Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Bonusly

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bonusly logo

Bonusly

HR & Recruiting

Employee recognition that builds culture

From
$3/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bear Notes has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bear Notes apple only: Bear runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad with no Windows, Android or web app; Bonusly the free plan is capped at 8 users
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Bonusly covers Peer-to-peer recognition.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear Notes and Bonusly actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear Notes and Bonusly differ
AttributeBear NotesBonusly
Starting priceFree$3/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryProductivityHR & Recruiting
Founded20152012

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Notes

  • Markdown-based notes
  • Powerful tag system
  • Rich text formatting
  • Image support
  • iCloud sync
  • Dark and light themes
  • Encryption support
  • Backup and restore

Only in Bonusly

  • Peer-to-peer recognition
  • Points-based rewards
  • Manager awards
  • Reward catalog
  • Automated milestones
  • Public recognition feed
  • Analytics & insights
  • Custom company values

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

  • Markdown note taking on Apple devicesnot Bonusly
  • Organising notes with nested hashtags rather than foldersnot Bonusly
  • Exporting notes to PDF, DOCX, HTML or ePubnot Bonusly

Bonusly

  • Peer-to-peer recognition with points employees give each othernot Bear Notes
  • Redeeming points for gift cards and rewardsnot Bear Notes
  • Recognition inside Slack or Microsoft Teamsnot Bear Notes
  • Tracking recognition patterns across teamsnot Bear Notes
  • Company-wide awards programmes on the top tiernot Bear Notes

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bear Notes

  • Apple only: Bear runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad with no Windows, Android or web app
  • Sync across devices requires Bear Pro and works through iCloud only
  • The free version is limited to 3 export formats, 3 themes and 1 app icon
  • OCR search inside images and PDFs is Pro only
  • Note encryption is Pro only
  • The Pro trial lasts 7 days

Bonusly

  • The free plan is capped at 8 users
  • Reward funding is separate from the subscription: a $10 gift card costs $10 on top of the per-user fee
  • The Bizy AI assistant costs $2 per user per month more, at $5 against $3
  • SAML single sign-on, awards programmes and a dedicated success manager are on the quote-only Organization tier
  • Advanced analytics and automations start at the Team tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Note creation and organization
    • Tags
    • Local sync
  • Premium$1.99/month
    • iCloud sync
    • Themes
    • Markdown export

Bonusly

$3/month
  • Core$3/month
    • Peer-to-peer recognition
    • Points-based rewards
    • Reward catalog
  • Pro$5/month
    • Everything in Core
    • Manager awards
    • Automated milestones
  • Custom$undefined/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • Custom rewards
    • API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Bear Notes if

  • You need markdown-based notes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS.
  • You also want powerful tag system.
Bear Notes review

Choose Bonusly if

  • You need peer-to-peer recognition.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want points-based rewards.
Bonusly review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Bonusly better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Bonusly at $3/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Bonusly?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and $3/month for Bonusly.
Does Bear Notes or Bonusly run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Bonusly runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bonusly starts at $3/month.
What is Bear Notes best used for?
Bear Notes is most often used for markdown note taking on apple devices, organising notes with nested hashtags rather than folders, exporting notes to pdf, docx, html or epub. Of those, markdown note taking on apple devices and organising notes with nested hashtags rather than folders are not what Bonusly is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Bonusly cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Bonusly covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Points-based rewards, Manager awards, Reward catalog.
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