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Productivity · head to head

Bear vs Memtime

Bear logo

Bear

Productivity

Markdown notes for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Memtime logo

Memtime

Productivity

Automatic time tracking that never leaves your machine

From
€10/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bear has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bear built for Apple hardware only, with no Windows, Android or web client; Memtime no free tier. There is a 14 day trial and after that the cheapest route is €10 a user a month on a two-year commitment, or €15 quarterly.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 24 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear and Memtime actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear and Memtime differ
AttributeBearMemtime
Starting priceFree€10/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWindows, macOS, Linux
FoundedUnknown2016

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

Nothing recorded that Memtime does not also cover.

Only in Memtime

  • Automatic activity timeline
  • Local-only storage
  • Timesheet automation
  • Offline tracking
  • 100+ project software integrations
  • Calendar integration
  • Phone call tracking
  • Billability reporting

What people use each for

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

Bear

  • Note-taking with document scanningnot Memtime
  • Cross-device note synchronizationnot Memtime

Memtime

  • Reconstructing a day nobody remembered to timenot Bear
  • Billing clients accurately without running a stopwatchnot Bear
  • Tracking time where activity data must not leave the machinenot Bear
  • Filling timesheets in Jira or Asana from a recorded timelinenot Bear
  • Separating billable from non-billable work after the factnot Bear

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bear

  • Built for Apple hardware only, with no Windows, Android or web client
  • Free tier is limited to 3 themes, 1 app icon and restricted export formats; iCloud sync requires Bear Pro
  • Bear Pro is $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year after a 7 day free trial

Memtime

  • No free tier. There is a 14 day trial and after that the cheapest route is €10 a user a month on a two-year commitment, or €15 quarterly.
  • The integrations most buyers arrive for are on Connect, not Basic, so the entry tier is a local tracker with no link to the project software you already run.
  • Desktop only. There is no mobile app, so work done away from the computer has to be entered by hand.
  • Local-only storage is the product's point and also its limit: there is no central view for a manager, and a lost or wiped machine takes its timeline with it.
  • Tracking is at five or six minute granularity rather than to the second, which is right for reconstructing a day and wrong for anyone billing in one-minute units.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bear

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Local note access
    • Document scanning
    • PDF, image, text, markdown, HTML, DOCX, ePub export
  • Pro$2.99/month
    • All free features plus 28+ themes
    • 15 app icons
    • PDF and image search across notes
  • Pro$29.99/year
    • All free features plus 28+ themes
    • 15 app icons
    • PDF and image search across notes

Memtime

€10/month
  • Basic$15/month
    • Per user, quarterly billing
    • €12 annual, €10 on two years
    • Automatic desktop tracking
  • Connect$22/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • €18 annual, €15 on two years
    • 100+ software integrations
  • Premium$30/month
    • Everything in Connect
    • €25 annual, €20 on two years
    • Call system integrations
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing from 50 seats
    • From €10 a month on a two-year term
    • Team trial and onboarding

Which should you pick?

Choose Bear if

  • You want to start without paying.
Bear review

Choose Memtime if

  • You need automatic activity timeline.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want local-only storage.
Memtime review

Questions people ask

Is Bear or Memtime better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear starts at Free and Memtime at €10/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear or Memtime?
Bear has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bear and €10/month for Memtime.
Does Bear or Memtime run on more platforms?
Bear runs on Web. Memtime runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Bear for free?
Yes. Bear has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Memtime starts at €10/month.
What is Bear best used for?
Bear is most often used for note-taking with document scanning, cross-device note synchronization. Of those, note-taking with document scanning and cross-device note synchronization are not what Memtime is typically brought in for.
What can Bear do that Memtime cannot?
Memtime covers Automatic activity timeline, Local-only storage, Timesheet automation, Offline tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bear: Does Bear offer a free plan?

Yes, Bear has a free plan with local note access, document scanning, and export to multiple formats, but without iCloud sync or PDF/image search.

Source
Memtime: Does Memtime send my activity data to a server?

No. Activity is stored locally on the device that recorded it and never reaches a server, which is the basis of the product's "built for privacy" positioning and why no manager console exists.

Source
Bear: How much does Bear Pro cost?

Bear Pro is $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year. The yearly plan offers approximately 15% savings compared to monthly billing.

Source
Memtime: What does Memtime cost?

Per user per month, falling with commitment: Basic is €15 quarterly, €12 annual or €10 on two years. Connect is €22, €18 or €15. Premium is €30, €25 or €20. Enterprise is custom from 50 seats. Every tier has a 14 day trial with no card required.

Source
Bear: Is there a free trial for Bear Pro?

Yes, Bear Pro includes a 7-day free trial before charging begins.

Source
Memtime: Which plan includes the integrations?

Connect and above. Basic covers automatic tracking, timesheets, calendars and reporting, but the 100+ project software integrations and the sync with them start at Connect.

Source
Memtime: How does the automatic tracking work?

It records the program and document in your foreground window at five or six minute granularity and builds a timeline from that. There is no timer to start, so nothing is lost to forgetting.

Source
Memtime: Which platforms does it run on?

Windows, macOS and Linux desktops. There is no mobile application.

Source
Memtime: Who makes Memtime?

Memtime GmbH, a German company founded in 2016.

Source
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