Have you ever felt overwhelmed trying to remember everything? Millions do every single day. It's totally normal, but there are solutions. "The Second Brain" is well titled and describes perfectly what it is: a brain that lives separately for you to capture things into.
Don't worry, this isn't Black Mirror. The second brain is a digital space where you can upload all your notes, ideas, projects, and memories into a digital workspace for later. Think of it as an external hard drive for your mind, somewhere you can offload information without worrying about forgetting it later.
The concept comes from Tiago Forte's book "Building a Second Brain," which has honestly changed how millions of people approach knowledge management. Instead of trying to remember everything (which is exhausting and impossible), you build a system that remembers for you. This frees up your brain to do what it does best: thinking, creating, and connecting ideas.
This system, much like Getting Things Done by David Allen, is easy to follow and allows you to follow a construct to organize your notes and capture things across a day. The second brain concept can be embraced both offline and online, but in this piece, we'll recommend some apps that you can use to start your second brain in the digital world.
What makes a good second brain app? A few things matter here. First, it needs solid capture tools so you can quickly save ideas, articles, and thoughts without friction. Second, it should help you organize information in a way that makes sense to you (whether that's folders, tags, or networked notes). Third, and this is crucial, it needs to help you actually find and use what you've saved. Too many people build massive note collections they never revisit.
All of the tools below are recommended for their ability to follow the system and structure of Second Brain. We've tested each one and considered how well they support the core principles: capture, organize, distill, and express. Some are better for visual thinkers, others for researchers, and a few work great for people who just want something simple that works.
Best Second Brain Tools
Best for All-Round: Best Second Brain Tools
All of these tools can help you master and embrace the second brain concept. Let's begin with the heavy hitter:
Notion is one of the most popular second brain tools on the market, and for good reason. It helps users organize their life in a digital workspace that's stupidly flexible. You can build anything from simple note collections to complex project databases.
There are many Notion features that make managing your second brain easier. Readwise connects with Notion, making it a great integration for readers (Tiago Forte himself uses this combo). When you highlight something in a book or article, it flows straight into your Notion workspace. That's powerful.
Databases in Notion help to organize notes, projects, and goals for your life into an organized lifeOS. The customizable nature of the workspace allows you to curate the perfect look for your second brain to make yourself feel comfy with your notes. A system referenced in the Second Brain concept is PARA. This is a process for organizing items, and stands for Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives.
This perfectly matches Notion's abilities, allowing you to create the structure for organizing notes. Here's the thing though: Notion has a learning curve. The first week can feel overwhelming as you figure out databases, relations, and templates. But once it clicks? It's hard to go back.
Notion's AI feature extends these abilities by helping you distill and summarize your knowledge. You can ask it to summarize a long note, extract key points, or even help you write based on your existing knowledge base. Notion Sites helps you express that knowledge, one of Tiago's pillar principles also referred to as Digital Gardens. You can publish your notes as a public website, which is perfect for building a portfolio or sharing your expertise.
The free plan is generous (unlimited pages and blocks), making it accessible for anyone starting their second brain journey. Premium features unlock AI, unlimited file uploads, and version history, but most people can build a solid second brain on the free tier. One gripe: it can feel slow sometimes, especially if you have a massive workspace with hundreds of pages. Performance has improved over the years, but it's worth noting if you're impatient like me.
Best for
People who want an all-in-one life operating system combining notes, tasks, databases, and knowledge management. Teams or individuals building PARA systems from scratch. Knowledge workers who need to publish their thinking via Notion Sites. Anyone who's comfortable with a learning curve in exchange for maximum flexibility.
Not ideal if
You need blazing fast performance with thousands of pages. Your brain shuts down when faced with blank canvases and endless options. You want something that works perfectly offline without sync issues. Mobile-first capture is critical since the apps lag behind desktop.
Real-world example
A freelance consultant uses Notion as their complete second brain. The PARA system structures everything with Projects (client work), Areas (business development, learning), Resources (templates, case studies), and Archives (completed projects). Readwise syncs book highlights daily. Client meeting notes link to project databases. When pitching new work, they search their second brain for relevant case studies and pull them into proposals. Notion Sites publishes their expertise as a public portfolio that brings in leads.
Team fit
Works for solo knowledge workers up to small teams (2-10 people sharing workspaces). Scales well if you're organized, but massive shared workspaces with 50+ collaborators can get messy. Best for people who enjoy building and customizing systems.
Onboarding reality
Moderate to heavy. Expect 1-2 weeks before you feel comfortable. Databases, relations, and templates require intentional learning. The Notion community on Reddit and YouTube has tons of second brain templates to speed things up. Marie Poulin's Notion courses are worth it if you're serious.
Pricing friction
Free plan is incredibly generous (unlimited pages, blocks, and 10 guests). Plus ($10/month per person) adds unlimited file uploads, version history, and advanced permissions. AI features require Plus or higher. For most second brain users, free works fine until you need AI summaries or massive file storage.
Integrations that matter
Readwise (book highlights), Zapier (connect everything), web clipper (save articles), Google Calendar sync, Slack (notifications), and Figma embeds. The ecosystem is massive.
Evernote
Best for Traditional Note-Takers: Evernote
Evernote is one of the most traditional second-brain applications on the market. It's been around since 2008 (feels like forever in tech years), and it has a long and rich history of being one of the original digital brain options. There's also a whole host of systems that can help you organize and structure notes, exactly as Tiago Forte recommends.
Evernote is well known for its web clipper, which allows you to capture PDFs, web pages, and much more. This thing is ridiculously useful. You're reading an article, spot something valuable, hit the clipper button, and boom, it's saved to your second brain with full formatting preserved.
But most importantly, it lets you annotate in real-time, giving you some important insight before you add it to your system. This is a fan favorite for many people, and one reason why many people have not moved from the application is the Chrome extension, as well as the other abilities for clipping on mobile, which allow you to quickly bring stuff into your system.
The benefit is that it has its own built-in document scanner experience, which allows you to import items into your system quickly. Scan receipts, business cards, handwritten notes, whatever. The OCR (optical character recognition) is actually pretty good, so you can search for text even in scanned images.
Honestly though, Evernote has had a rough few years. They went through ownership changes, pricing got weird, and a lot of power users jumped ship to newer tools. But they've stabilized recently under new ownership, and if you're already invested in the ecosystem with years of notes, it still works well.
The notebook and tag system is straightforward (maybe too straightforward for some), but it maps well to the PARA method if you set it up right. You won't get fancy networked notes or graph views like newer apps, but sometimes simple is better. The search is fast, syncing works across devices, and the mobile apps are solid for quick capture.
One thing that annoys me: the free plan is pretty limited now. You only get 60MB of uploads per month and can sync across two devices. For a proper second brain, you'll probably need to pay for Premium ($10.83/month) or Personal ($14.17/month). That adds up over time.
Best for
People who've been using Evernote for years and have too much invested to migrate. Web research heavy users who clip dozens of articles weekly. Anyone who scans physical documents regularly (receipts, business cards, handwritten notes). Users who prefer simple folder/tag organization over complex linking systems.
Not ideal if
You want networked notes with backlinks and graph views. Budget is tight since the free plan is basically a trial. You're starting fresh and have no legacy Evernote content. Modern PKM features like bidirectional linking matter to you.
Real-world example
A journalist uses Evernote as their research second brain. The web clipper saves every article they read, automatically tagged by topic. During interviews, they scan business cards via mobile, which OCR into searchable contacts. When writing, they search their Evernote archive for relevant quotes and sources from years of clipped research. Notebooks organize by beat (politics, tech, culture), tags add granular categorization. The system is simple but it's worked for a decade.
Team fit
Best for solo users or very small teams (2-3 people). Evernote Business exists but most second brain users are individuals. Works well for people who've been in the ecosystem for years and know its quirks.
Onboarding reality
Easy to moderate. If you've used any note app, Evernote feels familiar. Create notebook, add note, tag it, done. The complexity comes in organizing effectively for long-term retrieval. Most people figure out basics within an hour, but building good habits takes weeks.
Pricing friction
Free plan is 60MB/month uploads and 2 devices only (basically unusable for serious second brain work). Premium ($10.83/month) gets 10GB uploads and unlimited devices. Personal ($14.17/month) adds more features. The pricing is higher than newer competitors offering more features. Feels like you're paying for legacy infrastructure.
Integrations that matter
Web clipper (Chrome, Firefox, Safari), Google Calendar, Outlook, Slack, Salesforce, and Zapier. The ecosystem has shrunk compared to its 2015 peak, but core integrations still work.
Obsidian
Best for Knowledge Nerds: Obsidian
Obsidian describes itself as a private and flexible writing app. For many, Obsidian is the best PKM-focused second brain app, combining the power of networked thought with a traditional note-taking feel. These are commonly referred to as PKM tools, and we've listed many of them because they make nice second brain apps.
It balances Evernote and Notion in terms of complexity, but for many Second Brain adopters, using Obsidian's features like graph view (for viewing how notes connect), backlinks (for connecting notes together), and canvas is a welcomed set of advanced note-taking features for going deeper with ideas.
What makes Obsidian special is that all your notes are stored as plain text Markdown files on your computer. This means you own your data completely. No cloud lock-in, no vendor problems, no worrying about a company shutting down and taking your second brain with it. Your notes will outlive any app.
The graph view is stupidly cool. It shows all your notes as nodes and the connections between them as lines. Watching your second brain grow into this interconnected web of knowledge is honestly satisfying. You start to see patterns and connections you wouldn't have noticed otherwise.
Backlinking is where Obsidian really shines for second brain users. When you mention a topic in one note, you can link to another note about that topic. Then, the linked note automatically shows that it's been referenced. This builds a network of ideas that mirrors how your brain actually works, not just folders and files.
The community is insane (in a good way). There are thousands of community plugins that extend what Obsidian can do. Want to integrate with your task manager? There's a plugin. Need better PDF annotation? Plugin. Daily notes with templates? Built-in feature. The customization options are endless, though this can be overwhelming at first.
Obsidian is free for personal use, which is amazing. You only pay if you want sync across devices ($4/month) or publish your notes online ($8/month). But honestly, you can use third-party sync services like Dropbox or iCloud Drive for free if you're comfortable with that setup.
One downside: the mobile apps work, but they're not as polished as the desktop experience. Quick capture on mobile can feel clunky compared to apps built mobile-first. But if you're doing most of your deep work on a computer anyway, this won't bother you much.
Best for
Knowledge nerds who love networked thinking and seeing idea connections. Privacy-conscious users who want local-first data ownership. People building long-term knowledge bases that will outlive any company. Markdown enthusiasts and developers who think in plain text.
Not ideal if
You need mobile apps that match desktop polish. Markdown syntax feels like a foreign language. You want something that works perfectly out of the box without plugins. Collaboration and sharing with others is a primary need.
Real-world example
A researcher builds their second brain in Obsidian over 3 years. Each book, paper, or article gets a note with key ideas. Concepts link bidirectionally across all notes ("systems thinking" appears in 47 notes, all interconnected). The graph view reveals unexpected connections between philosophy, psychology, and design thinking. When writing papers, they navigate the graph to find related ideas from years ago. The vault is backed up to GitHub, synced via Obsidian Sync, and will survive any app going out of business since it's just markdown files.
Team fit
Primarily solo users building personal knowledge management systems. Small teams can share vaults via Obsidian Publish, but it's not built for real-time collaboration like Notion. Best for people comfortable with technical tools.
Onboarding reality
Moderate to heavy. The blank vault is intimidating. Learning markdown, understanding backlinks, and configuring plugins takes time. Expect 2-3 weeks before it feels natural. The r/ObsidianMD subreddit and YouTube tutorials by people like Linking Your Thinking help massively.
Pricing friction
Completely free for personal use (unlimited notes, local storage). Sync is $4/month or $48/year for cloud backup across devices. Publish is $8/month for public websites. Commercial use (companies with 2+ employees) is $50/user/year. For individuals, free local-only use is unbeatable value.
Integrations that matter
Community plugins (thousands available), Readwise (import highlights), Zotero (academic citations), Todoist (task sync), Calendar plugins, Dataview (query your notes like a database), and Templater (advanced templates). The plugin ecosystem is the integration layer.
Reflect Notes
Best for Privacy: Reflect Notes
Reflect Notes is a good second brain app, it resembles a PKM software but with a friendly feel. Whilst this application charges $10 per month (annual), it presents a solid release cycle, new features to expand the line-up, like tasks and a Google Calendar connection.
Many people also like how Reflect can be connected to Amazon Kindles so that you can better save notes and easily bring them into your second brain system.
Reflect is reserved for iOS and macOS users, but it has a neat Chrome and Safari clipper for better saving. One element of Reflect that goes unnoticed is the focus on privacy and security, with encrypted notes being one of their key priorities.
Best for
Apple ecosystem users who want networked notes without Obsidian's complexity. Privacy-focused individuals who need end-to-end encryption. Kindle readers who want highlights synced automatically. People who value polish and speed over customization.
Not ideal if
You use Windows, Android, or Linux (it's Apple-only). Budget is tight since there's no free plan ($10/month minimum). You need extensive plugin ecosystems and customization. Collaboration features matter for shared second brains.
Real-world example
An executive uses Reflect as their meeting and reading second brain. Every book they read on Kindle syncs highlights automatically. Daily notes capture meeting thoughts with backlinks to people and projects. The graph view shows which topics keep appearing across weeks. End-to-end encryption means sensitive business notes stay private. The iOS app is fast enough for capturing ideas during commutes. Google Calendar integration surfaces relevant notes before meetings.
Team fit
Built for solo professionals, not teams. No real collaboration features. Works best for individual knowledge workers who live in Apple's ecosystem and read heavily on Kindle.
Onboarding reality
Easy to moderate. The interface is clean and minimal. Backlinks work intuitively. Daily notes and calendar integration are straightforward. Most people feel comfortable within a few days. The lack of overwhelming options actually speeds up adoption.
Pricing friction
$10/month (annual billing only) or $15/month (monthly). No free tier, just a 14-day trial. The pricing feels steep compared to Obsidian (free) or Notion (free tier). You're paying for polish, encryption, and Kindle sync. Worth it if those matter to you.
Integrations that matter
Kindle (automatic highlight sync), Google Calendar (meeting context), web clipper (Chrome and Safari), iOS share sheet (capture from anywhere on iPhone), and Apple Calendar. The integration list is intentionally focused, not sprawling.
Reflect Notes is a networked thought note-taking tool for notes, daily notes & tasks.
Logseq
Best for Flashcards: Logseq
Logseq is very similar. It comes with an advanced note-taking focus that many people like for research or in-depth team or personal knowledge bases. Logseq has got a bunch of abilities that do extend the nature of the tool like flashcards and whiteboards both allowing you to bring to life existing notes and craft them more suitably for your Second Brain.
Imagine using the flashcard functionality to resurface notes that you want to remember, not only for an exam but also for future recall. This feature could be very helpful. One of the other tempting elements is that privacy is a key focus on Logseq. You can also store your information and notes offline, locally: better for those sensitive to their Second Brain being in the hands of others.
Best for
Students and researchers who need spaced repetition flashcards built into their notes. Privacy-focused users who want local-first, open-source software. Outline-style thinkers who prefer bullet points over long-form documents. People who want Roam Research features without the subscription cost.
Not ideal if
You prefer long-form document writing over bulleted outlines. The outliner interface feels restrictive compared to blank canvas apps. You need polished mobile apps (Logseq's are functional but rough). Non-technical users who struggle with setup.
Real-world example
A medical student uses Logseq for exam prep. Lecture notes are captured as bullet outlines with concepts tagged. Key terms automatically become flashcards for spaced repetition review. The graph view shows how anatomy, pharmacology, and pathology concepts interconnect. Everything is stored locally on their laptop, synced to a private GitHub repo for backup. Before exams, the flashcard system ensures they review concepts at optimal intervals for retention.
Team fit
Primarily solo users building personal knowledge bases. Some teams use it via shared Git repositories, but it's not designed for real-time collaboration. Best for students, researchers, and knowledge workers comfortable with technical tools.
Onboarding reality
Moderate to heavy. The outliner paradigm takes getting used to if you're coming from document-based apps. Understanding blocks, pages, and queries requires intentional learning. Expect 2-3 weeks to feel fluent. The community on Discord and r/logseq helps significantly.
Pricing friction
Completely free and open-source. Sync is $5/month for cloud backup, but you can use GitHub, Dropbox, or iCloud for free. No paid tiers locking features. The pricing model is "pay for convenience (sync) or DIY for free." Hard to beat.
Integrations that matter
GitHub (version control and backup), Readwise (highlight sync), Zotero (academic citations), Anki (flashcard export), web clipper, and community plugins. Being open-source means the plugin ecosystem is developer-driven and growing.
Milanote
Best for Visual Thinkers: Milanote
Milanote is great for visual thinkers and learners, providing a good choice of second-brain app for anyone who would rather save more visual notes and ideas than just linked notes between each other. This is going to take some getting used to, as notes don't sit like they do inside the canvas and are perfectly searchable like other apps in this list.
Milanote is much better if you like to plan notes and projects at the same time. Milanote provides a flexible and visual workspace with customizable fun boards. Use templates to get started quickly with building your second brain app. Collaborate on notes to work alongside team members on projects and ideas. Integrate with Dropbox, Google and more to quickly save images, documents & more.
Best for
Visual thinkers who prefer mood boards over text documents. Designers, creatives, and marketers organizing inspiration and ideas spatially. People who think by arranging things on a canvas rather than writing paragraphs. Teams collaborating on creative projects with images, sketches, and references.
Not ideal if
You're text-heavy and rarely work with images or visual elements. Search and retrieval of old notes is your primary workflow. You need advanced linking, tagging, or graph views. Budget is extremely tight since the free plan has strict limits (100 notes/images).
Real-world example
A UX designer uses Milanote for their design research second brain. Each project gets a board with user interview notes, screenshots, sketches, and inspiration images arranged spatially. Mood boards collect visual references from websites, Pinterest, and Dribbble. When starting new projects, they review past boards for patterns and reusable ideas. The visual layout mirrors how they think, better than text-based note apps.
Team fit
Works for solo creatives and small teams (2-10 people collaborating on boards). Particularly popular with designers, photographers, writers, and marketers. Less suited for developers or text-heavy knowledge workers.
Onboarding reality
Very easy. If you've used Pinterest, Miro, or physical mood boards, Milanote feels immediately familiar. Drag images, add text cards, arrange spatially. Most people are productive within minutes. The learning curve is minimal compared to apps like Obsidian or Notion.
Pricing friction
Free plan has 100 notes/images (fills up fast for active users). Pro is $9.99/month or $99/year for unlimited everything. The free limit is the main friction point. Once you hit 100 items, you have to pay or delete. For serious second brain work, you'll need Pro.
Integrations that matter
Dropbox (file sync), Google Drive, web clipper (save images and pages), Unsplash (free stock photos), Pinterest (import pins), and mobile apps (iOS/Android for capture). The integration list is focused on visual workflows.
Mem
Best for Busy Professionals: Mem
Mem is a strange note-taking application that focuses more on your connection with notes and AI technologies. It uses your notes and brings them into a chat-like experience to help you communicate with your notes and AI for better output.
For example, you can add many notes about your day-to-day business operations and then ask your notes questions like "what do you think the biggest issue is with how I do things" and it will help compile a recommended answer based on all your notes taken.
Build your own templates for notes inside Mem and create a workspace to save and organize all notes inside your second brain. Use AI abilities inside Mem to identify important information and save notes accordingly. Use tags so you can quickly search and find notes you are thinking about or want to expand on. Share and collaborate on notes especially if working on a project.
Best for
Busy professionals who want AI to surface insights from their notes automatically. People who write daily notes but struggle to synthesize patterns. Knowledge workers who'd rather chat with their second brain than manually search. Experimenting with AI-first knowledge management.
Not ideal if
You're skeptical of AI and prefer manual organization. Privacy is critical since notes are processed by AI. Budget is tight (no free plan, $10/month minimum). You want local-first storage and data ownership.
Real-world example
A startup founder captures daily notes in Mem about customer conversations, product ideas, and business challenges. Every week, they ask Mem "what patterns am I seeing in customer feedback?" The AI surfaces recurring themes across 50+ conversation notes that would take hours to review manually. Smart search finds relevant context instantly. The AI becomes a thought partner, not just a storage system.
Team fit
Built for individuals and small teams (collaborative features exist but it's primarily solo-focused). Works best for busy professionals drowning in information who need AI to help make sense of it all.
Onboarding reality
Easy to moderate. The interface is minimal and clean. Capturing notes is simple. The AI features require understanding prompts and learning to ask good questions. Most people get comfortable within a week, though mastering AI queries takes longer.
Pricing friction
No free tier. Starter is $8.33/month (annual) or $15/month. Professional is $16.66/month (annual) with advanced AI features. The lack of a free plan is a barrier. You're betting on AI features being worth $10-15/month, which isn't true for everyone.
Integrations that matter
Zapier (connect to everything), Readwise (highlight sync), web clipper, iOS/Android apps, and Slack (capture from conversations). The integration focus is on capturing information from wherever you work, then letting AI make sense of it.
Capacities
Best for PKM: Capacities
Capacities wants to be the studio for your mind by offering a unique way to take notes with objects in mind. Objects help structure a note from the core by offering repeatable note templates that save time and effort. Think "book" capture for learnings from books, this might save you time knowing you are adding a book as an object and building from that.
This is much more approachable for people who want to get into PKM apps but don't know how to get started. Capacities bridges the gap between complex and simplistic. Capacities is much like Notion but with a twist, the focus on objects within your notes can be very helpful for creating structure, building relationships and adding notes fast.
The first few weeks of setting up your Second Brain in Capacities might be intense, but the payoff will be much greater than many of the other apps in this list, as the system is set up for your types of notes that live as objects.
Best for
People who want structure without building it from scratch (objects provide pre-made templates). PKM beginners intimidated by blank canvas apps like Obsidian or Notion. Knowledge workers managing different types of content (books, people, projects, ideas). Users who want graph views and relationships but in a more approachable package.
Not ideal if
You prefer complete freedom over structured object types. The object paradigm feels constraining rather than helpful. Budget is very tight (free plan is limited, $10/month for Pro). You need extensive integrations beyond the basics.
Real-world example
A consultant builds their second brain in Capacities using objects. Books they read become "Book" objects with highlights and key takeaways. Clients are "Person" objects linked to projects and meeting notes. Projects link to relevant books, people, and ideas. The graph view shows how a client challenge connects to concepts from three different books read over the past year. Objects enforce structure that makes retrieval easier than freeform notes.
Team fit
Primarily solo users building personal knowledge systems. Some light collaboration features exist but it's not team-focused. Best for individuals who want PKM with training wheels, the middle ground between Notion and Obsidian.
Onboarding reality
Moderate. Understanding objects takes a mindset shift. Once you grasp how book objects differ from meeting note objects, it clicks. Templates speed up note creation significantly. Expect 1-2 weeks to feel comfortable with the object-based workflow.
Pricing friction
Free plan has limits (100 objects, 10 daily notes). Pro is $10/month or $96/year for unlimited objects and features. The pricing is reasonable but the free limits fill up quickly if you're building a serious second brain. You'll likely need Pro within a month.
Integrations that matter
Readwise (highlight sync), web clipper, iOS/Android apps, and CSV import/export. The integration ecosystem is growing but smaller than Notion or Obsidian. The focus is on making the core product excellent rather than integration sprawl.
Workflowy
Best for Mind Mappers: Workflowy
Workflowy wants you to organize your brain by using an outliner concept. Unlike the second brain app on this list, Workflowy uses outliner notes, which are notes that expand as you click into them. This concept has evolved into full-fledged notes apps, but people still use and love simple and nested notes designed to be more organized.
Workflowy has Kanban boards, tags, and live copy features, which all help you expand notes and use this outliner to bring and capture your best ideas, thoughts, and notes into a tidier system than your first glance. It's worth looking at for more simple second-brain use.
Best for
Outliner thinkers who organize everything as nested bullet lists. People who want extreme simplicity and speed over features. Writers who draft in outlines before writing long-form. Minimalists overwhelmed by feature-rich apps like Notion or Obsidian.
Not ideal if
You need rich formatting, images, or embedded content. Graph views and backlinks are essential to your workflow. The infinite outline paradigm feels too constraining. You want built-in flashcards, publishing, or AI features.
Real-world example
A writer uses Workflowy for their entire second brain as nested outlines. Book notes collapse into chapters and key quotes. Article ideas nest under topics. Daily journal entries expand infinitely. The simplicity means zero friction when capturing thoughts. When writing, they navigate the outline to find relevant notes, copy them into drafts. No features to distract, just pure nested thinking.
Team fit
Built for solo users primarily, though sharing and collaboration exist. Works well for individuals who think in bullet points naturally. Less suited for teams needing real-time collaboration with rich formatting.
Onboarding reality
Very easy. If you've ever made a bulleted list, you understand Workflowy. Indent to nest, collapse to hide, zoom to focus. Most people are fully productive within an hour. The simplicity is the selling point.
Pricing friction
Free plan has 250 items/month (fills up quickly). Pro is $4.99/month or $49/year for unlimited. The free limit is the friction point. Active second brain users hit 250 items fast and need to upgrade.
Integrations that matter
Kanban view (built-in), tags, live copy (share outlines), iOS/Android apps, web clipper, and email-to-Workflowy. The integration list is intentionally minimal to keep the app simple and fast.
Heptabase
Best for Researchers: Heptabase
Many people turn to note app that allow for better research and data collection and Heptabase is one of those for your notes. The visual canvas allows you to connect the notes you're working on but largely the notes allow for better research collation and curation.
Many visual thinkers and researchers find that this is one of the best second-brain apps for that combination.
If you're torn between Milanote and this, you're thinking visual note-taking as a concept to use. For Heptabase, it works very well with those who are researching and for many that is a popular use case for the Second Brain concept. We'd recommend exploring our list of the best visual note-taking apps to go deeper as many of them too, map to the Second Brain concept.
Best for
Researchers synthesizing information from dozens of sources. PhD students, writers, and academics doing deep work. Visual thinkers who need to see spatial relationships between ideas. People writing theses, books, or long-form research projects.
Not ideal if
You take simple text notes and don't need visual canvases. Budget is tight (no free plan, $8.99/month minimum). Quick capture and mobile use is your primary workflow. You prefer linear note-taking over spatial arrangement.
Real-world example
A PhD student researches AI ethics using Heptabase. Each academic paper becomes a note card on the canvas. Related papers cluster together spatially. Whiteboards organize different research questions. As they write chapters, they arrange relevant cards around their draft, seeing connections across 50+ sources. The visual layout helps synthesize complex arguments that would be harder to see in traditional note lists.
Team fit
Built for solo deep thinkers. No real collaboration features. Works best for individual researchers, writers, and students doing intensive knowledge work requiring visual organization.
Onboarding reality
Moderate. The whiteboard canvas is intuitive for visual thinkers. Understanding how to effectively organize cards and whiteboards takes experimentation. Most people feel comfortable within 1-2 weeks. The learning curve is steeper than simple apps but gentler than Obsidian.
Pricing friction
No free plan. $8.99/month or $71.99/year. 7-day free trial to test before committing. The pricing is reasonable for students and researchers doing serious work, but the lack of a free tier is a barrier for casual users.
Integrations that matter
PDF annotation, web clipper, markdown export, image embedding, iOS/Android apps (capture on the go). The integration list is focused on research workflows rather than sprawling connectivity.
Amplenote
Best for All Round: Amplenote
Amplenote is a GTD dream. People love Amplenote's combination of notes, tasks, and calendar management. The note-taking abilities are really good, despite the design not being as "sexy" as apps like Notion or Obsidian. The software works well to balance those three parts of your productivity and house them in one.
The ability to backlink, connect tasks, and capture allows for a super second-brain layout.
For housing everything, Amplenote is a great tool that works like Evernote but with more superpowers packed in. For those who have used Evernote and want an alternative to it, Amplenote is one of the best ones, and it presents a good house for your Second Brain with the intense stuff like linking notes & bonuses like task management too.
Best for
GTD practitioners who want notes and tasks in one system. People migrating from Evernote who want modern features like backlinks. Productivity enthusiasts who need calendar integration with their second brain. Users who want rich note-taking without sacrificing task management.
Not ideal if
You want a visually stunning interface (it's functional, not beautiful). Mobile apps are your primary workflow (desktop is much better). You prefer separate tools for notes and tasks. Budget is very tight since useful features require premium ($9.99/month).
Real-world example
A project manager uses Amplenote for their work second brain. Meeting notes automatically create linked tasks. Backlinks connect project notes to relevant resources. The calendar integration shows tasks alongside events. Weekly reviews happen in daily notes with task scoring to prioritize work. It's like Evernote, Todoist, and Google Calendar had a baby.
Team fit
Built for solo productivity enthusiasts and small teams. Collaboration features exist but it's primarily individual-focused. Best for GTD users and project managers juggling notes, tasks, and calendars.
Onboarding reality
Moderate. The interface is dense with features. Understanding task scoring, note linking, and calendar integration takes time. Expect 1-2 weeks to feel comfortable. The Amplenote team has good documentation and video tutorials.
Pricing friction
Free plan is limited (notes work, tasks limited). Personal is $9.99/month for unlimited tasks and advanced features. Founder is $16.99/month for power users. The pricing is fair but you'll likely need Personal tier for serious second brain + task management work.
Integrations that matter
Google Calendar (two-way sync), iOS/Android apps, web clipper, email-to-Amplenote, and API for custom integrations. The calendar integration is the killer feature that sets it apart from pure note apps.
NotePlan
Best for Consolidation: NotePlan
NotePlan is a note-taking tool popular with those who like date-based tasks and notes. It lends itself to the second brain concept for better planning your week ahead and all the notes accompanying it. It is similar to Evernote, with a core productivity system for notes, tasks, and calendars.
It allows you to capture on the mobile app (iOS) and is great for organizing, too, with a bullet journal feel.
The app has really expanded in the last few years.
Best for
Bullet journal enthusiasts who want a digital version. Apple ecosystem users who live in calendar and daily notes. People who plan their days and weeks around dated entries. Users who want notes, tasks, and calendar in one markdown-based system.
Not ideal if
You use Windows, Android, or web (it's Mac/iOS only). The bullet journal paradigm doesn't match your thinking. You need extensive integrations beyond Apple ecosystem. Budget is tight (premium features are $12.99/month).
Real-world example
A freelancer plans their work in NotePlan using daily notes. Each morning, they review their calendar and create a daily note with tasks and goals. Meeting notes are date-stamped and link to client project notes. Weekly reviews happen in weekly notes that roll up daily entries. The bullet journal format with markdown keeps everything fast and keyboard-friendly.
Team fit
Built for solo users, not teams. No real collaboration. Works best for individual Apple users who want bullet journaling merged with their second brain system.
Onboarding reality
Easy to moderate. If you've used bullet journals, the paradigm is familiar. Learning markdown shortcuts and calendar integration takes a few days. Most people feel comfortable within a week.
Pricing friction
Free plan has basic features. Premium is $12.99/month or $119/year for calendar sync, advanced features, and AI. The pricing is steeper than competitors. You're paying for the tight Apple ecosystem integration and bullet journal workflow.
Integrations that matter
Apple Calendar (deep integration), Google Calendar, iOS Reminders, CloudKit sync, and Shortcuts app. The integration focus is Apple ecosystem first.
More Second Brain Alternatives
Expand your thinking into these apps too, all suitable for second brain applications. Each brings something unique to the table, whether it's AI integration, privacy focus, or specific workflows that might match your needs better than the mainstream options above.
How to Choose Your Second Brain App
Look, choosing a second brain app isn't as simple as picking the "best" one. What works brilliantly for a researcher might feel wrong for a creative professional. What a developer loves might frustrate someone who just wants to save recipes and travel ideas.
Here's what actually matters when picking your second brain app. First, think about how you naturally organize information. Do you like folders and hierarchies (Evernote, Notion)? Or does the idea of networked notes where everything connects appeal to you (Obsidian, Logseq)? Neither is better, they're just different mental models.
Second, consider your capture workflow. If you're constantly clipping articles and web content, you need a solid web clipper (Evernote wins here). If you're more about writing original thoughts and connecting ideas, backlinking matters more (Obsidian, Reflect). If you're saving book highlights, make sure it integrates with Readwise.
Third, platform matters more than people admit. If you're deep in the Apple ecosystem, tools like Reflect Notes or NotePlan feel native and fast. If you work across Windows, Android, and Mac, you need something truly cross-platform like Notion or Evernote. Don't pick a tool you can't access when inspiration hits.
Fourth, privacy and data ownership. Do you care if your notes live in someone else's cloud? Obsidian and Logseq give you full control with local files. Notion and Evernote host everything on their servers. Neither approach is wrong, but know what you're choosing.
My honest advice? Start simple. Pick one app, commit to using it for at least a month, and don't worry about having the "perfect" system from day one. Your second brain will evolve as you use it. I've seen people waste months researching tools instead of actually building their knowledge base.
Most importantly, the best second brain app is the one you'll actually use. A simple system you maintain beats a complex system you abandon after two weeks. Start capturing, start organizing, start building. You can always migrate later if needed (though it's a pain, so choose wisely at the start).
One last thing: don't just collect. The trap with second brain apps is becoming a digital hoarder. You save everything but never revisit it. Build in a review process. Schedule time weekly to revisit notes, make connections, and actually use what you've captured. Otherwise, you're just building a graveyard of forgotten ideas.