[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":1406},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-personal-knowledge-management-apps":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"authorKey":6,"body":7,"breadcrumb":1339,"cta":1340,"description":1344,"draft":1345,"extension":1346,"eyebrow":1339,"faq":1347,"icon":1372,"iconColor":1373,"items":1374,"meta":1395,"navigation":1396,"parent":1397,"path":1398,"published":1399,"readingTime":1400,"seo":1401,"stem":1404,"updated":1399,"__hash__":1405},"guides\u002Fguides\u002Fpersonal-knowledge-management-apps.md","The best personal knowledge management apps in 2026","steffen",{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":1305},"minimark",[10,19,22,36,41,170,174,177,212,215,219,224,227,237,241,244,252,256,259,267,271,274,282,286,289,297,301,304,312,316,319,333,339,345,372,375,381,385,388,391,401,404,410,416,447,450,458,461,466,471,488,491,499,502,507,512,549,552,560,563,568,573,597,600,608,611,616,621,646,649,657,660,665,670,700,703,711,714,719,724,749,752,760,763,768,773,790,792,800,803,808,813,830,833,841,844,849,854,878,882,938,942,1120,1124,1162,1165,1169,1172,1204,1208,1211,1243,1246,1294],[11,12,13,14,18],"p",{},"Personal knowledge management sounds like a discipline. In practice, it is a simple wish: ",[15,16,17],"em",{},"I want to remember what I learn, find it when I need it, and see how it connects."," A PKM app, or second brain app, is the place where that happens.",[11,20,21],{},"There are now dozens of these apps, and they disagree on one big question: how should your knowledge be organized? This guide groups the best ones by their answer to that question, because that tells you more about whether an app will suit you than any feature list.",[11,23,24,25,30,31,35],{},"We make ",[26,27,29],"a",{"href":28},"\u002F","Capacities",", one of the apps on this list. We explain why we built it the way we did, we show where every app falls short, including ours, and ",[26,32,34],{"href":33},"#how-we-made-this-list","How we made this list"," explains the rest.",[37,38,40],"h2",{"id":39},"the-short-answer","The short answer",[42,43,44,57],"table",{},[45,46,47],"thead",{},[48,49,50,54],"tr",{},[51,52,53],"th",{},"If you…",[51,55,56],{},"Pick",[58,59,60,72,83,93,104,115,126,137,148,159],"tbody",{},[48,61,62,66],{},[63,64,65],"td",{},"Want plain Markdown files on your disk and enjoy building your own setup",[63,67,68],{},[26,69,71],{"href":70},"#obsidian","Obsidian",[48,73,74,77],{},[63,75,76],{},"Think in outlines and want a free, open-source app",[63,78,79],{},[26,80,82],{"href":81},"#logseq","Logseq",[48,84,85,88],{},[63,86,87],{},"Want a second brain that works on day one and grows without reorganizing",[63,89,90],{},[26,91,29],{"href":92},"#capacities",[48,94,95,98],{},[63,96,97],{},"Need end-to-end encryption and a local-first app",[63,99,100],{},[26,101,103],{"href":102},"#anytype","Anytype",[48,105,106,109],{},[63,107,108],{},"Want every note to become structured, queryable data, and like learning a tool",[63,110,111],{},[26,112,114],{"href":113},"#tana","Tana",[48,116,117,120],{},[63,118,119],{},"Like designing databases and share your workspace with others",[63,121,122],{},[26,123,125],{"href":124},"#notion","Notion",[48,127,128,131],{},[63,129,130],{},"Learn visually, with cards on whiteboards next to PDFs",[63,132,133],{},[26,134,136],{"href":135},"#heptabase","Heptabase",[48,138,139,142],{},[63,140,141],{},"Want fast, encrypted daily notes and do not mind paying from day one",[63,143,144],{},[26,145,147],{"href":146},"#reflect","Reflect",[48,149,150,153],{},[63,151,152],{},"Want to save links and images and never organize anything",[63,154,155],{},[26,156,158],{"href":157},"#mymind","mymind",[48,160,161,164],{},[63,162,163],{},"Have a large archive of clipped web pages and scanned documents",[63,165,166],{},[26,167,169],{"href":168},"#evernote","Evernote",[37,171,173],{"id":172},"what-a-pkm-app-has-to-do","What a PKM app has to do",[11,175,176],{},"Every app on this list can store text. That is not the hard part. A good PKM app does five jobs, and most people discover which ones matter to them only after a few months.",[178,179,180,188,194,200,206],"ol",{},[181,182,183,187],"li",{},[184,185,186],"strong",{},"Catch."," Getting a thought in must take seconds, on any device, before you know where it belongs. If capture needs a decision, you stop capturing.",[181,189,190,193],{},[184,191,192],{},"Connect."," A note on its own is a bottle in the sea. Links, backlinks, and tags let one note show up in every context it belongs to.",[181,195,196,199],{},[184,197,198],{},"Find."," Search finds words. A good PKM app also lets you find things the way you remember them: the book that person recommended, the meeting about that project.",[181,201,202,205],{},[184,203,204],{},"Grow."," Your interests change. The app should let structure grow with what you write, without moving everything into a new system every year.",[181,207,208,211],{},[184,209,210],{},"Last."," You will use this for a decade. That means sync you do not have to babysit, export in open formats, and a company or format you trust to be around.",[11,213,214],{},"Keep these five in mind as you read. Each app below is strong on some and weak on others.",[37,216,218],{"id":217},"six-ways-pkm-apps-organize-what-you-know","Six ways PKM apps organize what you know",[220,221,223],"h3",{"id":222},"files-and-folders","Files and folders",[11,225,226],{},"Your notes are text files in folders on your disk. Obsidian and Logseq work this way, and so did most notes apps before them.",[11,228,229,232,233,236],{},[184,230,231],{},"Good at:"," ownership and longevity. Any editor can open a Markdown file, today and in twenty years. Everything works offline.\n",[184,234,235],{},"Where it hurts:"," a file lives in one folder, so you still decide where each note goes. Structure beyond folders comes from front matter, plugins, and queries that you set up and maintain yourself.",[220,238,240],{"id":239},"outlines-and-blocks","Outlines and blocks",[11,242,243],{},"Everything is a bullet in a nested list, and any bullet can be linked or referenced elsewhere. Roam Research started this style. Logseq and Tana are built on it.",[11,245,246,248,249,251],{},[184,247,231],{}," fast capture in a daily journal and reusing single thoughts in many places.\n",[184,250,235],{}," long-form writing feels cramped inside bullets, and large graphs of blocks can be hard to browse.",[220,253,255],{"id":254},"pages-and-databases","Pages and databases",[11,257,258],{},"You build tables with columns, views, and relations, and pages live inside them. This is Notion's model.",[11,260,261,263,264,266],{},[184,262,231],{}," data with a clear shape, such as a reading list with statuses or a project tracker.\n",[184,265,235],{}," you design the database before you have written anything. For a topic you are just starting to learn, you rarely know the right columns yet.",[220,268,270],{"id":269},"canvases-and-cards","Canvases and cards",[11,272,273],{},"You write small cards and arrange them on whiteboards, so ideas sit side by side in space. Heptabase is built around this.",[11,275,276,278,279,281],{},[184,277,231],{}," understanding a hard topic by seeing its parts at once, especially from PDFs and videos.\n",[184,280,235],{}," boards are great while you work through a topic and harder to keep as the long-term home of everything you know.",[220,283,285],{"id":284},"objects-and-types","Objects and types",[11,287,288],{},"Every note is an object with a type, such as a person, a book, a meeting, or an idea. Each type brings its own properties, and objects link to each other. Capacities and Anytype are built this way, and Tana's supertags work in a similar spirit.",[11,290,291,293,294,296],{},[184,292,231],{}," matching how you actually remember things, by what they are and what they relate to, without folders.\n",[184,295,235],{}," it is a different way of thinking about notes. Most people need a week or two before it feels natural.",[220,298,300],{"id":299},"save-everything-let-ai-sort-it","Save everything, let AI sort it",[11,302,303],{},"You save links, images, and snippets, and AI tags and finds them later. You never organize. mymind and Mem take this approach.",[11,305,306,308,309,311],{},[184,307,231],{}," zero effort. Nothing to set up, nothing to decide.\n",[184,310,235],{}," you have a well-searched pile, not knowledge you built. There are few ways to write longer notes, add your own structure, or see how ideas connect.",[37,313,315],{"id":314},"why-we-built-capacities-on-objects","Why we built Capacities on objects",[11,317,318],{},"This is our view, and we think it is the most useful idea in this guide whichever app you pick.",[11,320,321,324,325,328,329,332],{},[184,322,323],{},"Your knowledge is about things."," When you try to remember something, you rarely think \"it is in the folder Projects, subfolder 2024\". You think \"that book Anna recommended\", \"the meeting where we decided on the budget\", \"the paper with the strange chart\". You remember ",[15,326,327],{},"things",", and ",[15,330,331],{},"how they relate",". Folders store files. Your memory stores people, books, places, ideas, and the links between them.",[11,334,335,338],{},[184,336,337],{},"Most second brains die of upkeep."," The usual story goes like this. You find a powerful app, watch the tutorials, and spend a weekend building the perfect system. It works for a few months. Then your work changes, the system no longer fits, and keeping it alive costs more than it gives back. As one person in r\u002Fcapacitiesapp put it: \"I spent more time tinkering with the system than actually using it… I realized I didn't need a perfect system, just a working one.\"",[11,340,341,344],{},[184,342,343],{},"So the structure should come built in, and grow from use."," In Capacities, you do not design a system before you start:",[346,347,348,354,360,366],"ul",{},[181,349,350,353],{},[184,351,352],{},"Today is the inbox."," Every day has a daily note. Write anything there, or send it from WhatsApp, Telegram, or email. Every object you create is linked to the day you made it, so nothing needs a home on day one.",[181,355,356,359],{},[184,357,358],{},"A book is a book."," When you are ready, mention a book, a person, or a meeting, and it becomes an object of that type, with its own properties and its own page. Every book appears in your list of books. You never build a \"Books\" database.",[181,361,362,365],{},[184,363,364],{},"Links remember for you."," Mention a person in a meeting note and in your daily note, and both show up on that person's page. Open the person, and you see everything.",[181,367,368,371],{},[184,369,370],{},"Structure grows later."," After a few weeks of reading, you notice you have notes on twenty papers. Add a \"Paper\" type with author and year, and turn the existing notes into papers. Add a property to a type, and every object of that type gets it.",[11,373,374],{},"People describe the result in very similar words. \"What I loved about Capacities is that it meets you halfway.\" \"I started using it functionally from the first week!\" And, from someone years in: \"I don't think about the system at all anymore. It evolves, of course, but naturally and without any friction.\"",[11,376,377,380],{},[184,378,379],{},"It is honest to say it takes a moment to click."," \"At first, Capacities' objects felt strange. But I tried adapting to this new way of thinking for a few weeks, and it just clicked.\" If you try it, start with daily notes and let types come later.",[37,382,384],{"id":383},"the-best-pkm-apps-by-approach","The best PKM apps, by approach",[11,386,387],{},"The list is grouped by approach, not ranked. Every entry has the same parts: what the app is, why people choose it, where it falls short, and the facts. Prices are in US dollars and were checked on official pricing pages in October 2026.",[220,389,71],{"id":390},"obsidian",[11,392,393,396,397,400],{},[184,394,395],{},"Approach:"," files and folders. ",[184,398,399],{},"Best for:"," people who want Markdown files they fully own, and who enjoy shaping a tool with plugins.",[11,402,403],{},"Obsidian is a free app that turns a folder of Markdown files, called a vault, into a linked knowledge base. It has backlinks, a graph view, canvases, Bases for database-like views, and thousands of community plugins. It is the app most people compare every other PKM app against.",[11,405,406,409],{},[184,407,408],{},"Why people choose it:"," your notes are plain files on your device that will outlive any app. It works offline by design, needs no account, and is free for personal and commercial use. If a feature exists anywhere, there is probably a plugin for it, and its community is huge.",[11,411,412,415],{},[184,413,414],{},"Where it falls short:"," you are the architect. Folders, front matter, templates, and plugins make up your system, and you maintain it. Plugins can break with updates, and syncing devices is either a paid service or a setup you run yourself. Many people who leave say the same thing: they spent more time configuring Obsidian than thinking in it.",[346,417,418,424,430,436],{},[181,419,420,423],{},[184,421,422],{},"Price:"," free. Obsidian Sync is $4 a month billed annually for one vault, or $8 for ten vaults. Publish is extra.",[181,425,426,429],{},[184,427,428],{},"Platforms:"," macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. No web app.",[181,431,432,435],{},[184,433,434],{},"Where your data lives:"," on your device. Obsidian Sync is end-to-end encrypted.",[181,437,438,441,442,446],{},[184,439,440],{},"Compare:"," ",[26,443,445],{"href":444},"\u002Fcompare\u002Fobsidian","Capacities vs Obsidian",".",[220,448,82],{"id":449},"logseq",[11,451,452,454,455,457],{},[184,453,395],{}," outlines and blocks. ",[184,456,399],{}," people who think in bullets, want a daily journal as their main page, and want open source.",[11,459,460],{},"Logseq is a local-first outliner. You write in a daily journal, link pages, reference single blocks anywhere, and query your notes. It also has whiteboards. It is fully open source.",[11,462,463,465],{},[184,464,408],{}," it is free, private by default, and the daily journal makes capture effortless. Block references are excellent for research, where one quote matters in several places.",[11,467,468,470],{},[184,469,414],{}," Logseq is in the middle of a big rebuild. The classic version stores Markdown files, while a new database version is in beta with a new mobile app and its own sync. Hosted sync is a beta for supporters, and some apps for the new version are still early builds. Expect rough edges until that settles.",[346,472,473,478,483],{},[181,474,475,477],{},[184,476,422],{}," free. A sync beta is available to Open Collective backers from $5 a month.",[181,479,480,482],{},[184,481,428],{}," macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android.",[181,484,485,487],{},[184,486,434],{}," on your device.",[220,489,29],{"id":490},"capacities",[11,492,493,495,496,498],{},[184,494,395],{}," objects and types. ",[184,497,399],{}," people who want a second brain that works from the first day and grows with them, for research, learning, writing, meetings, and life.",[11,500,501],{},"Capacities is a PKM app built around connected objects. Every note has a type, links go both ways automatically, and a daily note catches anything you have not sorted yet. It is built for one person on purpose, and more than 50,000 active knowledge workers use it.",[11,503,504,506],{},[184,505,408],{}," the structure is already there, so you use your notes instead of building them. Daily notes, typed objects, backlinks, a graph view, tags, and sync work on every platform from the start, including on the free plan. You can capture from WhatsApp, Telegram, email, and a browser extension. Pro adds an AI assistant that uses your linked notes as context, queries that update themselves, PDF highlights, Readwise and Kindle imports, calendar integration, and tasks. With Pro you can also connect ChatGPT, Claude, or Cursor to your space through MCP. Capacities is made by a bootstrapped company in Germany, and your data is stored in the EU.",[11,508,509,511],{},[184,510,414],{}," it is not file-based. You can export to Markdown at any time and schedule automatic exports to your device, but the app is the source of truth, not a folder of files. There is no plugin ecosystem, and no real-time collaboration, by design. Tasks are built in, but it is not a full task manager. Objects take a week or two to feel natural.",[346,513,514,523,528,534,539],{},[181,515,516,518,519,446],{},[184,517,422],{}," free plan with unlimited objects. Pro is on our ",[26,520,522],{"href":521},"\u002Fpricing","pricing page",[181,524,525,527],{},[184,526,428],{}," web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and tablets.",[181,529,530,533],{},[184,531,532],{},"Offline:"," you can open, create, and edit everything offline. AI and integrations need internet.",[181,535,536,538],{},[184,537,434],{}," EU servers. Capacities Labs GmbH in Freiburg, Germany, is the controller under the GDPR.",[181,540,541,441,544,548],{},[184,542,543],{},"More:",[26,545,547],{"href":546},"\u002Fwhy-capacities","why people choose Capacities",", in their own words.",[220,550,103],{"id":551},"anytype",[11,553,554,556,557,559],{},[184,555,395],{}," objects and types, local-first. ",[184,558,399],{}," people who want objects and relations with end-to-end encryption and no company holding a readable copy.",[11,561,562],{},"Anytype is a local-first app built on objects, types, and relations, with a block editor and sets that work like simple databases. It is built by a team in Berlin and backed by a foundation in Zug, Switzerland.",[11,564,565,567],{},[184,566,408],{}," privacy. Your data is encrypted on your device before it syncs, the app works fully offline, and you can self-host the sync. Local use is free and the source code is public.",[11,569,570,572],{},[184,571,414],{}," sync between devices is its weak spot in independent tests, and 2026 reviews still report duplicate blocks after editing on two devices. Types and relations take more setup than in Capacities, so it asks for more system-building up front.",[346,574,575,580,584,589],{},[181,576,577,579],{},[184,578,422],{}," free for local use, with 100 MB of encrypted backup. Plus is $4 a month, Pro $8, and Ultra $16, billed yearly.",[181,581,582,482],{},[184,583,428],{},[181,585,586,588],{},[184,587,434],{}," on your devices, with an encrypted backup on Anytype's network or your own server.",[181,590,591,441,593,446],{},[184,592,440],{},[26,594,596],{"href":595},"\u002Fcompare\u002Fanytype","Capacities vs Anytype",[220,598,114],{"id":599},"tana",[11,601,602,604,605,607],{},[184,603,395],{}," outlines with types. ",[184,606,399],{}," power users who want every note to become structured data, and will invest time to learn how.",[11,609,610],{},"Tana is an outliner where \"supertags\" turn any bullet into a typed object with fields. Live searches then collect those objects anywhere. It has strong AI features, especially for meeting notes.",[11,612,613,615],{},[184,614,408],{}," you get database power without leaving your notes. A bullet in today's meeting can be a task, a decision, and a link to a person, all queryable.",[11,617,618,620],{},[184,619,414],{}," the learning curve is steep. Hands-on reviews often say it takes 5 to 15 hours before it clicks. Everything is a bullet, which some people dislike for long writing. It is web-first, so offline use is limited, and the mobile app is mainly for capture.",[346,622,623,628,633,638],{},[181,624,625,627],{},[184,626,422],{}," free plan with 500 AI credits a month. Plus is $8 a month and Pro $14, billed yearly. Students, academics, and nonprofits get 50% off.",[181,629,630,632],{},[184,631,428],{}," web, desktop, and mobile apps.",[181,634,635,637],{},[184,636,434],{}," Tana's cloud.",[181,639,640,441,642,446],{},[184,641,440],{},[26,643,645],{"href":644},"\u002Fcompare\u002Ftana","Capacities vs Tana",[220,647,125],{"id":648},"notion",[11,650,651,653,654,656],{},[184,652,395],{}," pages and databases. ",[184,655,399],{}," people who enjoy designing databases, and who share their workspace with others.",[11,658,659],{},"Notion is an all-in-one workspace of pages, blocks, and databases with many views. Many people use it as a second brain, often starting from a template.",[11,661,662,664],{},[184,663,408],{}," databases are flexible, the template gallery is huge, and the same tool works for personal notes and shared projects. The free plan is generous for one person.",[11,666,667,669],{},[184,668,414],{}," as a place to think, it asks a lot. You build the system yourself, and you still decide where every page lives. Backlinks are basic and there is no graph view. Offline mode downloads pages one at a time, with only the first rows of a database. The full AI is on the Business plan, and data is stored in the US unless you are on Enterprise.",[346,671,672,677,682,687],{},[181,673,674,676],{},[184,675,422],{}," free for individuals. Plus is $10 per member a month billed annually. Full AI is on Business at $20.",[181,678,679,681],{},[184,680,428],{}," web, macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android.",[181,683,684,686],{},[184,685,434],{}," US. EU data residency is available on Enterprise.",[181,688,689,441,691,695,696,446],{},[184,690,543],{},[26,692,694],{"href":693},"\u002Fcompare\u002Fnotion","Capacities vs Notion"," and ",[26,697,699],{"href":698},"\u002Fnotion-alternatives","the best Notion alternatives",[220,701,136],{"id":702},"heptabase",[11,704,705,707,708,710],{},[184,706,395],{}," canvases and cards. ",[184,709,399],{}," visual learners who work through hard topics, PDFs, and lectures.",[11,712,713],{},"Heptabase lets you write notes as cards and arrange them on whiteboards, next to highlighted PDFs and video transcripts. It is designed for research and deep learning.",[11,715,716,718],{},[184,717,408],{}," seeing ideas side by side helps you understand how a topic fits together. Highlights from a source sit right next to the cards you write about them.",[11,720,721,723],{},[184,722,414],{}," there is no permanent free plan, only a trial of up to seven days. AI comes in credit tiers. Crowded boards and large PDFs can slow it down. It shines while you study a topic and is less suited to holding everything you know for years.",[346,725,726,731,736,741],{},[181,727,728,730],{},[184,729,422],{}," Pro is $8.99 a month and Premium $17.99, billed yearly.",[181,732,733,735],{},[184,734,428],{}," macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and web.",[181,737,738,740],{},[184,739,434],{}," Heptabase's cloud.",[181,742,743,441,745,446],{},[184,744,440],{},[26,746,748],{"href":747},"\u002Fcompare\u002Fheptabase","Capacities vs Heptabase",[220,750,147],{"id":751},"reflect",[11,753,754,756,757,759],{},[184,755,395],{}," daily notes with backlinks. ",[184,758,399],{}," people who want a fast, polished, encrypted notes app and will pay from the start.",[11,761,762],{},"Reflect is a networked notes app built around daily notes, backlinks, a calendar, and web and Kindle clippers, with end-to-end encryption by default.",[11,764,765,767],{},[184,766,408],{}," it is fast and calm, and your notes are encrypted so that Reflect cannot read them. The daily note and calendar make it easy to keep a running log of meetings and thoughts.",[11,769,770,772],{},[184,771,414],{}," there is no free plan and no native Android app. Encryption means no real-time collaboration, and text you send to its AI leaves the encryption. There are no types, so a large archive becomes one long stream of linked pages.",[346,774,775,780,785],{},[181,776,777,779],{},[184,778,422],{}," $10 a month billed annually, after a 14-day trial.",[181,781,782,784],{},[184,783,428],{}," web and native apps. No native Android app, so Android users work in the browser.",[181,786,787,789],{},[184,788,434],{}," Reflect's cloud, end-to-end encrypted.",[220,791,158],{"id":158},[11,793,794,796,797,799],{},[184,795,395],{}," save everything, let AI sort it. ",[184,798,399],{}," visual collectors who save links, images, and quotes and never want to organize.",[11,801,802],{},"mymind is a private place to save anything you find. Its own slogan is \"Remember everything. Organize nothing.\" AI tags what you save, and you search by words, colors, or similar items.",[11,804,805,807],{},[184,806,408],{}," it is beautiful, private, and needs zero effort. There are no folders and no decisions.",[11,809,810,812],{},[184,811,414],{}," it is a collection, not a thinking tool. Writing longer notes and building your own structure are limited. There is no bulk import, on purpose, and export works only from desktop Chrome or Edge. The guest mode is small, so it is effectively paid.",[346,814,815,820,825],{},[181,816,817,819],{},[184,818,422],{}," from $7.99 a month or $79 a year. The Mastermind plan, with summaries and a PDF analyzer, is $12.99 a month or $129 a year.",[181,821,822,824],{},[184,823,428],{}," iOS, Android, and browser extensions.",[181,826,827,829],{},[184,828,434],{}," mymind's cloud.",[220,831,169],{"id":832},"evernote",[11,834,835,837,838,840],{},[184,836,395],{}," notebooks and tags. ",[184,839,399],{}," people with a large archive of clipped web pages, scanned documents, and receipts.",[11,842,843],{},"Evernote is the original digital notebook, now owned by Bending Spoons in Milan. Its web clipper, document scanning, and search inside images are still excellent, and it has added AI search and meeting notes.",[11,845,846,848],{},[184,847,408],{}," it is very good at capturing and finding documents, and many people already have years of notes in it.",[11,850,851,853],{},[184,852,414],{}," the free plan allows 50 notes, one notebook, and one device. Starter caps you at 1,000 notes, so anyone with a real archive needs Advanced. It is organized by notebooks and tags, with little support for linking ideas.",[346,855,856,861,865,870],{},[181,857,858,860],{},[184,859,422],{}," Starter is $99 a year. Advanced, with unlimited notes, is $249.99 a year.",[181,862,863,681],{},[184,864,428],{},[181,866,867,869],{},[184,868,434],{}," Evernote's cloud.",[181,871,872,441,874,446],{},[184,873,440],{},[26,875,877],{"href":876},"\u002Fcompare\u002Fevernote","Capacities vs Evernote",[220,879,881],{"id":880},"also-considered","Also considered",[346,883,884,890,896,902,912,922,932],{},[181,885,886,889],{},[184,887,888],{},"Roam Research"," made linked, block-based notes popular. It is still excellent at block references, but it costs $15 a month or $165 a year with no free plan, and it changes slowly.",[181,891,892,895],{},[184,893,894],{},"Mem"," is an AI-first notes app. Its free plan allows 25 new notes and 25 AI messages a month, and paid plans start at $9 a month, still with monthly limits.",[181,897,898,901],{},[184,899,900],{},"Craft"," is a beautiful document app, especially on Apple devices, but it is organized around documents and folders.",[181,903,904,907,908,446],{},[184,905,906],{},"Apple Notes"," is free, fast, and enough for many people on Apple devices. You can link notes, but there is no backlinks list. See ",[26,909,911],{"href":910},"\u002Fcompare\u002Fapple-notes","Capacities vs Apple Notes",[181,913,914,917,918,446],{},[184,915,916],{},"Microsoft OneNote"," is a free digital binder with great ink support, but notes are pages in sections, without a typed graph. See ",[26,919,921],{"href":920},"\u002Fcompare\u002Fonenote","Capacities vs OneNote",[181,923,924,927,928,446],{},[184,925,926],{},"Google Keep"," is a quick sticky-note app for lists and reminders, not a knowledge base. See ",[26,929,931],{"href":930},"\u002Fcompare\u002Fgoogle-keep","Capacities vs Google Keep",[181,933,934,937],{},[184,935,936],{},"NotebookLM"," answers questions about sources you upload. It is a research assistant for one project at a time, not the place where your own notes live and grow for years.",[37,939,941],{"id":940},"comparison-table","Comparison table",[42,943,944,963],{},[45,945,946],{},[48,947,948,951,954,957,960],{},[51,949,950],{},"App",[51,952,953],{},"Approach",[51,955,956],{},"Free plan",[51,958,959],{},"Paid plans from",[51,961,962],{},"Where your data lives",[58,964,965,980,994,1011,1027,1043,1058,1073,1088,1104],{},[48,966,967,969,971,974,977],{},[63,968,71],{},[63,970,223],{},[63,972,973],{},"Yes, the app is free",[63,975,976],{},"$4 a month for Sync, billed yearly",[63,978,979],{},"Your device",[48,981,982,984,986,989,992],{},[63,983,82],{},[63,985,240],{},[63,987,988],{},"Yes, open source",[63,990,991],{},"$5 a month for the sync beta",[63,993,979],{},[48,995,996,998,1000,1003,1008],{},[63,997,29],{},[63,999,285],{},[63,1001,1002],{},"Yes, unlimited objects",[63,1004,1005],{},[26,1006,1007],{"href":521},"Pricing",[63,1009,1010],{},"EU",[48,1012,1013,1015,1018,1021,1024],{},[63,1014,103],{},[63,1016,1017],{},"Objects, local-first",[63,1019,1020],{},"Yes, for local use",[63,1022,1023],{},"$4 a month for more backup storage",[63,1025,1026],{},"Your devices, encrypted",[48,1028,1029,1031,1034,1037,1040],{},[63,1030,114],{},[63,1032,1033],{},"Outlines with types",[63,1035,1036],{},"Yes, with AI credits",[63,1038,1039],{},"$8 a month, billed yearly",[63,1041,1042],{},"Tana's cloud",[48,1044,1045,1047,1049,1052,1055],{},[63,1046,125],{},[63,1048,255],{},[63,1050,1051],{},"Yes, for individuals",[63,1053,1054],{},"$10 a month, billed yearly",[63,1056,1057],{},"US. EU only on Enterprise",[48,1059,1060,1062,1064,1067,1070],{},[63,1061,136],{},[63,1063,270],{},[63,1065,1066],{},"No, trial only",[63,1068,1069],{},"$8.99 a month, billed yearly",[63,1071,1072],{},"Heptabase's cloud",[48,1074,1075,1077,1080,1083,1085],{},[63,1076,147],{},[63,1078,1079],{},"Daily notes and links",[63,1081,1082],{},"No, 14-day trial",[63,1084,1054],{},[63,1086,1087],{},"Reflect's cloud, encrypted",[48,1089,1090,1092,1095,1098,1101],{},[63,1091,158],{},[63,1093,1094],{},"Save everything, AI sort",[63,1096,1097],{},"Small guest mode",[63,1099,1100],{},"$7.99 a month",[63,1102,1103],{},"mymind's cloud",[48,1105,1106,1108,1111,1114,1117],{},[63,1107,169],{},[63,1109,1110],{},"Notebooks and tags",[63,1112,1113],{},"Yes, up to 50 notes",[63,1115,1116],{},"$99 a year",[63,1118,1119],{},"Evernote's cloud",[37,1121,1123],{"id":1122},"how-to-choose-six-questions","How to choose: six questions",[178,1125,1126,1132,1138,1144,1150,1156],{},[181,1127,1128,1131],{},[184,1129,1130],{},"Must your notes be files on your own disk?"," If yes, choose Obsidian or Logseq, and accept that you will build and maintain the structure. If an export you can schedule is enough, every other option opens up.",[181,1133,1134,1137],{},[184,1135,1136],{},"How much time will you give the setup?"," If the answer is \"an evening, then never again\", choose an app with structure built in: Capacities, Reflect, or mymind. If you enjoy tinkering, Obsidian and Tana reward it.",[181,1139,1140,1143],{},[184,1141,1142],{},"Do you think in outlines, pages, or things?"," If you write in bullets, try Logseq or Tana. If you write in documents, try Obsidian or Notion. If you think of people, books, meetings, and ideas, try Capacities or Anytype.",[181,1145,1146,1149],{},[184,1147,1148],{},"Do you share it with anyone?"," A PKM app is personal. If you need shared spaces and permissions, use Notion or a team wiki for that, and keep your own notes in a personal app.",[181,1151,1152,1155],{},[184,1153,1154],{},"What do you want from AI?"," If you want an assistant that knows your notes, look at Capacities, Notion on Business, or Tana. If you want ChatGPT or Claude to read and write your notes, Capacities supports that through MCP, and Obsidian through community plugins.",[181,1157,1158,1161],{},[184,1159,1160],{},"Where must your data live?"," If it must be end-to-end encrypted, choose Anytype or Reflect. If it should stay in the EU, choose Capacities, or keep files on your own device with Obsidian or Logseq.",[11,1163,1164],{},"Then try one app for two weeks with real notes. A PKM app only shows its value once you start finding things you had forgotten you wrote.",[37,1166,1168],{"id":1167},"if-privacy-and-data-location-matter","If privacy and data location matter",[11,1170,1171],{},"A second brain holds your most personal notes, so it is worth knowing who holds a copy.",[346,1173,1174,1180,1186,1198],{},[181,1175,1176,1179],{},[184,1177,1178],{},"Local files:"," Obsidian and Logseq keep notes on your device. You decide on sync and backups.",[181,1181,1182,1185],{},[184,1183,1184],{},"End-to-end encryption:"," Anytype and Reflect encrypt your notes so the company cannot read them. If you lose your key or password, they cannot recover your notes either.",[181,1187,1188,1191,1192,446],{},[184,1189,1190],{},"EU hosting:"," Capacities is a German company that stores data in the EU, is funded by its users, and has no outside investors. It encrypts data in transit and at rest, but it is ",[26,1193,1197],{"href":1194,"rel":1195},"https:\u002F\u002Fdocs.capacities.io\u002Fmore\u002Fend-to-end-encryption",[1196],"nofollow","not end-to-end encrypted",[181,1199,1200,1203],{},[184,1201,1202],{},"US cloud:"," Notion, Tana, Heptabase, and mymind store your notes in their own clouds. Notion offers EU residency only on Enterprise.",[37,1205,1207],{"id":1206},"who-should-not-use-capacities","Who should not use Capacities",[11,1209,1210],{},"We want you to end up with the right app, even if it is not ours.",[346,1212,1213,1219,1225,1231,1237],{},[181,1214,1215,1218],{},[184,1216,1217],{},"You want files on your disk to be the source of truth."," Use Obsidian or Logseq. Capacities exports Markdown, but it is not file-based.",[181,1220,1221,1224],{},[184,1222,1223],{},"You love building your own system and want a plugin for everything."," Obsidian will make you happier.",[181,1226,1227,1230],{},[184,1228,1229],{},"You need end-to-end encryption."," Use Anytype or Reflect.",[181,1232,1233,1236],{},[184,1234,1235],{},"You share your notes with a team."," Capacities has no shared workspaces, and none are planned. Use Notion or a team wiki.",[181,1238,1239,1242],{},[184,1240,1241],{},"You only want to save links and images, never write."," mymind is simpler for that.",[37,1244,34],{"id":1245},"how-we-made-this-list",[346,1247,1248,1254,1260,1266,1272,1283],{},[181,1249,1250,1253],{},[184,1251,1252],{},"We make Capacities."," It is in the list because it is what we recommend for most people who want a second brain without building one. The list starts with Obsidian, the app most people compare against, and groups apps by approach instead of ranking them. Every entry has the same structure and says where the app falls short.",[181,1255,1256,1259],{},[184,1257,1258],{},"Prices and facts come from official sources."," We read each app's pricing page, help center, and changelog in October 2026. Prices are in US dollars, and we note annual billing. Prices change, so check before you buy.",[181,1261,1262,1265],{},[184,1263,1264],{},"Independent reviews where noted."," Statements about sync problems, learning curves, and performance come from 2026 reviews and public forum threads, not from our own benchmarks.",[181,1267,1268,1271],{},[184,1269,1270],{},"What users told us."," We read thousands of messages from people who chose Capacities and from people who left it. The reasons people leave, such as wanting local files, a plugin ecosystem, or a team space, are the reasons in the section above.",[181,1273,1274,1277,1278,446],{},[184,1275,1276],{},"User quotes are verbatim."," They come from a public r\u002Fcapacitiesapp thread, ",[26,1279,1282],{"href":1280,"rel":1281},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reddit.com\u002Fr\u002Fcapacitiesapp\u002Fcomments\u002F1wqllus\u002Fwhy_did_you_choose_capacities_over_notion_or\u002F",[1196],"Why did you choose Capacities over Notion or Obsidian?",[181,1284,1285,1288,1289,1293],{},[184,1286,1287],{},"We keep it current."," The date at the top shows the last full review. If something is wrong, email ",[26,1290,1292],{"href":1291},"mailto:team@capacities.io","team@capacities.io"," and we will fix it.",[11,1295,1296,1297,695,1301,446],{},"If you want to go deeper into the method rather than the tools, read our ",[26,1298,1300],{"href":1299},"\u002Fblog\u002Fguide-to-pkm","guide to personal knowledge management",[26,1302,1304],{"href":1303},"\u002Fblog\u002Fa-second-brain","what a second brain is",{"title":1306,"searchDepth":1307,"depth":1307,"links":1308},"",2,[1309,1310,1311,1320,1321,1334,1335,1336,1337,1338],{"id":39,"depth":1307,"text":40},{"id":172,"depth":1307,"text":173},{"id":217,"depth":1307,"text":218,"children":1312},[1313,1315,1316,1317,1318,1319],{"id":222,"depth":1314,"text":223},3,{"id":239,"depth":1314,"text":240},{"id":254,"depth":1314,"text":255},{"id":269,"depth":1314,"text":270},{"id":284,"depth":1314,"text":285},{"id":299,"depth":1314,"text":300},{"id":314,"depth":1307,"text":315},{"id":383,"depth":1307,"text":384,"children":1322},[1323,1324,1325,1326,1327,1328,1329,1330,1331,1332,1333],{"id":390,"depth":1314,"text":71},{"id":449,"depth":1314,"text":82},{"id":490,"depth":1314,"text":29},{"id":551,"depth":1314,"text":103},{"id":599,"depth":1314,"text":114},{"id":648,"depth":1314,"text":125},{"id":702,"depth":1314,"text":136},{"id":751,"depth":1314,"text":147},{"id":158,"depth":1314,"text":158},{"id":832,"depth":1314,"text":169},{"id":880,"depth":1314,"text":881},{"id":940,"depth":1307,"text":941},{"id":1122,"depth":1307,"text":1123},{"id":1167,"depth":1307,"text":1168},{"id":1206,"depth":1307,"text":1207},{"id":1245,"depth":1307,"text":34},"Personal knowledge apps",{"heading":1341,"subheading":1342,"secondaryLabel":1343,"secondaryTo":546},"A second brain that does not need building","Write today’s thought, link it to what you already know, and let the structure grow as you go.","Why people choose Capacities","Ten PKM and second brain apps, grouped by how they organize what you know. What each one is good at, where it falls short, what it costs, and how to choose.",false,"md",[1348,1351,1354,1357,1360,1363,1366,1369],{"question":1349,"answer":1350},"What is a personal knowledge management app?","A personal knowledge management (PKM) app is where you keep what you learn and think, so you can find it and build on it later. Unlike a plain notes app, it helps you connect notes to each other, usually with links, backlinks, tags, or types. People also call it a second brain app or a tool for thought.",{"question":1352,"answer":1353},"What is the best PKM app?","It depends on how you think. For most people who want a second brain without building one first, we recommend [Capacities](https:\u002F\u002Fcapacities.io). If you want plain Markdown files on your own disk and enjoy plugins, pick Obsidian. If you think in outlines, pick Logseq or Tana. If you need end-to-end encryption, pick Anytype.",{"question":1355,"answer":1356},"What is the best free PKM app?","Obsidian, Logseq, Capacities, and Anytype all have free plans you can use for years. Obsidian and Logseq are free and store files on your device. Capacities is free with unlimited objects and sync on every platform. Anytype is free for local use. Heptabase and Reflect have no free plan.",{"question":1358,"answer":1359},"Is Notion a good PKM app?","Notion is good if you like designing databases and you already know how you want to organize your knowledge. It is weaker as a place to think: backlinks are basic, there is no graph, and offline use is limited. Many people use Notion for shared work and a dedicated PKM app for their own notes.",{"question":1361,"answer":1362},"Capacities or Obsidian for PKM?","Pick Obsidian if you want local Markdown files, full control, and a plugin for everything, and you are happy to build and maintain your setup. Pick Capacities if you want the structure built in, with typed objects, daily notes, backlinks, and sync working from the first day. Our [Capacities vs Obsidian](https:\u002F\u002Fcapacities.io\u002Fcompare\u002Fobsidian) page goes into detail.",{"question":1364,"answer":1365},"Which PKM app is easiest to start with?","Apps with structure built in are the easiest to start with, because you do not have to design a system first. Capacities, Reflect, and mymind work on day one. Obsidian, Tana, and Notion are powerful but take longer to set up. Capacities objects can feel unfamiliar for a week or two, so start with the daily note and add types later.",{"question":1367,"answer":1368},"Which PKM apps work with AI assistants like ChatGPT and Claude?","Capacities has a built-in AI assistant that uses your linked notes as context, and with Pro you can connect ChatGPT, Claude, or Cursor to your space through MCP. Obsidian works with AI through community plugins and its local files. Notion includes its full AI on the Business plan. Tana, Heptabase, and Mem sell AI in credit or usage tiers.",{"question":1370,"answer":1371},"Is there a European PKM app?","Yes. Capacities is made by Capacities Labs GmbH in Freiburg, Germany, and stores your data in the EU. Anytype is built by a team in Berlin and encrypts your data end to end. Evernote is owned by Bending Spoons in Milan, Italy. Obsidian and Logseq keep your notes on your own device, wherever you are.","i-ph-graph-duotone","teal",[1375,1377,1379,1381,1383,1385,1387,1389,1391,1393],{"name":71,"url":1376,"anchor":390},"https:\u002F\u002Fobsidian.md",{"name":82,"url":1378,"anchor":449},"https:\u002F\u002Flogseq.com",{"name":29,"url":1380,"anchor":490},"https:\u002F\u002Fcapacities.io",{"name":103,"url":1382,"anchor":551},"https:\u002F\u002Fanytype.io",{"name":114,"url":1384,"anchor":599},"https:\u002F\u002Foutliner.tana.inc",{"name":125,"url":1386,"anchor":648},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.notion.com",{"name":136,"url":1388,"anchor":702},"https:\u002F\u002Fheptabase.com",{"name":147,"url":1390,"anchor":751},"https:\u002F\u002Freflect.app",{"name":158,"url":1392,"anchor":158},"https:\u002F\u002Fmymind.com",{"name":169,"url":1394,"anchor":832},"https:\u002F\u002Fevernote.com",{},true,null,"\u002Fguides\u002Fpersonal-knowledge-management-apps","2026-10-09","18 min read",{"title":1402,"description":1403},"Best PKM Apps in 2026: 10 Second Brain Apps Compared","The best PKM and second brain apps, grouped by approach, with honest trade-offs, prices, AI, and where your data lives.","guides\u002Fpersonal-knowledge-management-apps","nx7hUL_9Yd2kTyVTKQTGtJbYcM0EJK7WNU8YIKfBnXc",1791910180490]