Bear
Capacities
| Feature | Bear | Capacities |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $2.99/mo | Free / from $9.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.7 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | writers, note-takers, students, apple-users | knowledge-workers, researchers, students, networkers |
| Founded | 2016 | 2021 |
| Markdown Editor | ✓ | ✗ |
| Nested Tags | ✓ | ✗ |
| Focus Mode | ✓ | ✗ |
| Export Formats | ✓ | ✗ |
| Themes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cross Note Linking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Object Types | ✗ | ✓ |
| Daily Notes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bi Directional Links | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tags | ✗ | ✓ |
| Media Embedding | ✗ | ✓ |
| Graph View | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Bear Pros
- Gorgeous design
- Flexible tag system
- Supports Markdown
- Very affordable Pro plan
✗ Bear Cons
- Apple only (no Windows/Android)
- Limited collaboration
- No web version
✓ Capacities Pros
- Unique object-based approach
- Daily notes with automatic linking
- Beautiful and intuitive interface
- Bi-directional linking built in
✗ Capacities Cons
- No mobile app yet (web only)
- Limited export options
- No API for integrations
The Verdict
Bear is built for writers and note takers, with a focus on markdown-editor and nested-tags. Capacities targets knowledge workers and researchers and leads with object-types and daily-notes.
On pricing, Bear is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $2.99/mo compared to $9.99/mo for Capacities. That $7/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Both tools are a solid fit for students — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: Bear has a slight overall edge — but if unique object-based approach matters most to you, Capacities may still be the right call.