# Gems vs Second Brain

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Gems at none against Second Brain's 1. Gems also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). Second Brain's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Second Brain sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Gems asks for nothing beyond the download.

Gems ships an update every 3 weeks, Second Brain every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gems | Second Brain |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Size | 7 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ALEX-DAN BUMBU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1805599809) | [Selahattin Bozat](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895293163) |

## What reviewers say

### Gems

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gems-save-for-later/id6744028880)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Second Brain

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/second-brain-notes-and-knowledge/id6775839727)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Second Brain Premium | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gems free?

Gems is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Second Brain free?

Second Brain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Gems or Second Brain have ads?

Neither Gems nor Second Brain shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Gems or Second Brain?

Gems ships an update every 3 weeks, and Second Brain every 3 months. Most recently, Gems was updated on October 16, 2026 and Second Brain on October 16, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*