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Software · head to head

Bear Notes vs Clay

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Software

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Clay logo

Clay

Software

Data platform for sales teams

From
On request
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; Clay two separate meters run at once, actions and data credits, and a plan can exhaust either independently
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Clay covers Data enrichment.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Clay differ
AttributeBear NotesClay
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb
Founded20152021

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

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 Clay

  • Data enrichment
  • Contact management
  • Workflow automation
  • Integration
  • API access
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Zapier

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Clay

  • Enriching prospect lists from multiple data providers in one tablenot Bear Notes
  • Building automated outbound research and outreach workflowsnot 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

Clay

  • Two separate meters run at once, actions and data credits, and a plan can exhaust either independently
  • Data credit overage is sold at a 30% premium over the plan rate, so exceeding the allowance costs more per unit than planning for it
  • The free plan allows 500 actions, 100 data credits and 200 rows per table
  • The entry paid plan starts at $167 a month, and both paid prices are starting figures rather than fixed
  • The free plan cannot buy overage at all, so hitting the limit stops work rather than billing for it

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Clay

On request
  • Pricing upon request$undefined/month
    • Data enrichment
    • Integration
    • 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 Clay if

  • You need data enrichment.
  • You also want contact management.
Clay review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Clay better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Clay at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Clay?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and On request for Clay.
Does Bear Notes or Clay run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Clay runs on Web.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Clay starts at On request.
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 Clay is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Clay cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Clay covers Data enrichment, Contact management, Workflow automation, Integration.
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