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Productivity · head to head

Bear Notes vs Zenoti

Bear Notes logo

Bear Notes

Productivity

Beautiful note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zenoti logo

Zenoti

Scheduling & Booking

Enterprise spa and salon software

From
$200/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; Zenoti zenoti publishes no prices: the pricing page names plans by business type but gives no rate, no per location fee and no minimum, and routes every enquiry to a quote or demo
  • They diverge on capability: Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Zenoti covers Appointment booking.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bear Notes and Zenoti differ
AttributeBear NotesZenoti
Starting priceFree$200/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryProductivityScheduling & Booking
Founded20152010

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 Zenoti

  • Appointment booking
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Marketing automation
  • Employee management
  • Membership management
  • Gift cards
  • Business intelligence

What people use each for

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

Bear Notes

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

Zenoti

  • Running multi location spa, salon and medspa chains on one platformnot Bear Notes
  • Centralising appointment booking, point of sale and inventory across sitesnot Bear Notes
  • Managing memberships, packages and customer marketing for large operatorsnot 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

Zenoti

  • Zenoti publishes no prices: the pricing page names plans by business type but gives no rate, no per location fee and no minimum, and routes every enquiry to a quote or demo
  • Multi location pricing is described as customised to the customer's footprint, so two buyers of the same size are not guaranteed the same rate
  • Communication costs such as messaging are billed on consumption on top of the plan
  • Functionality is extended through paid add ons rather than being included in a single 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

Zenoti

$200/month
  • Essential$200/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • POS
  • Professional$350/month
    • Everything in Essential
    • Marketing automation
    • Inventory management
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Multi-location
    • Custom integrations

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 Zenoti if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want point of sale.
Zenoti review

Questions people ask

Is Bear Notes or Zenoti better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear Notes starts at Free and Zenoti at $200/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear Notes or Zenoti?
Bear Notes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear Notes and $200/month for Zenoti.
Does Bear Notes or Zenoti run on more platforms?
Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. Zenoti 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. Zenoti starts at $200/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 Zenoti is typically brought in for.
What can Bear Notes do that Zenoti cannot?
Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support. Zenoti covers Appointment booking, Point of sale, Inventory management, Marketing automation.
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