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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Harvest

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Harvest logo

Harvest

Consulting

Time tracking software for teams that care about where their time goes

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; Harvest the free plan is one seat and two projects, so it suits a solo freelancer and nothing larger
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Harvest covers Time tracking.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Harvest differ
AttributeBear NotesHarvest
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
CategoryProductivityConsulting
Founded20152006

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 Harvest

  • Time tracking
  • Expense tracking
  • Invoicing
  • Project budgets
  • Team capacity
  • Detailed reports
  • Mobile apps
  • Browser extension

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Harvest

  • Time tracking against projects and clientsnot Bear Notes
  • Turning tracked time into invoicesnot Bear Notes
  • Expense capture alongside billable hoursnot Bear Notes
  • Team capacity and utilisation reporting on the paid plansnot Bear Notes
  • Feeding billed time into QuickBooks or Xeronot 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

Harvest

  • The free plan is one seat and two projects, so it suits a solo freelancer and nothing larger
  • Team reporting and unlimited projects require the Teams plan at $9 per seat per month
  • Profitability reporting, timesheet approvals and custom reports need Enterprise at $14 per seat per month
  • SAML single sign-on is Enterprise only
  • QuickBooks, Xero and Stripe integrations are withheld from the free plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Harvest

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Harvest 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 Harvest if

  • You need time tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
  • You also want expense tracking.
Harvest review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Harvest better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Harvest at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Harvest?
Bear Notes starts at Free and Harvest at Free.
Does Bear Notes or Harvest run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Harvest runs on Web, macOS, Windows, 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 Harvest is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Harvest cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Harvest covers Time tracking, Expense tracking, Invoicing, Project budgets.
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