Bear vs Evernote, which one should you pick?
Finding the right note taking tool can be a daunting task.
After all, it’s not like you can do without one.
So, say adios to sticky notes and hello to digital notebooks.
In this article, we’ll help you pick the perfect note taking app as we compare Bear vs Evernote. And as an added bonus, we’ll even highlight a great alternative to both.
This Article Contains:
Let the face-off begin!
Note: We’ll first go over what Bear and Evernote are while covering their features to give you a better idea of each tool. If you’re just looking for a comparison, click here to jump to that section.
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Is Bear?
Bear is a standard note taking app that lets you take quick notes or create long essays.
You can even share notes with others or just between your own devices.
Let’s check out some of Bear’s key features:
1. Special searches
Can’t find notes when you most need them?
Bear’s special searches will do it for you.
Some of the special searches include:
- @task: shows notes with one or more to-do elements
- @today: shows notes that you modified today
- @images: shows notes with images in them
- @code: shows notes that contain at least one code snippet
You can add keywords or terms along with these special searches to get specific results.
2. Multiple export options
A cool Bear feature is its ability to export notes into different formats.
You get rich text format, plain text, PDF, Bear note format, markdown support…the list is pretty extensive.
3. Encrypted notes
Bear understands that some notes need protection because of all the sensitive data they may contain.
Now, you can’t type in ‘leave me alone’ and expect it to be safe!
But you can protect your notes with a password.
Once you set it, your notes and other types of text become encrypted, and no one but you will have access to them.
4. Focus mode
Have the attention span of a goldfish? 🐟
Don’t worry.
You’re not alone. But you’ll need help to retain your attention.
And by help, we mean Bear app’s focus mode. This feature hides everything on your screen, and you’re left to focus on just your note.
When you’re on your iPhone or iPad, just tap on the note to edit, and the sidebar and notes list will just vanish in a poof!
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Is Evernote?
Evernote has been around since forever, and still going strong!
It has grown over the years to become a powerful note taking app that is also a lightweight project management tool.
But is Evernote the best choice for you? Check out our comprehensive Evernote review with alternatives for a better idea.
Let’s check out some of Evernote’s key features:
1. Templates
Evernote has tons of templates for all kinds of notes, including creative writing, marketing and sales, meetings, and so much more.
The templates are highly customizable, and you can use them to save time and get more things done.
2. Web clipper
Found a cool article on how to promote your business on the web? Just save it as a screenshot using Evernote’s web clipper browser extension.
Use this feature to clip a section of a webpage or the entire page without the annoying headlines and ads.
It’s probably the best web clipper in today’s market.
Ask any Evernote competitor and chances are they’ll agree.
3. Saved search
If you have a note that you open every day, like a daily planner or checklist, you don’t need to search it repeatedly. Just save the search on Evernote, and you won’t have to go looking for the note manually.
Additionally, you can access your saved searches on all your devices, thanks to the device syncing feature.
4. Audio notes
What’s better and faster to take than writing a text note?
An audio note!
This feature is a blessing for those who struggle with the keyboard, especially in fast-paced meetings.
And if you’ve always been fascinated by dictaphones, you’ll love this…
Summarize this article for me pleaseBear and Evernote Stacked Side-by-Side
Both of these apps are very similar in many ways. For starters, they both love animals.
What?
Just look at their logos. One is a bear, and the other is an elephant!
However, there’s obviously more than that.
Bear and Evernote let you clip web pages; each notes app lets you organize them, supports sync across all devices, and so on.
However, they differ on some key fronts.
Here’s how:
1. OS support
Any app, we say, should work on all operating systems.
Agreed? Evernote agrees too, but uhm… Bear does not.
A. Bear
Bear is undoubtedly an excellent note-taking and markdown editor. But things turn problematic when you realize Bear supports only Apple devices.
So iPhone, iPad, basically all iOS and Mac users can strut right about now.
That makes it a better Apple Note alternative more than anything else.
To all the Windows and Android users, we’re sorry.
B. Evernote
Evernote, on the other hand, is inclusive and works on iOS, Android, and Windows!
Unfortunately, they left out Linux users.
So close, Evernote, so close!
2. Search
The ‘search’ function in any note taking app should help you find what you’re looking for.
I mean, if we wanted to make it difficult to find notes or text, we’d use a notebook and waste time flipping through it.
The good news is, search in both these apps is quite advanced and efficient.
But there’s more to this. Let’s take a look.
A. Bear
The Bear app uses tags to organize your notes. You add these tags yourself, anywhere on the note, depending on the relevance.
Taking meeting notes related to the budget for December? Your tag can be #decemberbudget.
Did you know you can even create a new note from a tag?
And to save search and organization time, you can remove and add tags to multiple notes.
B. Evernote
You can add tags to Evernote notes too, but there are differences here.
And that’s where notebooks come in.
This app organizes your notes into notebooks for easy finds. It can be a task to find a specific notebook if you have tons of them.
In such cases, just type ‘notebook:insert notebook title,’ and voila, you’ll be where you want to be.
3. Pricing
The main difference between Evernote and Bear lies in their pricing. Evernote was the app that did so much for no fee. But now it’s famed for its expensive pricing options. Bear, on the other hand, is very affordable. But remember, it’s only for Apple users!
Here’s a look at their prices:
A. Bear
Bear offers two pricing options:
- Bear free: export options, tags, and attachments
- Bear pro ($1.49/month): writing themes, encrypted notes, and iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac
B. Evernote
Evernote offers three pricing options:
- Evernote free: audio notes, web clipper, and note size up to 25MB
- Evernote premium ($7.99/month): PDF annotation, text search inside PDFs, and note size up to 200MB
- Evernote business ($14.99/user per month): team activity history viewing, team management, and 20GB upload limit per month
4. Integrations
In today’s age, integrations are super-important to boost productivity and connect your notes with your emails, calendars, etc.
Do Bear and Evernote support integrations? Let’s find out.
A. Bear
The integration list for Bear is very tiny. Some of the most prominent ones are Things, Bear Power Pack, and Workflow.
There’s not much else!
B. Evernote
Evernote loves integrations a lot more than Bear.
Here’s a quick look at some of its integrations:
- Gmail
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
- Outlook
Bear vs Evernote on Reddit
We took to Reddit to see where people land on Bear vs Evernote. When you search Bear vs Evernote on Reddit, lots of users agree that Evernote is rich in features but if you’re looking for a simpler tool Bear is a great option:
“Bear is a dumbed-down version of the simplest features in Evernote (which is just the right amount for some people).”
For other Reddit users who are looking for a more than just a basic tool Evernote is the better tool:
“Evernote is a beast of features but it’s also ridiculously powerful. There are some features you might never use but they’ll be there to support you when you grow into that set.”
Summarize this article for me pleaseBear Vs Evernote: Verdict
While there are clear visual similarities, such as three-column UI, Bear is a much more affordable app than Evernote, but it’s only limited to the iOS platform.
On the other hand, Evernote has significantly more integrations than Bear but it feels a lot more like a traditional productivity tool compared to Bear’s sleek and minimal user interface.
So do we have a winner for this note taking app battle?
If you need an affordable writing app with an elegant design, we’d say go for Bear. 🐻
That’s assuming you’re an iOS or Mac user.
And if you want integrations with some of the most common and essential apps like Gmail, Google Drive, etc., along with one of the finest web clippers in town, Evernote is the answer.
But wait, do you see what we see? 👀
One of them is stingy with integrations and doesn’t love all operating systems.
The other one needs a big-budget.💰
Don’t worry. Let’s introduce you to the perfect Evernote and Bear App alternative.
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Is The Best Tool For Note-taking?
Answering this question is no walk in the park.
And we get it.
There’s far too much to measure.
But here’s some food for thought:
You take notes, and then what…? 💭
Your notes have a purpose. You use them to create action items, assign tasks, add deadlines and due dates…you get the picture.
What if we told you there’s an app that can do all that in addition to creating your notes?
Say hello to ClickUp!
ClickUp is the world’s highest-rated project management tool used by highly productive teams.
Wait, a project management software?
Yes, one that lets you take notes and manage projects, tasks, and resources for free!
Remember how Bear gave those bear hugs only to iOS users and Evernote supported all platforms but Linux?
ClickUp is the real deal.
We support all platforms.
But let’s move on to the most exciting bits.
These ClickUp key features can do what Evernote and Bear can, and beyond!
1. Capture unlimited ideas with Notepad
Having an ultra-creative day? At ClickUp, we believe there’s no such thing as ‘too many ideas.’
That’s why ClickUp’s Notepad lets you create unlimited notes. Add rich text edits to your notes such as headers, italic font, numeric lists, etc., with Slash Commands.
And you can do more than just jot down text.
Convert your notes into tasks right from the Notepad and then assign them to team members.
Just find the + symbol on the note you wish to make a task.
Click on it and select a List or Folder to add a new task.
The title of your note becomes the task title.
The note’s text becomes the task’s description.
After that, you can add more details to the task, such as Priority, Due Date, and Assignees.
2. Create knowledge bases with Docs
When you have too much to write, and a note isn’t enough, choose Docs.
On Docs, you can add nested pages, insert emojis, let your docs get indexed by Google and do so much more!
Your Docs can have unlimited pages, and you can share them with your colleagues or people outside your Workspace too.
Customize your Doc for any work need with a ton of features and tools, including:
- Doc Styles: choose the doc style that best represents your work— Knowledge-based style, Classic, or Blog style
- Relationships: easily link related tasks and pages within the Doc page
- Rich Text Formatting: adjust font size (small, medium, large), and choose from various font and highlighting colors to emphasize important details
- Authors: add multiple authors and get a clear view of who has contributed to the Doc
- Real-Time Editing: edit a document alongside other team members to maximize collaboration
- Collaboration Detection: see when a team member views, comments, or edits a document
Find yourself using the same content again and again, like meeting notes or project outlines? Turn it into a Doc Template and save efforts.
ClickUp also lets you download Docs as markdown, HTML, and PDF files.
And while you’re thinking of PDFs, don’t look anywhere else because ClickUp’s capable of PDF annotation as well. 😎
3. Take visual notes with Mind Maps
Want a place to sketch out your game plan and objectives?
Try ClickUp’s Mind Maps.
Use it to draw your project plans, define its structure, and directly create, edit, and delete tasks from Mind Maps.
ClickUp also understands that you may have favorites when it comes to apps. And that’s why it integrates with a ton of them, including Evernote!
These were just features that can help you take better and valuable notes. However, ClickUp can do so much more for you.
Here’s a glimpse at some of the features we made with love:
- Automation: automate repetitive tasks
- Home: mission control center for all your Tasks (done, ongoing, and upcoming)
- Reminders: to never forget things again
- Templates: reuse tasks, Checklists, views, and more with Templates
- Smart Search: to find exactly what you’re looking for in seconds
- Rich Text Editor: add Checklists, code blocks, Task Mentions, headings, and more
- Google Drive Integration: access Google files and create Google docs from within ClickUp
- Markdown and Shortcut keys: make quick edits and save time with markdown editor and keyboard shortcut keys
- Offline Mode: work without the internet connection using your desktop app, the web app, or the Android and iOS apps
- Template Center: use and share templates all across the globe
Need more options? Check out the 10 best note taking apps.
Summarize this article for me pleaseFace-off Winner
The Evernote vs Bear battle can go on forever. Both of these apps have their benefits and drawbacks over most of the same features.
However, remember, these are just note taking apps.
They don’t help you manage tasks, resources, or time.
That’s the job of an all-in-one, powerful project management app.
In other words, ClickUp.
It overcomes Bear and Evernote’s flaws and gives you more than just purposeful notes. Plus, it’s free forever!
So what are you waiting for?
Say goodbye to regular note taking apps and get ClickUp for free today!
Related readings:
Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.