Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Bear vs Supernormal

Bear logo

Bear

Productivity

Markdown notes for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Supernormal logo

Supernormal

Productivity

AI meeting notes captured from the desktop app without sending a bot into the call

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; Supernormal credit consumption varies by task complexity and no rate card is published, so a team cannot forecast whether fifty credits covers a month of work until it has spent one, which makes the paid tiers hard to size.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear and Supernormal actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear and Supernormal differ
AttributeBearSupernormal
Pricing modelfreemiumPer month by credits
PlatformsWebWeb, macOS, Windows, Chrome

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 Supernormal does not also cover.

Only in Supernormal

  • Bot-free desktop capture
  • Structured notes
  • Custom templates
  • Generated work output
  • Credit rollover
  • Admin governance
  • Sharing and search
  • Multi-platform capture

What people use each for

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

Bear

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

Supernormal

  • Client-facing consultants whose customers refuse to admit a recording bot but who still need an accurate record of what was agreednot Bear
  • A recruiter running back-to-back interviews who wants structured notes per candidate without an extra participant appearing to the candidatenot Bear
  • A small team that wants meeting output turned directly into a document or deck rather than into a transcript someone must rewritenot Bear
  • A regulated organisation needing SSO, audit logs and retention controls over meeting records without deploying an enterprise suitenot 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

Supernormal

  • Credit consumption varies by task complexity and no rate card is published, so a team cannot forecast whether fifty credits covers a month of work until it has spent one, which makes the paid tiers hard to size.
  • Team and Business include the same fifty credits, so the higher tier buys governance rather than capacity, and a heavy user hitting the ceiling gains nothing by upgrading.
  • Capturing without a visible bot removes the prompt that reminds participants they are being recorded, but not the legal consent obligation in two-party consent jurisdictions, and the product makes that omission easy.
  • Desktop capture depends on the application running on the meeting host's machine, so a participant joining from a phone, a locked-down corporate laptop or a browser without the extension gets nothing.
  • The category is crowded with better-funded competitors bundled into Zoom, Microsoft and Google subscriptions customers already pay for, which puts sustained pressure on a small independent vendor and on the value of standardising a team on it.

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

Supernormal

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 15 credits a month
    • Maximum 5 credits a day
    • Desktop meeting capture without bots
  • Team$20/month
    • 50 credits a month
    • No daily credit cap
    • Credit rollover
  • Business$40/month
    • 50 credits a month, the same allowance as Team
    • SSO
    • Audit logs

Which should you pick?

Choose Bear if

  • You want to start without paying.
Bear review

Choose Supernormal if

  • You need bot-free desktop capture.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, Chrome.
  • You also want structured notes.
Supernormal review

Questions people ask

Is Bear or Supernormal better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear starts at Free and Supernormal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear or Supernormal?
Bear starts at Free and Supernormal at Free.
Does Bear or Supernormal run on more platforms?
Bear runs on Web. Supernormal runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Chrome.
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 Supernormal is typically brought in for.
What can Bear do that Supernormal cannot?
Supernormal covers Bot-free desktop capture, Structured notes, Custom templates, Generated work output.

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
Supernormal: Does Supernormal join my meeting as a bot?

No. It captures from the desktop application, so no additional participant appears in the call. That is its main differentiator.

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
Supernormal: How much does it cost?

Free gives 15 credits a month capped at 5 a day. Team is $20 a month and Business is $40 a month, both with 50 credits.

Bear: Is there a free trial for Bear Pro?

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

Source
Supernormal: What does a credit buy?

Credits are consumed by tasks and usage varies with complexity. The vendor does not publish per-task rates, which is the weak point of the pricing model.

Supernormal: Do I still need consent to record?

Yes. Removing the visible bot does not remove the legal requirement in jurisdictions that require all parties to consent. Treat the absence of a prompt as a compliance risk, not a feature.

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