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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Time Doctor

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Time Doctor logo

Time Doctor

Productivity

Employee time tracking and productivity monitoring

From
$3/addon
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; Time Doctor specific plan prices not published on pricing page, must contact sales
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Time Doctor covers Time tracking with timer.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear Notes and Time Doctor actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear Notes and Time Doctor differ
AttributeBear NotesTime Doctor
Starting priceFree$3/addon
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows
Founded20152011

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

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 Time Doctor

  • Time tracking with timer
  • Activity monitoring
  • Screenshots
  • GPS tracking
  • Webcam monitoring
  • Reports and invoicing
  • Mobile apps
  • Team management

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Time Doctor

  • Employee time tracking and productivity monitoringnot Bear Notes
  • Remote and hybrid team managementnot Bear Notes
  • Workforce analytics for resource optimizationnot Bear Notes
  • Payroll integration for enterprisesnot 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

Time Doctor

  • Specific plan prices not published on pricing page, must contact sales
  • Software Cost Insights add-on costs $3 per user per month
  • Historical data retention limited to 3 months on Basic tier
  • No pricing transparency for video recording and benchmarks add-ons

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Time Doctor

$3/addon
  • Basic$null/month
    • Automatic tracking
    • Projects and tasks management
    • Screenshots
  • Standard$null/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • Schedules
    • Attendance
  • Premium$null/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • AI benchmarks
    • Video recording
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • All features
    • Private cloud
    • Customizable dashboards

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 Time Doctor if

  • You need time tracking with timer.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
  • You also want activity monitoring.
Time Doctor review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Time Doctor better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Time Doctor at $3/addon, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Time Doctor?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and $3/addon for Time Doctor.
Does Bear Notes or Time Doctor run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Time Doctor runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Time Doctor starts at $3/addon.
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 Time Doctor is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Time Doctor cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Time Doctor covers Time tracking with timer, Activity monitoring, Screenshots, GPS tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bear Notes: How much does Bear Pro cost per month or year?

Bear Pro costs $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year. Annual subscribers receive a 15% discount compared to monthly pricing.

Source
Time Doctor: Is there a free trial for Time Doctor?

Yes, Time Doctor offers two weeks of free access to all Premium plan features without requiring a credit card.

Source
Bear Notes: Does Bear offer a free trial before committing to a subscription?

Yes, Bear Pro includes a 7-day free trial with no credit card required.

Source
Time Doctor: What are Time Doctor's add-on costs?

Software Cost Insights costs $3 per user per month. HRIS and Payroll integrations each cost $200 per integration. Benchmarks AI, Meeting Insights, and Video Recording pricing is not listed.

Source
Bear Notes: What export formats are available with Bear Pro?

Bear Pro subscribers can export notes in multiple formats including TXT, Markdown, TextBundle, RTF, PDF, JPG, HTML, DOCX, and ePub.

Source
Time Doctor: How long does Time Doctor retain employee data?

Data retention varies by plan: Basic tier retains 3 months of historical data, while Premium and Enterprise tiers retain 2 years.

Source
Bear Notes: Can I sync my notes across devices with the free Bear plan?

No, iCloud sync is only available with Bear Pro. The free plan allows local note access but does not support cloud synchronization across devices.

Source
Time Doctor: Does Time Doctor offer annual billing discounts?

Yes, customers who pay annually receive two months free, equivalent to a 16.6% discount on the subscription cost.

Source
Bear Notes: What features are included in the free Bear plan?

The free plan includes local note access, document scanning, limited export formats, 3 themes, and 1 app icon. PDF and image search requires Bear Pro.

Source
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