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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Epic Systems

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Epic Systems logo

Epic Systems

Healthcare & Medical

Leading electronic health records system for healthcare organizations

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 Systems no free version or trial; enterprise pricing only with custom negotiation required
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Epic Systems covers Electronic Health Records.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Epic Systems differ
AttributeBear NotesEpic Systems
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, Desktop, 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 Systems

  • Electronic Health Records
  • Revenue Cycle Management
  • Patient Portal
  • Clinical Decision Support
  • Population Health
  • Lab Systems
  • Imaging Systems
  • Pharmacy 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 Systems
  • Organising notes with nested hashtags rather than foldersnot Epic Systems
  • Exporting notes to PDF, DOCX, HTML or ePubnot Epic Systems

Epic Systems

  • 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 Systems

  • No free version or trial; enterprise pricing only with custom negotiation required
  • Lengthy implementation timeline: 12-24 months for single hospitals, 3-5 years for multi-system rollouts
  • Customization and workflow adaptation requires extensive consulting services
  • Very high licensing costs ranging from 100,000 to 30 million USD depending on organization size

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 Systems

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Epic Systems 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 Systems if

  • You need electronic health records.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want revenue cycle management.
Epic Systems review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Epic Systems better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Epic Systems 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 Systems?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and On request for Epic Systems.
Does Bear Notes or Epic Systems run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Epic Systems runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Epic Systems 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 Systems is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Epic Systems cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Epic Systems covers Electronic Health Records, Revenue Cycle Management, Patient Portal, Clinical Decision Support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Epic Systems: What is Epic's market position?

Epic holds 36 percent of the U.S. EHR market and manages over 280 million patient records across 1,200+ healthcare organizations. Among hospitals with over 300 beds, Epic has 52 percent market share, and 71 percent market share in major academic medical centers as of 2026.

Source
Epic Systems: Is there a free trial or demo available?

Epic does not offer a free version or trial. The software is enterprise-only with custom pricing negotiated directly with organizations. Typical implementation timelines for single hospitals range from 12 to 24 months, and multi-hospital systems can take 3 to 5 years for phased rollouts.

Source
Epic Systems: How does Epic integrate with third-party systems?

Epic provides multiple integration pathways: FHIR R4 APIs, HL7 v2 messaging, CCDA document exchange, and proprietary APIs through Epic Showroom (formerly App Orchard). Over 1,000 certified apps are available in the marketplace, enabling real-time data synchronization and interoperability.

Source
Epic Systems: What is included in Epic's unified platform?

Epic provides a truly unified system spanning inpatient, outpatient, emergency department, surgical, pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, billing, and population health on a single database. It includes appointment scheduling, medical billing, clinical decision support, patient portal (MyChart), telehealth capabilities, and analytics.

Source
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