Bear vs TriliumNext Notes
Bear
bear.app
TriliumNext Notes
triliumnotes.orgSide by side
| Figure | Bear | TriliumNext Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $2.50/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 5 | 2 |
| Spec score · Notes apps | 9.1 (#4) | 7.7 (#66) |
| Integrations | Bear documents Apple Shortcuts support on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with actions such as creating notes, adding tags, and searching notes. | The product includes a browser web clipper, a built-in REST API and MCP support for external assistants. |
| Organization | Bear supports flexible tags, pinned tags, headings, and folding sections within notes. | Notes can be arranged hierarchically, with notes allowed in multiple places in the hierarchy. |
| Purpose | Bear is a Markdown note-taking app for capturing, writing, and organizing notes. | Trilium is an open-source application for note-taking and organizing a personal knowledge base. |
| Support | Bear provides support pages and accepts support requests through its contact page or [email protected]. | Community support is available through GitHub Discussions, Matrix and GitHub issues, with documentation contributions also invited. |
Plans
Bear
- FreeFree
- Bear Pro$2.99 a month
- Bear Pro$29.99 a year
- Bear Pro (monthly)$2.99 a month
- Bear Pro (yearly)$29.99 a year
In their own words
TriliumNext Notes
TriliumNext Notes is a free, open-source application for taking notes and maintaining a personal knowledge base. It uses an outliner structure in which notes can be nested hierarchically and placed in multiple locations. Supported note types include text, Markdown, code, spreadsheets, canvases, Mermaid diagrams, mind maps and files. Collections can present the same material as calendars, tables, Kanban boards, geomaps, presentations or dashboards. Full-text search can inspect image and PDF text through OCR. Notes can be imported from Markdown, HTML and OPML and exported to those formats. Self-hosted or cloud instances synchronize across devices and provide mobile browser access through a PWA; no official mobile app is provided. JavaScript supports widgets and scheduled or event-driven scripts. Optional AI connections use your own provider keys. Protected notes use AES-128 CBC, while metadata remains unencrypted. The software is designed for one user, not simultaneous shared editing.