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Bear Notes vs ProtonVPN

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Software

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ProtonVPN logo

ProtonVPN

Software

High-speed Swiss VPN that safeguards your privacy

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; ProtonVPN free plan limited to one device at a time
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, ProtonVPN covers No-logs policy.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and ProtonVPN differ
AttributeBear NotesProtonVPN
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Founded20152014

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 ProtonVPN

  • No-logs policy
  • Secure Core
  • Kill Switch
  • DNS leak protection
  • Tor over VPN
  • Split tunneling
  • NetShield ad-blocker
  • VPN Accelerator

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

ProtonVPN

  • Privacy-focused browsing without subscription costnot Bear Notes
  • Multi-device protection with Plus plan supporting 10 devicesnot Bear Notes
  • Integrated access to Proton email and cloud services via Unlimited plannot 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

ProtonVPN

  • Free plan limited to one device at a time
  • Free plan restricted to 10 countries with random selection
  • Pricing amounts not clearly published; shown as variable

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

ProtonVPN

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the ProtonVPN 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 ProtonVPN if

  • You need no-logs policy.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
  • You also want secure core.
ProtonVPN review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or ProtonVPN better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and ProtonVPN at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or ProtonVPN?
Bear Notes starts at Free and ProtonVPN at Free.
Does Bear Notes or ProtonVPN run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. ProtonVPN runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
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 ProtonVPN is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that ProtonVPN cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. ProtonVPN covers No-logs policy, Secure Core, Kill Switch, DNS leak protection.
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