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Bear Notes vs Fathom Analytics

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Software

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fathom Analytics logo

Fathom Analytics

Software

Website analytics made simple

From
$14/month
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; Fathom Analytics there is no free tier, only a 7 day trial
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Fathom Analytics covers Page view tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear Notes and Fathom Analytics actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear Notes and Fathom Analytics differ
AttributeBear NotesFathom Analytics
Starting priceFree$14/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb
Founded20152014

Identical on both: 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 Fathom Analytics

  • Page view tracking
  • Goal tracking
  • Real-time analytics
  • Referrer tracking
  • Privacy-focused
  • GDPR compliant
  • Cloud 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 Fathom Analytics
  • Organising notes with nested hashtags rather than foldersnot Fathom Analytics
  • Exporting notes to PDF, DOCX, HTML or ePubnot Fathom Analytics

Fathom Analytics

  • Privacy-focused web analytics without cookie bannersnot Bear Notes
  • A lightweight Google Analytics replacementnot Bear Notes
  • Tracking many sites from one accountnot Bear Notes
  • Long-term historical reporting while subscribednot 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

Fathom Analytics

  • There is no free tier, only a 7 day trial
  • Priced on pageviews, from $45 a month at the 500,000 pageview level
  • Custom events count against the pageview allowance rather than being tracked separately
  • Site allowances come in packs, with additional 50-site packs at $10 a month
  • Data is retained forever only while the subscription is active

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Fathom Analytics

$14/month
  • Starter$14/month
    • Unlimited page views
    • 1 site
    • Real-time 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.
Bear Notes review

Choose Fathom Analytics if

  • You need page view tracking.
  • You also want goal tracking.
Fathom Analytics review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Fathom Analytics better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Fathom Analytics at $14/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Fathom Analytics?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and $14/month for Fathom Analytics.
Does Bear Notes or Fathom Analytics run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Fathom Analytics runs on Web.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fathom Analytics starts at $14/month.
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 Fathom Analytics is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Fathom Analytics cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Fathom Analytics covers Page view tracking, Goal tracking, Real-time analytics, Referrer tracking.
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