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Bear Notes vs Wise Business

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Software

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wise Business logo

Wise Business

Software

The smart way to send and receive business payments

From
$29/month
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; Wise Business opening a Wise Business account in the UK carries a one off setup fee of 50 GBP
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Wise Business covers Multi-currency accounts.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear Notes and Wise Business actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear Notes and Wise Business differ
AttributeBear NotesWise Business
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelfreemiumusage-based
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20152011

Identical on both: 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 Wise Business

  • Multi-currency accounts
  • International transfers
  • Batch payments
  • API access
  • Team management
  • Xero
  • QuickBooks
  • Various

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Wise Business

  • Holding and converting multiple currencies as a businessnot Bear Notes
  • Paying international suppliers and contractors at the mid market ratenot Bear Notes
  • Receiving payments into local currency account details in several countriesnot 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

Wise Business

  • Opening a Wise Business account in the UK carries a one off setup fee of 50 GBP
  • Volume discounts on transfers start only above 20,000 GBP equivalent sent per month

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Wise Business

$29/month
  • StandardFree
    • Multi-currency account
    • Real exchange rate
    • Batch payments

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 Wise Business if

  • You need multi-currency accounts.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want international transfers.
Wise Business review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Wise Business better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Wise Business at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Wise Business?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and $29/month for Wise Business.
Does Bear Notes or Wise Business run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Wise Business runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Wise Business starts at $29/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 Wise Business is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Wise Business cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Wise Business covers Multi-currency accounts, International transfers, Batch payments, API access.
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