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Software · head to head

Bear Notes vs Countly

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Software

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Countly logo

Countly

Software

Product analytics for mobile and web

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bear Notes apple only: Bear runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad with no Windows, Android or web app; Countly the private cloud plan starts at $175 a month and is described as usage based without stating the unit
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Countly covers Event tracking.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Countly differ
AttributeBear NotesCountly
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, Mobile, Api
Founded20152012

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), 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 Countly

  • Event tracking
  • Crash reporting
  • Analytics dashboard
  • User retention
  • Open-source
  • Cloud deployment
  • On-premise deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Countly

  • Product analytics for mobile and web applicationsnot Bear Notes
  • Self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisationnot 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

Countly

  • The private cloud plan starts at $175 a month and is described as usage based without stating the unit
  • No event cap, data point limit or user limit is published for either paid plan
  • The self hosted Enterprise edition is custom priced and billed annually
  • Adaptivity and intelligence features are separately priced add ons on the cheaper plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Countly

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Open-source
    • Self-hosted
    • Full features

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 Countly if

  • You need event tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want crash reporting.
Countly review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Countly better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Countly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Countly?
Bear Notes starts at Free and Countly at Free.
Does Bear Notes or Countly run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Countly runs on Web, Mobile, Api.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Countly is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Countly cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Countly covers Event tracking, Crash reporting, Analytics dashboard, User retention.
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