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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Zenefits

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zenefits logo

Zenefits

Payroll & Benefits

All-in-one HR platform for growing companies

From
$8/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; Zenefits product discontinued by parent company TriNet
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Zenefits covers HR Administration.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Zenefits differ
AttributeBear NotesZenefits
Starting priceFree$8/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb
CategoryProductivityPayroll & Benefits
Founded20152013

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 Zenefits

  • HR Administration
  • Benefits Management
  • Payroll
  • Time and Scheduling
  • Compliance
  • Performance Management
  • Slack
  • Google Workspace

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Zenefits

No use cases recorded yet. See the Zenefits review.

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

Zenefits

  • Product discontinued by parent company TriNet
  • Remaining customers forced to migrate to more expensive TriNet products

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear Notes

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

Zenefits

$8/month
  • Essentials$8/month
    • HR Administration
    • Time Off Tracking
    • Scheduling
  • Growth$16/month
    • All Essentials features
    • Compensation Management
    • Performance Management

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 Zenefits if

  • You need hr administration.
  • You also want benefits management.
Zenefits review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Zenefits better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Zenefits at $8/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Zenefits?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and $8/month for Zenefits.
Does Bear Notes or Zenefits run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Zenefits runs on Web.
Can I use Bear Notes for free?
Yes. Bear Notes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zenefits starts at $8/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 Zenefits is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Zenefits cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Zenefits covers HR Administration, Benefits Management, Payroll, Time and Scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Zenefits: Is Zenefits still available as a standalone product?

No. Zenefits was discontinued as a standalone product after TriNet's acquisition in 2022. Existing customers are being migrated to TriNet HR Plus (ASO) or TriNet PEO at higher costs.

Source
Zenefits: What were Zenefits' main features before discontinuation?

Zenefits provided HR, benefits management, payroll as optional add-on, time and attendance tracking, and compliance tools for small to mid-sized businesses with 10-200 employees.

Source
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