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Software · head to head

Bear vs Tana

Bear logo

Bear

Software

Markdown notes for Apple devices

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tana logo

Tana

Software

The everything app for your personal workspace

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Tana has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bear built for Apple hardware only, with no Windows, Android or web client; Tana the free plan hosts only 5 meetings a month with AI transcripts and summaries

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear and Tana actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear and Tana differ
AttributeBearTana
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Desktop
FoundedUnknown2020

Identical on both: 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

Nothing recorded that Tana does not also cover.

Only in Tana

  • Outliner interface
  • Supertags
  • Live queries
  • AI integration
  • Graph views
  • Email capture
  • API
  • Zapier

What people use each for

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

Bear

No use cases recorded yet. See the Bear review.

Tana

  • Structured note taking with a graph based supertag data modelnot Bear
  • Automatic meeting capture with AI transcripts and summariesnot Bear
  • Turning notes into queryable structured databasesnot 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

Tana

  • The free plan hosts only 5 meetings a month with AI transcripts and summaries
  • The free plan connects only 1 calendar and allows 50 AI queries
  • Pro is $30 per user per month at standard price, with $20 shown as an early bird rate
  • Max is $120 per user per month at standard price, with $80 shown as an early bird rate
  • Integrations and full MCP require the Pro plan
  • Dedicated support and onboarding, and unlimited agents, skills and types, require the Max plan
  • The Business plan is custom priced, billed yearly and has no published rate
  • The free trial runs 30 days

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Bear review.

Tana

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core features
    • Supertags
    • Searches
  • Pro$10/month
    • Advanced AI
    • Priority support
    • Extended history

Which should you pick?

Choose Bear if

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

Bear review

Choose Tana if

  • You need outliner interface.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop.
  • You also want supertags.
Tana review

Questions people ask

Is Bear or Tana better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear starts at On request and Tana at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear or Tana?
Tana has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Bear and Free for Tana.
Does Bear or Tana run on more platforms?
Bear runs on Web. Tana runs on Web, Desktop.
Can I use Tana for free?
Yes. Tana has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bear starts at On request.
What can Bear do that Tana cannot?
Tana covers Outliner interface, Supertags, Live queries, AI integration.
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