Software · head to head
Bear Notes vs DeskTime
DeskTime
Software
Automatic computer activity tracking and productivity analytics
- 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; DeskTime screenshots are excluded from the Pro plan and start at Premium
- They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, DeskTime covers Automatic activity tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bear Notes and DeskTime actually diverge.
| Attribute | Bear Notes | DeskTime |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | MacOS, IOS, IPadOS | Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, Linux |
| Founded | 2015 | 2013 |
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 DeskTime
- Automatic activity tracking
- Application and website tracking
- Daily reports
- Weekly summaries
- Privacy-first design
- Detailed analytics
- Goal setting
- Mobile apps
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Bear Notes
- Markdown note taking on Apple devicesnot DeskTime
- Organising notes with nested hashtags rather than foldersnot DeskTime
- Exporting notes to PDF, DOCX, HTML or ePubnot DeskTime
DeskTime
- Automatic time tracking of desktop app and website usagenot Bear Notes
- Measuring team productivity and idle timenot Bear Notes
- Scheduling shifts and tracking absencesnot 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
DeskTime
- Screenshots are excluded from the Pro plan and start at Premium
- Integrations and API access require the Premium plan
- Shift scheduling requires the Premium plan
- Enterprise is aimed at 200+ users and is priced by quote with no published rate
- The advertised $6.42 and $9.17 per user rates require annual billing; monthly billing costs more
- The trial lasts 14 days
Pricing, plan by plan
Bear Notes
Free- FreeFree
- Note creation and organization
- Tags
- Local sync
- Premium$1.99/month
- iCloud sync
- Themes
- Markdown export
DeskTime
Free- FreeFree
- Activity tracking
- Basic reports
- Weekly emails
- Pro$9/month
- Everything in Free
- Advanced reports
- Detailed analytics
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 DeskTime if
- You need automatic activity tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, Linux.
- You also want application and website tracking.
Questions people ask
- Is Bear Notes or DeskTime better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and DeskTime at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or DeskTime?
- Bear Notes starts at Free and DeskTime at Free.
- Does Bear Notes or DeskTime run on more platforms?
- Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. DeskTime runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, Linux.
- 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 DeskTime is typically brought in for.
- What can Bear Notes do that DeskTime cannot?
- Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. DeskTime covers Automatic activity tracking, Application and website tracking, Daily reports, Weekly summaries.