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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs McAfee Total Protection

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
McAfee Total Protection logo

McAfee Total Protection

Security & Cybersecurity

Award-winning antivirus trusted by millions

From
$29.99/year
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; McAfee Total Protection significant renewal price increase after first year (from $29.99 to $84.99/year)
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, McAfee Total Protection covers Real-time antivirus.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear Notes and McAfee Total Protection actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear Notes and McAfee Total Protection differ
AttributeBear NotesMcAfee Total Protection
Starting priceFree$29.99/year
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWindows, macOS, iOS, Android
CategoryProductivitySecurity & Cybersecurity
Founded20151987

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 McAfee Total Protection

  • Real-time antivirus
  • Firewall
  • Safe browsing
  • Password manager
  • Secure VPN
  • Identity monitoring
  • Protection Score
  • Parental controls

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

McAfee Total Protection

  • Antivirusnot Bear Notes
  • Internet Securitynot Bear Notes
  • Identity Protectionnot 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

McAfee Total Protection

  • Significant renewal price increase after first year (from $29.99 to $84.99/year)
  • Customer support responsiveness issues reported as reason for switching
  • Renewal billing can be aggressive with auto-renewal defaults

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

McAfee Total Protection

$29.99/year
  • Basic$29.99/year
    • Antivirus
    • Firewall
    • 1 device
  • Plus$39.99/year
    • Antivirus
    • Firewall
    • 5 devices
  • Premium$49.99/year
    • Antivirus
    • Firewall
    • VPN
  • Advanced$74.99/year
    • Antivirus
    • Firewall
    • VPN

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 McAfee Total Protection if

  • You need real-time antivirus.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want firewall.
McAfee Total Protection review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or McAfee Total Protection better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and McAfee Total Protection at $29.99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or McAfee Total Protection?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and $29.99/year for McAfee Total Protection.
Does Bear Notes or McAfee Total Protection run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. McAfee Total Protection runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. McAfee Total Protection starts at $29.99/year.
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 McAfee Total Protection is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that McAfee Total Protection cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. McAfee Total Protection covers Real-time antivirus, Firewall, Safe browsing, Password manager.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

McAfee Total Protection: How much does McAfee Total Protection cost?

McAfee Total Protection introductory pricing ranges from $29.99/year (Basic) to $74.99/year (Advanced), but renewal costs jump to $84.99/year after the first year.

Source
McAfee Total Protection: What is the trial period for McAfee Total Protection?

McAfee offers a 60-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try the service risk-free for two months.

Source
McAfee Total Protection: How many devices can I protect with one McAfee Total Protection subscription?

Device coverage varies by plan: Basic covers 1 device, while other plans protect 5 to unlimited devices depending on the tier selected.

Source
McAfee Total Protection: Does McAfee Total Protection include VPN?

VPN is included in higher-tier McAfee plans if you opt for auto-renewal.

Source
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