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Software · head to head

Bear Notes vs Homebase

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Software

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Homebase logo

Homebase

Software

Scheduling, time tracking and HR for hourly teams

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; Homebase free Basic plan is capped at 10 employees and a single location

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Homebase differ
AttributeBear NotesHomebase
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), 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 Homebase

Nothing recorded that Bear Notes does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Homebase

No use cases recorded yet. See the Homebase 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

Homebase

  • Free Basic plan is capped at 10 employees and a single location
  • Paid plans are billed per location per month ($30, $70 or $120), so a multi-location business pays the rate again for each site
  • Payroll is a separate add-on at $39 per month plus $6 per month per employee paid
  • Tip Manager and Task Manager are further add-ons billed per location per month on top of the base 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

Homebase

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Homebase 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 Homebase if

  • You want to start without paying.
Homebase review

Questions people ask

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

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