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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Paymo

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paymo logo

Paymo

Project Management

Work & project management for teams

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; Paymo every advertised price rises after 3 months, with Plus going from $10.90 to $15.90 per user and Pro from $16.90 to $23.90
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Paymo covers Task management.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Paymo differ
AttributeBear NotesPaymo
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop
CategoryProductivityProject Management
Founded20152008

Identical on both: pricing model (freemium), 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 Paymo

  • Task management
  • Time tracking
  • Invoicing
  • Gantt charts
  • Resource scheduling
  • Slack
  • Google Workspace
  • Zapier

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Paymo

  • Project management with time tracking and invoicing for agenciesnot Bear Notes
  • Tracking billable hours and project profitabilitynot 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

Paymo

  • Every advertised price rises after 3 months, with Plus going from $10.90 to $15.90 per user and Pro from $16.90 to $23.90
  • The free plan allows 1 user, 1 client and 2 projects
  • The Solo plan is still capped at 3 clients and 5 projects
  • Gantt charts, task dependencies and scheduling require the Plus plan
  • Integrations are excluded from both the free and Solo plans

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Paymo

On request
  • FreeFree
    • 1 user
    • Basic features
  • Starter$4.95/month
    • Time tracking
    • Kanban
    • Invoicing

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 Paymo if

  • You need task management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want time tracking.
Paymo review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Paymo better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Paymo at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Paymo?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and On request for Paymo.
Does Bear Notes or Paymo run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Paymo 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. Paymo 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 Paymo is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Paymo cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Paymo covers Task management, Time tracking, Invoicing, Gantt charts.
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