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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs PlanetScale

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Database & Data Management

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
$15/month
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; PlanetScale eBS High Availability requires 3-node configuration with replication overhead
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, PlanetScale covers Database Branching.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and PlanetScale differ
AttributeBear NotesPlanetScale
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)
CategoryProductivityDatabase & Data Management
Founded20152018

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 PlanetScale

  • Database Branching
  • Non-blocking Schema Changes
  • Insights
  • Horizontal Scaling
  • Connection Pooling
  • Query Caching
  • Automatic Backups
  • Global Replication

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

PlanetScale

  • MySQL database hosting with automatic failover and replicationnot Bear Notes
  • Vitess-based sharding for horizontal scaling across large datasetsnot Bear Notes
  • Cloud provider flexibility across AWS, GCP, Azure with 60+ regionsnot Bear Notes
  • Cost-effective database clusters using ARM64 architecture optionsnot 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

PlanetScale

  • EBS High Availability requires 3-node configuration with replication overhead
  • EBS Non-HA single-node option lacks redundancy and automatic failover
  • Pricing varies by cloud provider and region, requiring queries for specific rates
  • ARM64 architecture only available on EBS tier, not Metal deployments

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale 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 PlanetScale if

  • You need database branching.
  • You work on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
  • You also want non-blocking schema changes.
PlanetScale review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or PlanetScale better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and PlanetScale at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or PlanetScale?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and $15/month for PlanetScale.
Does Bear Notes or PlanetScale run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PlanetScale starts at $15/month.
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 PlanetScale is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that PlanetScale cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling.
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