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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Epic MyChart

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
E

Epic MyChart

Healthcare & Medical

Patient portal for accessing health records and communicating with providers

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; Epic MyChart myChart is not a direct-to-consumer product; Epic markets it as a tool that healthcare organizations license and configure to engage their own patients, so access depends entirely on a patient's provider having deployed Epic.
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Epic MyChart covers View Medical Records.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear Notes and Epic MyChart actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear Notes and Epic MyChart differ
AttributeBear NotesEpic MyChart
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, Mobile
CategoryProductivityHealthcare & Medical
Founded20151979

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 Epic MyChart

  • View Medical Records
  • Secure Messaging
  • Appointment Scheduling
  • Prescription Management
  • Bill Pay
  • Medical History
  • Epic EHR
  • Lab Systems

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Epic MyChart

  • Patient Carenot Bear Notes
  • Medical Recordsnot Bear Notes
  • Practice Managementnot Bear Notes
  • Telehealthnot 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

Epic MyChart

  • MyChart is not a direct-to-consumer product; Epic markets it as a tool that healthcare organizations license and configure to engage their own patients, so access depends entirely on a patient's provider having deployed Epic.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Epic MyChart

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Epic MyChart review.

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 Epic MyChart if

  • You need view medical records.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want secure messaging.
Epic MyChart review

Questions people ask

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