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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs ProofHub

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ProofHub logo

ProofHub

Project Management

All-in-one project management and team collaboration

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; ProofHub the Ultimate Control plan advertises $89 a month for the first 3 months and then charges $135, so the headline is an introductory rate
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, ProofHub covers Tasks.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and ProofHub differ
AttributeBear NotesProofHub
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryProductivityProject Management
Founded20152011

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 ProofHub

  • Tasks
  • Discussions
  • Proofing
  • Time tracking
  • Gantt charts
  • Slack
  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

ProofHub

  • Project management with unlimited users on a flat monthly feenot Bear Notes
  • Proofing and reviewing files alongside task and discussion trackingnot 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

ProofHub

  • The Ultimate Control plan advertises $89 a month for the first 3 months and then charges $135, so the headline is an introductory rate
  • The Essential plan caps projects at 40 and storage at 15 GB
  • Storage is 100 GB even on the higher plan, which is low for a tool holding project files
  • There is no free tier, and the entry price is a flat $45 a month billed annually

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

ProofHub

On request
  • Essential$45/month
    • 40 projects
    • Unlimited users
    • Core features
  • Ultimate Control$89/month
    • Unlimited projects
    • Advanced features
    • White labeling

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 ProofHub if

  • You need tasks.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want discussions.
ProofHub review

Questions people ask

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