Productivity · head to head
Bear Notes vs Cron Calendar
Cron Calendar
Calendar & Time Management
The next-generation calendar for professionals
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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; Cron Calendar no longer sold as Cron. Notion acquired it and renamed it Notion Calendar, and cron.com now carries that banner
- They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Cron Calendar covers Keyboard shortcuts.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bear Notes and Cron Calendar actually diverge.
| Attribute | Bear Notes | Cron Calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Platforms | MacOS, IOS, IPadOS | Macos, Windows, Ios, Android, Web |
| Category | Productivity | Calendar & Time Management |
| Founded | 2015 | 2016 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Cron Calendar
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Multi-timezone
- Scheduling links
- Team availability
- Menu bar access
- Google Calendar
- Notion
- Zoom
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Bear Notes
- Markdown note taking on Apple devicesnot Cron Calendar
- Organising notes with nested hashtags rather than foldersnot Cron Calendar
- Exporting notes to PDF, DOCX, HTML or ePubnot Cron Calendar
Cron Calendar
- Keyboard-driven calendar for people living in their schedulenot Bear Notes
- Managing several Google calendars in one viewnot Bear Notes
- Scheduling links for meeting availabilitynot Bear Notes
- Joining video calls from the menu barnot 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
Cron Calendar
- No longer sold as Cron. Notion acquired it and renamed it Notion Calendar, and cron.com now carries that banner
- Tied to the Notion account system rather than standing alone
Pricing, plan by plan
Bear Notes
Free- FreeFree
- Note creation and organization
- Tags
- Local sync
- Premium$1.99/month
- iCloud sync
- Themes
- Markdown export
Cron Calendar
Free- FreeFree
- Calendar sync
- Scheduling links
- Keyboard shortcuts
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.
Choose Cron Calendar if
- You need keyboard shortcuts.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Macos, Windows, Ios, Android, Web.
- You also want multi-timezone.
Questions people ask
- Is Bear Notes or Cron Calendar better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Cron Calendar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Cron Calendar?
- Bear Notes starts at Free and Cron Calendar at Free.
- Does Bear Notes or Cron Calendar run on more platforms?
- Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Cron Calendar runs on Macos, Windows, Ios, Android, Web.
- 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 Cron Calendar is typically brought in for.
- What can Bear Notes do that Cron Calendar cannot?
- Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Cron Calendar covers Keyboard shortcuts, Multi-timezone, Scheduling links, Team availability.
Related pages
More on Cron Calendar
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- Cron Calendar vs OmniFocus 3
- Cron Calendar vs Brain.fm
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- Cron Calendar vs Akiflow
- Cron Calendar vs Any.do
- Cron Calendar vs Focus@Will
- Cron Calendar vs Forest
- Cron Calendar vs Google Workspace
- Cron Calendar vs Hubstaff
- Cron Calendar vs Remember The Milk
- Cron Calendar vs Structured
- Cron Calendar vs Tana
- Cron Calendar vs Time Doctor
- Cron Calendar vs 7-Zip
- Cron Calendar vs Bear
- Cron Calendar vs BoldSign
- Cron Calendar vs Google Calendar
- Cron Calendar vs Apple Calendar
- Cron Calendar vs Fantastical
- Cron Calendar vs Clockify
- Cron Calendar vs Microsoft To Do
- Cron Calendar vs OmniFocus
- Cron Calendar vs Amie
- Cron Calendar vs Outlook Calendar
- Cron Calendar vs Float
- Cron Calendar vs Google Tasks
- Cron Calendar vs YouCanBook.me
- Cron Calendar vs Harvest Forecast
- Cron Calendar vs Resource Guru
- Cron Calendar vs SavvyCal
- Cron Calendar vs Skedda
- Cron Calendar vs Timepage
- Cron Calendar vs Woven
- Cron Calendar vs Assistant.to