Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Freshteam

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Freshteam logo

Freshteam

HR & Recruiting

Smart HR software for growing businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Freshteam freshworks HRMS (formerly Freshteam) paid tiers as captured 19 February 2023 combined a per-employee monthly charge ($1.20 to $2.40+/employee/month) with a separate flat platform fee ($71 to $119+/month), on top of a $0 free tier
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Freshteam covers Applicant Tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear Notes and Freshteam actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear Notes and Freshteam differ
AttributeBear NotesFreshteam
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryProductivityHR & Recruiting
Founded20152010

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 Freshteam

  • Applicant Tracking
  • Onboarding
  • Time Off
  • Employee Directory
  • Time Tracking
  • Documents
  • Org Chart
  • Freshdesk

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Freshteam

No use cases recorded yet. See the Freshteam review.

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

Freshteam

  • Freshworks HRMS (formerly Freshteam) paid tiers as captured 19 February 2023 combined a per-employee monthly charge ($1.20 to $2.40+/employee/month) with a separate flat platform fee ($71 to $119+/month), on top of a $0 free tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Freshteam

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 50 Employees
    • Basic ATS
    • Time Off
  • Growth$1.2/month
    • All Free features
    • Onboarding
    • Time Tracking
  • Pro$2.4/month
    • All Growth features
    • Custom Reports
    • Advanced Workflows

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 Freshteam if

  • You need applicant tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want onboarding.
Freshteam review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Freshteam better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Freshteam at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Freshteam?
Bear Notes starts at Free and Freshteam at Free.
Does Bear Notes or Freshteam run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Freshteam runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 Freshteam is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Freshteam cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Freshteam covers Applicant Tracking, Onboarding, Time Off, Employee Directory.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Bear Notes

More on Freshteam

Keep looking

Other head to heads