with two-party consent rules it creates a legal obligation the buyer, not the vendor, has to manage.
  • Summaries are machine-generated and will misattribute statements in overlapping speech, so they should never be treated as an authoritative record of a contentious discussion.
  • It is a smaller company than the dominant players in this category, so the integration catalogue is narrower and there is less enterprise procurement, security review and audit history to lean on.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Local note access
    • Document scanning
    • PDF, image, text, markdown, HTML, DOCX, ePub export
  • Pro$2.99/month
    • All free features plus 28+ themes
    • 15 app icons
    • PDF and image search across notes
  • Pro$29.99/year
    • All free features plus 28+ themes
    • 15 app icons
    • PDF and image search across notes

MeetGeek

Free
  • BasicFree
    • 3 hours of transcription per month
    • 3 months transcript storage
    • 1 month audio storage
  • Pro$9.99/month
    • 20 hours of transcription per month
    • 1 year transcript storage
    • 6 months audio storage
  • Business$17/month
    • Unlimited transcription
    • Unlimited transcript storage
    • 12 months video storage
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited transcription and storage
    • Custom video retention
    • Single sign-on and SCIM

Which should you pick?

Choose Bear if

  • You want to start without paying.
Bear review

Choose MeetGeek if

  • You need automatic meeting join.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want transcription.
MeetGeek review

Questions people ask

Is Bear or MeetGeek better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear starts at Free and MeetGeek at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear or MeetGeek?
Bear starts at Free and MeetGeek at Free.
Does Bear or MeetGeek run on more platforms?
Bear runs on Web. MeetGeek runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Bear for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Bear best used for?
Bear is most often used for note-taking with document scanning, cross-device note synchronization. Of those, note-taking with document scanning and cross-device note synchronization are not what MeetGeek is typically brought in for.
What can Bear do that MeetGeek cannot?
MeetGeek covers Automatic meeting join, Transcription, AI summaries and action items, Highlight clips.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bear: Does Bear offer a free plan?

Yes, Bear has a free plan with local note access, document scanning, and export to multiple formats, but without iCloud sync or PDF/image search.

Source
MeetGeek: How long are recordings kept?

It depends on the plan: 1 month of audio on free, 6 months on Pro, 12 months of video on Business, and custom on Enterprise. Transcripts last longer than media on every tier.

Bear: How much does Bear Pro cost?

Bear Pro is $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year. The yearly plan offers approximately 15% savings compared to monthly billing.

Source
MeetGeek: Is there a real free plan?

Yes, but only 3 hours of transcription a month with 1 month of audio retention, which is a trial in practice.

Bear: Is there a free trial for Bear Pro?

Yes, Bear Pro includes a 7-day free trial before charging begins.

Source
MeetGeek: Which meeting platforms does it join?

Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, from a connected calendar.

MeetGeek: Do participants know it is recording?

Yes, the assistant appears as a participant. Consent handling under local recording law remains the customer's responsibility.

MeetGeek: What is the transcription cap on Pro?

20 hours per month. Unlimited transcription starts on the Business plan at 17 US dollars per user per month.

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