Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Groove

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Groove logo

Groove

Customer Support

Simple, powerful support for growing businesses

From
$12/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; Groove billed per ticket at $1 rather than per agent, so support cost scales with how many customers get in touch
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Groove covers Shared inbox.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Groove differ
AttributeBear NotesGroove
Starting priceFree$12/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryProductivityCustomer Support
Founded20152011

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 Groove

  • Shared inbox
  • Knowledge base
  • Live chat
  • Automation rules
  • Reporting
  • Collision detection
  • Slack
  • Salesforce

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Groove

  • Shared inbox and help desk ticketing for small support teamsnot Bear Notes
  • Handling email, chat and messaging support in one queuenot 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

Groove

  • Billed per ticket at $1 rather than per agent, so support cost scales with how many customers get in touch
  • A minimum of 250 tickets a month applies, which is a $3,000 annual commitment before any usage
  • A quiet month still pays the 250 ticket floor
  • No mailbox limit is published

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Groove

$12/month
  • Standard$12/month
    • 1 mailbox
    • Knowledge base
    • Live chat
  • Plus$20/month
    • 5 mailboxes
    • Full reporting
    • Rules
  • Pro$35/month
    • 25 mailboxes
    • Salesforce
    • Enterprise SSO

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 Groove if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want knowledge base.
Groove review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Groove better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Groove at $12/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Groove?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and $12/month for Groove.
Does Bear Notes or Groove run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Groove runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Groove starts at $12/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 Groove is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Groove cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Groove covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Live chat, Automation rules.
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Related pages

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