Productivity · head to head
Bear Notes vs Time Doctor
Time Doctor
Productivity
Employee time tracking and productivity monitoring
- From
- $4/month
- Rated
- -
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 historical tracking data retention is capped by plan: 3 months on Basic and 6 months on Standard, versus 2 years on Premium and Enterprise
- They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Time Doctor covers Time tracking with timer.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bear Notes and Time Doctor actually diverge.
| Attribute | Bear Notes | Time Doctor |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $4/month |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | MacOS, IOS, IPadOS | Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows |
| Category | Productivity | Unknown |
| Founded | 2015 | 2011 |
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 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
- Productivitynot Bear Notes
- Collaborationnot Bear Notes
- Task managementnot Bear Notes
- Organizationnot 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
- Historical tracking data retention is capped by plan: 3 months on Basic and 6 months on Standard, versus 2 years on Premium and Enterprise
- HRIS and Payroll native integrations are paid add-ons at $200 per integration per month
- Software Cost Insights add-on costs $3 per user per month on top of the base 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
Time Doctor
$4/month- Basic$4/month
- Time tracking
- Reports
- Mobile apps
- Standard$6/month
- Everything in Basic
- Activity monitoring
- Screenshots
- Premium$10/month
- Everything in Standard
- GPS tracking
- Webcam snapshots
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.
Choose Time Doctor if
- You need time tracking with timer.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
- You also want activity monitoring.
Questions people ask
- Is Bear Notes or Time Doctor better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Time Doctor at $4/month, 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 $4/month 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 $4/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 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.
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