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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Booksy

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Booksy logo

Booksy

Scheduling & Booking

Book local beauty services

From
$29.99/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; Booksy the Boost marketplace feature charges a one time 30% fee on the first visit cost for each client it brings in
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Booksy covers Online booking.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Booksy differ
AttributeBear NotesBooksy
Starting priceFree$29.99/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryProductivityScheduling & Booking
Founded20152014

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 Booksy

  • Online booking
  • Calendar management
  • Client database
  • Automated reminders
  • Marketing tools
  • Reviews management
  • Mobile apps
  • Analytics dashboard

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Booksy

  • Appointment booking and client management for salons and barbersnot Bear Notes
  • Taking payments and deposits against bookingsnot 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

Booksy

  • The Boost marketplace feature charges a one time 30% fee on the first visit cost for each client it brings in
  • Additional team members are $20 a month each on top of the $29.99 base
  • Card processing runs from 2.49% plus $0.10 to 2.69% plus $0.30 depending on how the payment is taken
  • Getting paid out within 30 minutes costs a further 1.5%
  • Card readers are bought separately at $53.10 or $219.85 plus shipping

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Booksy

$29.99/month
  • Solo$29.99/month
    • Unlimited bookings
    • Client management
    • Mobile app
  • Team$49.99/month
    • Everything in Solo
    • Multiple staff
    • Staff scheduling
  • Business$79.99/month
    • Everything in Team
    • Multi-location
    • Priority support

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 Booksy if

  • You need online booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want calendar management.
Booksy review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Booksy better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Booksy at $29.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Booksy?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and $29.99/month for Booksy.
Does Bear Notes or Booksy run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Booksy runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Booksy starts at $29.99/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 Booksy is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Booksy cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Booksy covers Online booking, Calendar management, Client database, Automated reminders.
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