I tried to love ‘second brain’ apps. Here’s why I abandoned them — and what I’m using instead
Trying to maintain a second brain app felt like a second job.
Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. When I explored the "second brain" productivity apps like Notion, Obsidian, Tana, Anytype, NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook), Logseq, and others, I found they didn't increase my productivity. These apps promise a single, searchable knowledge management system, but they require significant time to set up, adapt to, and use effectively.
Living with ADHD and autism, I struggle with memory, task-switching, and routine changes. For me, note-taking needs to be quick and frictionless; otherwise, ideas get lost. The steep learning curve of these apps often made me forget how to use them, leading to frustration. After trying various apps, I realized smaller, purpose-built tools with fewer features were more effective for me.
Google Keep, though simple, lacked offline capabilities. Notion and Obsidian, while powerful, were overly complex. Notesnook emerged as a middle ground, offering a balance of features, free cross-platform syncing, and offline functionality. Its simplicity and ease of use helped me stay productive despite my challenges. By splitting my reminders across TickTick and Donetick, I minimized task paralysis and increased my overall productivity.
Written by urgent.news from Android Authority's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
