Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Hive

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Hive logo

Hive

Project Management

Project management built for speed

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; Hive the free plan is capped at 200 MB of storage
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Hive covers Tasks.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Hive differ
AttributeBear NotesHive
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop
CategoryProductivityProject Management

Identical on both: pricing model (freemium), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2015).

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 Hive

  • Tasks
  • Gantt view
  • Kanban
  • Time tracking
  • Forms
  • Slack
  • Zoom
  • Google Drive

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Hive

  • Project and task management with multiple project viewsnot Bear Notes
  • Coordinating work, proofing and resourcing for teamsnot 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

Hive

  • The free plan is capped at 200 MB of storage
  • The Starter plan at $5 per user per month is limited to 10 projects
  • Eight capabilities are sold as $5 per user add ons on the Teams plan, including CRM, timesheets, proofing, resourcing, advanced dashboards, external users and SSO
  • Buying SSO plus a few of those add ons therefore costs more than the $12 base seat itself
  • AI credits are metered monthly at 1,000, 3,000 and 5,000 by 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

Hive

On request
  • FreeFree
    • Basic features
    • 10 users
  • Teams$12/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Time tracking
    • Automations

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 Hive if

  • You need tasks.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want gantt view.
Hive review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Hive better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Hive at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Hive?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and On request for Hive.
Does Bear Notes or Hive run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Hive runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Hive 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 Hive is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Hive cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Hive covers Tasks, Gantt view, Kanban, Time tracking.
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