Productivity · head to head
Focusmate vs Bear Notes
Focusmate
Productivity
Virtual co-working platform for accountability and productivity
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Focusmate the free plan caps sessions at 3 per week; Bear Notes apple only: Bear runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad with no Windows, Android or web app
- They diverge on capability: Focusmate covers 25-minute work sessions, Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Focusmate and Bear Notes actually diverge.
| Attribute | Focusmate | Bear Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, IOS, Android | MacOS, IOS, IPadOS |
| Founded | 2017 | 2015 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), 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 Focusmate
- 25-minute work sessions
- Partner matching
- Video co-working
- Goal setting and tracking
- Session history
- Reflection notes
- Weekly sessions
- Mobile-friendly
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
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Focusmate
- Booking virtual coworking sessions with an accountability partnernot Bear Notes
- Building a focused work routine with timed sessionsnot Bear Notes
Bear Notes
- Markdown note taking on Apple devicesnot Focusmate
- Organising notes with nested hashtags rather than foldersnot Focusmate
- Exporting notes to PDF, DOCX, HTML or ePubnot Focusmate
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Focusmate
- The free plan caps sessions at 3 per week
- Unlimited sessions require the Plus plan at $8 per month billed annually or $12 per month billed monthly
- The Business plan is priced by quote with no published rate
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Focusmate
Free- FreeFree
- 25-minute sessions
- Limited sessions per week
- Basic matching
- Plus$5/month
- Unlimited sessions
- Priority matching
- Session history
Bear Notes
Free- FreeFree
- Note creation and organization
- Tags
- Local sync
- Premium$1.99/month
- iCloud sync
- Themes
- Markdown export
Which should you pick?
Choose Focusmate if
- You need 25-minute work sessions.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want partner matching.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Focusmate or Bear Notes better?
- Neither clearly leads. Focusmate starts at Free and Bear Notes at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Focusmate or Bear Notes?
- Focusmate starts at Free and Bear Notes at Free.
- Does Focusmate or Bear Notes run on more platforms?
- Focusmate runs on Web, IOS, Android. Bear Notes runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS.
- Can I use Focusmate for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Focusmate best used for?
- Focusmate is most often used for booking virtual coworking sessions with an accountability partner, building a focused work routine with timed sessions. Of those, booking virtual coworking sessions with an accountability partner and building a focused work routine with timed sessions are not what Bear Notes is typically brought in for.
- What can Focusmate do that Bear Notes cannot?
- Focusmate covers 25-minute work sessions, Partner matching, Video co-working, Goal setting and tracking. Bear Notes covers Markdown-based notes, Powerful tag system, Rich text formatting, Image support.