Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Streak

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Streak logo

Streak

CRM & Sales

CRM superpowers for Gmail

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; Streak the free tier is email tools only, with pipelines, contact records and automation all requiring the Pro plan
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Streak covers Pipeline management.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Streak differ
AttributeBear NotesStreak
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb
CategoryProductivityCRM & Sales
Founded20152011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Streak

  • Pipeline management
  • Email tracking
  • Automation
  • Document tracking
  • Live engagement metrics
  • Gmail
  • Outlook
  • Google Sheets

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Streak

  • Managing sales pipelines directly inside Gmailnot Bear Notes
  • Tracking email opens and running mail merges from an inboxnot 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

Streak

  • The free tier is email tools only, with pipelines, contact records and automation all requiring the Pro plan
  • Free mail merge is capped at 50 a day
  • The entry paid plan is $49 per user per month, which is high for a CRM that lives inside Gmail
  • Integrations require a paid plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Streak

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic CRM
    • Pipeline management
  • Professional$10/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Email tracking
    • Automation
  • Business$50/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Advanced features

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 Streak if

  • You need pipeline management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want email tracking.
Streak review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Streak better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Streak at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Streak?
Bear Notes starts at Free and Streak at Free.
Does Bear Notes or Streak run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Streak runs on Web.
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 Streak is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Streak cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Streak covers Pipeline management, Email tracking, Automation, Document tracking.
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