Comparison

Jiritsu vs Second Brain

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Jiritsu

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Jiritsu (β€œself‑discipline” in Japanese) is a focus & productivity app. It adds an intentional breathing pause (ma) before every session, helps you set a clear intent, then reinforces sustained deep focus with gentle friction (exit confirmation, return nudges), a streak calendar, XP & level progression, and achievement badges. Focus Modes: Deep (60m), Pomodoro (25m), Quick (15m), Custom (1–180m) Motivation: Streaks β€’ XP & Levels β€’ Badges Analytics: Weekly / Monthly / Yearly session history Why It Works: Intentional pause β†’ clarity β†’ unbroken attention β†’ daily progress loop Privacy: 100% on‑device storage Reclaim your focus, one intentional pause at a time.

About

Second Brain

Features
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Second Brain is your offline-first personal knowledge management app. Capture every idea, note, and insight β€” and never lose a thought again. No ads. No tracking. No account required. Your data stays on your device. FEATURES: β€’ Rich Notes β€” Write with Markdown support, add images, link notes together β€’ Collections β€” Organize notes into collections with icons and colors β€’ Tags β€” Tag anything for instant filtering β€’ Daily Notes β€” One note per day, automatically created β€’ Goals β€” Track personal goals with milestones and progress β€’ Book Notes β€” Capture key takeaways from books you read β€’ Quotes β€” Save your favorite quotes β€’ Knowledge Graph β€” See how your ideas connect visually β€’ Bi-directional Links β€” Link notes and see backlinks automatically β€’ Full-Text Search β€” Find anything instantly β€’ Favorites & Archive β€” Star important notes, archive the rest β€’ Quick Capture β€” Capture thoughts from the home screen widget β€’ Face ID / Touch ID β€” Lock your app for privacy β€’ iCloud Backup β€” Optional, off by default β€’ Export β€” PDF, CSV, Markdown β€’ 15 Languages β€” English, Turkish, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Russian PRIVACY FIRST: Second Brain collects zero data. No analytics, no tracking SDKs, no servers. Everything lives on your device. PREMIUM (one-time purchase): Unlock unlimited notes, collections, Knowledge Graph, exports, Face ID, and home screen widgets with a single lifetime purchase.

Screenshots

Jiritsu4 screens
Second Brain4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Jiritsu at none against Second Brain's 1. Jiritsu also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 months). Second Brain's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Jiritsu ships an update every 2 days, Second Brain every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
Jiritsu versus Second Brain: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJiritsuSecond Brain
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 days β€” betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS16.015.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size28 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTAISEI IDESelahattin Bozat

In-app purchases

None

Jiritsu

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Second Brain

One-time1
  • Second Brain Premium$9.99

Questions

Is Jiritsu free?
Jiritsu 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 Jiritsu or Second Brain have ads?
Neither Jiritsu nor Second Brain shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Jiritsu or Second Brain?
Jiritsu ships an update every 2 days, and Second Brain every 3 months. Most recently, Jiritsu was updated on September 21, 2026 and Second Brain on September 24, 2026.

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