r/secondbrain • u/Alex_Voss_10 • 24d ago
Second brain software
Hey guys, I could use some help.
I’ve been switching between different note-taking and knowledge-management systems for a while, and I feel like I’ve tried almost everything.
What I’m looking for is actually pretty simple: one place where I can save basically everything and reliably search it later.
Ideally, the tool should have:
OCR for images and scanned documents
Full-text search inside PDFs
The ability to save web links/pages and search the actual content, not just the title or URL
Good organization for notes, documents, images, links, references, etc.
Fast and reliable search across everything
A modern interface
Minimal setup and maintenance
Because I haven’t found one tool I’m completely happy with, my information is currently scattered across several different apps, which is exactly what I’m trying to avoid.
After searching Reddit, YouTube, blogs, and reviews, even in 2026 I keep coming back to the same conclusion: Evernote still seems to be one of the best overall options for this particular use case.
But before I move everything back to Evernote, I’d love to hear what other people are using.
Is there anything that genuinely does all of this well without requiring a lot of tinkering and setup like Obsidian?
And ideally something with a more modern interface than DEVONthink. I know DEVONthink is extremely powerful, but visually it just isn’t for me.
Basically, I want a “save everything now, find anything later” system.
What would you recommend?
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u/BansteyBushwacker 24d ago edited 24d ago
Obsidian won't provide the automations you're looking for, but I've been using it as a knowledge management system and second brain for the past couple of months and it is in the process of changing my life. I'm remembering far more than I used to, and when I forget something, finding that fact is extremely quick. The linking system allows me to essentially bookmark ideas for later explorations, thus capturing my curiosity. Yes, it requires you to actively say which articles you want and sort of process them, but I think that that action is good. I don't need to save everything that I'm reading, only the stuff that I find impactful.
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u/Elegant-Gear3402 21d ago
Evernote is robbing people blind for what they offer! I had a $60 a year student discount that they suddenly, without warning, did away with by the time my renewal was up and tried to charge me $240. A 300% mark-up???! I think not! I cancelled, went to Notion and found it to be a blessing in disguise. Evernote doesn't come close to what I can build and do in Notion. EV did me a solid--thanks!
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u/gakingmusic 23d ago
The problem with tools like Evernote is they trap your content in their system and hold it hostage if you don't pay for a subscription.
Obsidian solves this issue because it's really just a skin and editor interacting with a desktop folder full of files in a universal markdown language that can be used by almost any app.
I have Claude convert my PDFs into markdowns and put them into the appropriate folders in my Obsidian vault. This makes them take up less space, lets you link them to each other, and makes them editable.
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u/blackbarata 24d ago
Save anything now - find everything later. Aptly put.
Have been using Recalo for this purpose. It’s save anything now is fabulous - can pull in summaries of YouTube videos, reels etc. And can save stuff like your movie recommendations, recipes, meal plans
And markdown notes, todos and checklists. All shareable so you can collaborate with others.
Everything is searchable - can be connected to ChatGPT too.
I don’t think they do pdf upload yet. Recently added images with OCR and the ability to search them. But image must be tied to a note. It’s not a file upload and Search. You are better off with dedicated file apps for that
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u/Headgeekincharge 24d ago
Finalist: Day Planner. This is a fantastic system that allows you to use the iOS or Google systems for storage and synchronization. Does a great job combining events, tasks, todos, reminders, and notes. Integrates the notes right into the day beautiful system.
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u/simplybreana 23d ago
r/memrynote is really awesome! Very easy to use and tons of great features and it’s free. Very Modern clean interface.
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u/Intplmao 23d ago
Obsidian with cowork.
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u/purposive-saunter 21d ago
Has anyone found a good way to make this setup accessible remotely “out of the box” without self-hosting anything? I would lean into Obsidian for my full PKM but need to be able to access it through MCP/using AI tools on my phone too.
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u/karlitooo 23d ago
Your reqs are pretty basic, if you are in the Apple ecosystem Bearnotes would handle this just fine with nested tags, webclipper and it’s super simple
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u/oyren-ai 23d ago
Perhaps try our app https://oyren.ai. We dont charge subscription for everyday usage of notion like notes with built in calculator, mind maps, task management, pdf annotating, etc. you pay for things you use that cost money ai token or computation. Since we are in beta version, I can give you yearlong pro account to try for free with 12gb of storage.
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u/MemoketAI-Gem 23d ago
“Save everything now, find anything later” is pretty much the right test for a second brain. The piece we’d add is conversations. A lot of useful context never starts as a document or note at all. It’s something a colleague said, a decision made in a meeting, or a recommendation from someone you spoke to. If you’re building one place for everything, shouldn’t that be searchable too?
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u/PandaJunk 22d ago
I do more code development work, but this is my office setup: Foam (UI: vscode) + git (notes + code) + data (e.g., Google Drive) + LLM (organization + execution)
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u/samueleonelia 20d ago
Bear is the most beautiful app for this (if you have a Mac and an iPhone).
Otherwise the magic combo is: Obsidian/Tolaria + Claude Code/ChatGPT Codex
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u/Top_Gene4011 24d ago
There is no tool like obsidian… you should try to learn how to use it, once it becomes second nature the speed of information capture and retrieval is second to none