The Top 15 Best Second Brain Apps to try in 2023 (Free and Paid)

Do you have no idea how to keep track of your notes, ideas, and tasks and find it challenging? 

But don't worry! In the ever-changing world of productivity apps, there's a new wave of software aimed to help you manage the chaos and improve your cognitive abilities. 

These are known as "Second Brain" apps and are very helpful in organizing, connecting, and extending your digital mind. 

Whether you're a student, professional, or creative thinker, the year 2023 has a wealth of free and paid second-brain apps to help you become more efficient and creative. 

In this post, we will reveal the top 15-second brain apps to consider in 2023. So let's get started:

What is a Second Brain System?

The Second Brain concept, pioneered by Tiago Forte, focuses on organizing and structuring your digital note-taking system to manage information effectively. It alleviates the burden of trying to remember everything and minimizes the risk of forgetting important details. 

This concept aims to provide a reliable repository for notes, ideas, and snippets, fostering personal growth and life development. 

A dedicated Second Brain system, like the one developed by Forte, becomes a crucial tool for success and mental clarity. 

Forte himself has used this system for over a decade to enhance his daily productivity and memory retention.

Benefits of Using Second Brain Apps

Second-brain apps, like note-taking and knowledge management tools, offer several benefits for users seeking to enhance their productivity, organization, and creativity.

1- Efficient Information Organization

Second brain apps allow users to store and organize vast amounts of information, including notes, ideas, articles, and images, in a structured and easily accessible manner. With features such as tags, folders, and search capabilities, users can quickly locate and retrieve specific information, enhancing efficiency and saving valuable time.

2- Enhanced Creativity and Idea Generator

Second brain apps promote creative thinking by giving a concentrated area to capture and develop ideas. Users can brainstorm, mind map, and scribble down ideas on a variety of themes. 

Having a dedicated forum to foster creativity frequently leads to more unique ideas and problem-solving solutions.

3- Improved Productivity and Task Management

Task management tools are common in second-brain apps, allowing users to construct to-do lists, make reminders, and set priorities. 

Integrating task management with data storage guarantees that key tasks are not forgotten and that users remain focused and productive.

4- Better Knowledge Retention and Learning 

These apps facilitate active learning and knowledge retention by allowing users to take structured notes, highlight key points, and create summaries. 

The process of organizing and summarizing information helps reinforce learning and improves long-term retention of knowledge, making it an excellent tool for students and lifelong learners.

5- Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing

Second-brain apps often support collaboration features, enabling users to share notes, documents, and ideas with others. 

Whether for team projects, research collaborations, or educational purposes, these apps facilitate seamless sharing and collaboration, fostering a sense of community and collective knowledge-building.

Factors to Consider Before Choosing a Second Brain App

Ease of Use and User Interface 

A second brain app must have a user-friendly interface. It should be user-friendly, visually beautiful, and simple to use. Look for apps that provide seamless device integration, allowing you to access your data whenever and wherever you need it. 

A well-designed app increases your productivity by reducing the time you spend learning how to utilize the tool.

Robust Organizational Features

A top-notch second-brain app should have strong organizational features. This includes the ability to make notebooks, folders, tags, and other methods of categorizing. It should provide flexible organization, allowing you to organize your data in a way that makes sense to you. 

Look for apps with robust search capabilities, which will allow you to rapidly retrieve saved information even as your database increases.

Collaboration and Synchronization

Choose a second brain app that enables collaboration capabilities if you collaborate with others or work in a team. 

Real-time editing, commenting, and sharing options could be included. Furthermore, synchronization across various devices is critical. 

Integration with Other Apps

Consider a second brain app that works well with the other applications and services you use on a regular basis. Integration capabilities improve app functionality by allowing you to easily pull information from several sources. 

Apps that link with note-taking tools, calendars, task management apps, email services, and other services are ideal. 

Here are the Top 15 Second Brain Apps:

1- Elephas App

Do you get bored of spending hours drafting emails, creating content, and digging through stacks of documents? Consider a second brain in which your writing activities are simplified, improved, and altered. Elephas.app is a Personal AI Writing Assistant for Mac that will revolutionize your writing process.

Elephas Key Features

• Elephas' Super Chat enables engaging conversations with expert "brains" for insightful answers to your questions.

• Create topic-specific brains and share their URLs for collaborative learning.

• Elephas Super Brain is the best AI powered second brain you can build right now.
  
• It simplifies Tiago Forte's C.O.D.E. framework. So that the capture and organizing of information is done by AI. And you can chat with it to distill and express. More in this article -
  ​How to create your own AI powered second brain​

• Utilize the "Smart Reply" feature to respond to emails and social media posts with informed and insightful responses from selected brains.

• The best part is that it integrates with your favorite note taking apps like Obsidian, Notion, Roam Research etc.
  
• If you have a Mac Elephas is the best second brain/AI assistant you can get.
  

Elephas Pricing 

Elephas is also one of the best ChatGPT apps of this year.​

You can try it out for free, for 30 days,  from the Elephas home page here -

- Elephas Home Page​

2- Milanote

Milanote is an excellent tool tailored for individuals who thrive on visual learning and thinking. 

It offers an ideal solution for those who prefer storing visual notes and ideas over plain text.

Milanote Key Features

• Milanote offers a versatile and visual workspace, allowing users to create customizable and enjoyable boards.

• Jumpstart your projects using templates, enabling a swift start in building your second brain application.

• Collaborate seamlessly with team members by sharing and working together on notes, projects, and ideas.

• Integrate effortlessly with popular platforms like Dropbox and Google.
  

• But it lacks AI or ChatGPT integration features.
  

Milanote Pricing 

3- Obsidian

Obsidian is a promising newcomer who could become your next go-to note-taking tool. In contrast to well-known competitors, this new Second Brain AI takes a unique approach by organizing your notes in markdown files. 

Obsidian Key Features

• Establish links and connections between notes, whether related to people, ideas, books, or places.

• Visualize and map the intricate relationships existing within your notes.

• Enjoy limitless space for research, idea organization, diagramming, and brainstorming.

Obsidian Pricing 

How to use AI to chat with your Obsidian vault

4- Mem AI

Mem utilizes artificial intelligence to optimize your note-taking experience. It leverages data like dates, keywords, and other relevant elements to establish connections between notes, resulting in a seamlessly organized system.

Mem AI Key Features

• Create custom note templates in Mem for organized note-taking.

• Establish a dedicated workspace within Mem to centralize and manage all your notes.

• Employ tags for efficient note retrieval and expansion on specific topics.

• Facilitate seamless note-sharing and collaboration. 

Mem AI Pricing

5- Roam Research

Roam Research is a sophisticated note-taking application designed to foster interconnected thinking. It seamlessly integrates the simplicity of a document with the robust capabilities of a graph database, enabling efficient organization of research and ideas.

Roam Key Features

• Facilitates the creation of bi-directional links between notes. 

• Fostering a network of interconnected information.

• Transforms connections into visual knowledge graphs. 

Roam Pricing

6- Reflect Notes

Reflect Notes is a popular personal knowledge management (PKM) tool that is ideal for taking second-brain notes. 

It, like Obsidian, allows users to interlink notes using backlinks. 

Reflect Notes Key Features

• Seamlessly connect and organize your notes with backlinks and AI for improved recall.

• Capture web snippets and Kindle excerpts instantly for better retention.

• Build a comprehensive network of information, contacts, and event details.

• Effortlessly retrieve older notes through quick keyword searches.

Reflect Notes Pricing

Offering one Plan of $10/month (If billed annually). 

7- Logseq

Logseq is an excellent tool for organizing notes, ideas, and thoughts, transforming it into a useful archive for future reference. Logseq quickly becomes a favorite second-brain software among note-taking enthusiasts.

Logseq Key Features

• You can connect notes with ease and extend your knowledge network.

• Logseq supports Markdown for flexible text editing, including headings, lists, and more.

• Customize Logseq to match your preferences with various themes and plugins.

• Visualize relationships and insights within your notes by using the graph view.

Logseq Pricing

It’s a Free tool! 

8- Notion

​Notion is an advanced note taking and collaboration tool. 

You can use it to build your second brain system. It is accessible on both iOS and Android platforms, offering convenient access to notes, tasks, and a knowledge base. 

It's versatile mobile workspace also caters to your team's requirements while they are on the go.

Notion Key features

• Robust spreadsheet and database capabilities with advanced sorting and filtering options.

• Kanban board for visual task and project organization.

• Integrated calendar providing a holistic overview of your schedule and task management.

Notion Pricing

- How to use AI to chat with your Notion Second Brain​

9- Taskade AI

Taskade stands as a cutting-edge organizational tool, functioning as a second brain for both individuals and teams. This highly adaptable platform incorporates five advanced AI-powered. 

Taskade ensures effortless coordination of all your tasks within a unified workspace. 

Taskade AI Key Features

• Collaborate with integrated video chat, screen sharing, and live syncing.

• Taskade transforms ideas into interactive workflows with its dynamic mind map functionality.

• Create unlimited relationships and layers of structure within your content.

Taskade AI Pricing

• Personal & Family

• Teams & Business

10- Workflowy

Workflowy excels in straightforward task management, capturing ideas on the go, and organizing meeting notes efficiently. Additionally, the app provides a user-friendly guide for constructing a second brain through its intuitive interface.

Workflowy Key Features

• Workflowy offers a wide array of features comparable to Notion, enabling versatile second-brain creation.

• Once you grasp the various templates and systems. 

• Workflowy empowers you to tailor your experience to your liking.

Workflowy Pricing

11- Bear App

Bear app stands out as an easy-to-use Markdown-based note-taking tool built for effortlessly collecting, writing, and organizing all elements of your life. Bear, unlike previous programs, does not rely on traditional folders or notebooks for organization.

Bear App Key Features

• Create and manage notes with text, images, tables, and to-do lists. 

• Access powerful tools for note-taking, weekly planning, project writing, and wiki creation.

• Ensure the confidentiality of your notes by storing them exclusively in your iCloud account.

Bear App Pricing 

12- Evernote

Evernote is a top choice for second-brain AI, offering a robust platform for organizing thoughts, photographs, contacts, and reminders. 

This powerful note-taking tool consolidates your life's work into a single digital center.

Evernote Key Features

• Seamless integration with Evernote through Zapier's pre-designed templates.

• A user-friendly Classic Evernote interface for a familiar experience.

• Robust asynchronous collaboration tools for effective teamwork.

• Comprehensive task management capabilities.

Evernote Pricing

13- Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote stands out as a remarkable digital note-taking application, with extensive functionality and outstanding organizational skills. It is a good choice for developing a second brain.

Microsoft OneNote Key Features

•  Create individual notebooks, sections, and pages to organize and store notes.

• Extensive formatting options, including tags, symbols, and flexible note and image placement.

• Seamless integration with Microsoft tools like Word, Excel, and Outlook.

Microsoft OneNote Pricing

14- Google Keep

It is a user-friendly note-taking application available on Windows and Android devices by default and as a Chrome extension. Google Keep can also be downloaded on Apple devices with a Google account.

Google Keep Key Features

• Keep allows users to create and apply custom labels for note organization.

• Users can incorporate notes into their personal knowledge base.

• Advanced search capabilities facilitate efficient note retrieval.

• Seamless integration with Google tools such as Docs and Drive for referencing external documents and files.

Google Keep Pricing

15- Apple Notes

Apple Notes, often known as Notes or iCloud Notes, is a note-taking tool that comes pre-installed on all Apple devices such as the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Its simple and user-friendly layout is ideal for taking quick notes and organizing to-do lists.

Apple Notes Key Features

• Create customizable folders and subfolders for note organization.

• Apple Notes accommodates multimedia content, including images, drawings, audio, and videos for versatile information storage.

Apple Notes Pricing 

Final Thoughts

Navigating the digital world necessitates the use of effective tools to organize our thoughts, ideas, and projects. 

The varied choice of second brain apps accessible in 2023 caters to a variety of purposes, with free and paid solutions available. 

Among these, the Elephas app stands out as our favorite, perfectly combining a user-friendly UI with strong capabilities. 

Whether you're a creative professional, student, or entrepreneur, these applications can help you boost your productivity and creativity while also changing how you manage information in today's fast-paced environment.