Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Boulevard

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Boulevard logo

Boulevard

Scheduling & Booking

Client experience platform for salons

From
$175/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; Boulevard pricing is charged per location, so a multi site business pays the full plan fee for each site
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Boulevard covers Intelligent scheduling.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Boulevard differ
AttributeBear NotesBoulevard
Starting priceFree$175/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryProductivityScheduling & Booking
Founded20152016

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 Boulevard

  • Intelligent scheduling
  • Client profiles
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Staff management
  • Gift cards & packages
  • Two-way messaging
  • Business analytics

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Boulevard

  • Appointment booking and client management for salons, spas and medspasnot Bear Notes
  • Running point of sale and card payments alongside schedulingnot Bear Notes
  • Automated client messaging, intake forms and marketing campaignsnot 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

Boulevard

  • Pricing is charged per location, so a multi site business pays the full plan fee for each site
  • The Essentials plan caps the business at 5 professionals; unlimited professionals require the Premier plan
  • Text and email allowances are metered per plan, with email blasts charged at $0.01 each beyond the plan allocation
  • Forms cost from $65 per month per location unless you are on the top Prestige plan
  • QuickBooks integration is an add on at $45 per month per location
  • ePrescribe is $45 per prescriber on top of the plan
  • Enterprise pricing is by consultation with no published rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Boulevard

$175/month
  • Essential$175/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • Point of sale
  • Premier$325/month
    • Everything in Essential
    • Advanced booking
    • Marketing tools
  • Prestige$undefined/month
    • Everything in Premier
    • Multi-location
    • 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 Boulevard if

  • You need intelligent scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want client profiles.
Boulevard review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Boulevard better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Boulevard at $175/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Boulevard?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and $175/month for Boulevard.
Does Bear Notes or Boulevard run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Boulevard 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. Boulevard starts at $175/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 Boulevard is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Boulevard cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Boulevard covers Intelligent scheduling, Client profiles, Point of sale, Inventory management.
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