JotBunker vs Second Brain
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
JotBunker
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JotBunker is a note-taking app for your phone and your computer. You jot on your phone. You work and store in your Bunker, a secure computer on your home network. Sync happens over your local Wi-Fi when you choose. No cloud. No accounts. No data ever leaves your network. FOUR WORKSPACES โข Jots: Six numbered slots for quick capture. Each slot holds text, drawings, photos, voice recordings, and file attachments. Fill the slots, sync them to your computer, and clear them for the next round. โข Lists: Todos and checklists. Rename categories, reorder items, check things off on either device. Changes merge when you reconnect. โข Locked Lists: Gate codes, lock combos, membership numbers, safe combinations. Protected behind biometrics and auto-locked the moment you navigate away. โข Scratchpads: Six freeform text areas. Start a thought on your computer, pick it up on your phone. HOW SYNC WORKS Pair once by scanning a QR code. After that, tap Sync whenever you're on your home network. All network traffic is encrypted end-to-end with NaCl. Nothing goes through an external server. From your computer, download jots as plain files (.txt, .jpg, .m4a, .pdf) into folders you choose. Use them with anything: search tools, scripts, a PKM system, or just File Explorer. OPEN SOURCE JotBunker source code is publicly available under the GPL-3.0 license at github.com/johnbrantly/jotbunker. The companion desktop app is available at jotbunker.com.
Second Brain
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Second Brain is your offline-first personal knowledge management app. Capture every idea, note, and insight โ and never lose a thought again. No ads. No tracking. No account required. Your data stays on your device. FEATURES: โข Rich Notes โ Write with Markdown support, add images, link notes together โข Collections โ Organize notes into collections with icons and colors โข Tags โ Tag anything for instant filtering โข Daily Notes โ One note per day, automatically created โข Goals โ Track personal goals with milestones and progress โข Book Notes โ Capture key takeaways from books you read โข Quotes โ Save your favorite quotes โข Knowledge Graph โ See how your ideas connect visually โข Bi-directional Links โ Link notes and see backlinks automatically โข Full-Text Search โ Find anything instantly โข Favorites & Archive โ Star important notes, archive the rest โข Quick Capture โ Capture thoughts from the home screen widget โข Face ID / Touch ID โ Lock your app for privacy โข iCloud Backup โ Optional, off by default โข Export โ PDF, CSV, Markdown โข 15 Languages โ 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
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: JotBunker at none against Second Brain's 1. JotBunker also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Second Brain sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. JotBunker asks for nothing beyond the download.
JotBunker ships an update every 3 days, Second Brain every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | JotBunker | Second Brain |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days โ better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No โ better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod โ better |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.0 โ better |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 46 MB | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | John Brantly | Selahattin Bozat |
In-app purchases
JotBunker
No in-app purchases
Second Brain
- Second Brain Premium$9.99









