Comparison

Abox Note · Markdown Notes vs Second Brain

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

Head to head
About

Abox Note · Markdown Notes

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Abox Note is a lightweight Markdown note app with note organization, web previews, PDF export, long screenshots, and site publishing. Capture ideas anytime, organize them with spaces and nested tags, then export or share your notes—or publish them as a blog or documentation site. [Plain-text Markdown] Write Markdown in a plain-text editor with line numbers. Notes are stored as plain text for easy migration and long-term access. Capture fragments first, then rearrange and combine them later. [Simple organization] • Single-level spaces for broad categories • Nested tags for detailed organization (work/project, reading/design/ideas) No deep folder hierarchies, so there is less to manage. [Optimized for mobile] Improved cursor movement and text selection make it easier to capture, add, or edit content on your phone. [Preview, export, and share] • Web-style previews • PDF export with heading bookmarks and layout settings • Full-page and long screenshots • Online sharing through Youlog [Publish as a site] Publish an entire space as a blog or documentation site. • Preview before you go live • Export site files • Deploy directly • Choose themes and advanced settings [Text Actions] Create reusable text-processing tools: • Format text • Batch process content • Support your personal workflow • Integrate AI [More features] • Auto save • Restore last editing position • Quickly switch between recent notes • Find and replace (including regex) • Import and export (including ZIP) • Restore notes from Trash

About

Second Brain

Features
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Second Brain is your offline-first personal knowledge management app. Capture every idea, note, and insight — and never lose a thought again. No ads. No tracking. No account required. Your data stays on your device. FEATURES: • Rich Notes — Write with Markdown support, add images, link notes together • Collections — Organize notes into collections with icons and colors • Tags — Tag anything for instant filtering • Daily Notes — One note per day, automatically created • Goals — Track personal goals with milestones and progress • Book Notes — Capture key takeaways from books you read • Quotes — Save your favorite quotes • Knowledge Graph — See how your ideas connect visually • Bi-directional Links — Link notes and see backlinks automatically • Full-Text Search — Find anything instantly • Favorites & Archive — Star important notes, archive the rest • Quick Capture — Capture thoughts from the home screen widget • Face ID / Touch ID — Lock your app for privacy • iCloud Backup — Optional, off by default • Export — PDF, CSV, Markdown • 15 Languages — 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

Abox Note · Markdown Notes4 screens
Second Brain4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Abox Note · Markdown Notes at none against Second Brain's 1. Abox Note · Markdown Notes also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Second Brain's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Second Brain sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Abox Note · Markdown Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Abox Note · Markdown Notes ships an update fortnightly, Second Brain every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 2 level
Abox Note · Markdown Notes versus Second Brain: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAbox Note · Markdown NotesSecond Brain
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size210 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGuangwei YuSelahattin Bozat

In-app purchases

None

Abox Note · Markdown Notes

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Second Brain

One-time1
  • Second Brain Premium$9.99

Questions

Is Abox Note · Markdown Notes free?
Abox Note · Markdown Notes 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 Abox Note · Markdown Notes or Second Brain have ads?
Abox Note · Markdown Notes shows ads; Second Brain does not.
Which is updated more often, Abox Note · Markdown Notes or Second Brain?
Abox Note · Markdown Notes ships an update fortnightly, and Second Brain every 3 months. Most recently, Abox Note · Markdown Notes was updated on September 18, 2026 and Second Brain on October 1, 2026.

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