Comparison

Simple Zen vs SecondBrain AI Assistant

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

Head to head
About

Simple Zen

Features
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Simple Zen turns your iPhone into a calm, intentional tool. Instead of endless app grids and dopamine-driven notifications, you get a minimalist text launcher that puts you back in control. YOUR PHONE, SIMPLIFIED Choose only the apps you actually need. Simple Zen replaces your home screen with a clean, monospaced list โ€” no icons, no badges, no distractions. Just the essentials. MINDFUL FRICTION THAT WORKS Every time you reach for a distracting app, Simple Zen pauses you with a breathing exercise, a reflection prompt, or a simple countdown. This small moment is enough to break the autopilot habit. BLOCK APPS FOR REAL (Premium) With Screen Time access, a focus session doesn't just ask โ€” it holds the apps you choose shut until the timer ends. iOS enforces it, so willpower isn't the plan. Which apps you pick never leaves your device. REAL LIFE TODAY See exactly how much of your day remains before bedtime. Track phone usage as a percentage of your waking hours. The less time on your phone, the more real life you have. SLEEP SCHEDULE Set your bedtime and wake time with an intuitive circular dial. Simple Zen uses this to calculate your real life remaining and track how much of your day goes to your phone. ADD ANY APP VIA SHORTCUTS With Premium, add any app to your launcher โ€” even the one released yesterday. Browse 70+ popular apps or enter any app manually using Apple Shortcuts. Step-by-step guides walk you through setup. ZEN GARDEN (Premium) Earn zen stones for mindful behavior โ€” surviving delays, maintaining streaks, and staying focused. Watch your garden grow as your relationship with your phone improves. VOICE REFLECTIONS (Premium) Record voice memos about your phone habits. On-device speech recognition and smart categorization help you spot patterns. Audio never leaves your phone. CONTEXTUAL BLOCKING Automatically increase delays or block apps when your calendar shows you're busy or when you're at your work location. FOUR DARK THEMES (Premium) OLED-optimized Zen Brush, Quill & Scroll, Typewriter, and Stone Tablet. FEATURES AT A GLANCE - Minimalist text-based app launcher - Mindful delay with breathing animation - Real app blocking during focus sessions (Screen Time) - Real Life countdown until bedtime - Phone usage percentage tracking - Sleep schedule with circular picker - Escalating delays per app - Custom reflection prompts - Time limits per app - Contextual blocking (calendar + location) - Focus profiles and focus timer - 4 dark themes + 1 light (Zen Pearl) theme - Home screen widgets (launcher, clock, quote) - NFC tap-to-focus - Live Activities / Dynamic Island - Siri and App Intents - Apple Health mindful minutes sync - Complete dumb phone setup guide - Privacy-first: no data leaves your device. No analytics. No accounts. Simple Zen is a one-time purchase. No subscriptions. Yours forever. Privacy Policy: https://williamjiamin.github.io/simple-zen-site/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

SecondBrain AI Assistant

Features
Read full description

SecondBrain AI Assistant Your personal AI that organises you โ€” not the other way around. Tired of jumping between too many apps, tabs, and reminders? Second Brain is a proactive AI life management platform that acts before you even ask. Every morning, you receive a personalised AI Briefing with your top priorities and best focus window. Every Sunday, a thoughtful Weekly AI Letter reflects on your progress. Throughout the day, your Quiet AI Coach gently surfaces the right nudges at the right time. Whether you're an entrepreneur, student, or busy professional struggling with mental overload โ€” Second Brain acts as your calm, intelligent Chief of Staff. Key Features: - AI Morning & Evening Briefings - Natural Language Task Capture - Habits with streaks and energy tracking - Goals & AI Project Manager - Energy-adaptive Focus Timer - AI Chat with long-term memory - Weekly AI Letters & Monthly Reviews - Daily AI Report with mood analysis - Google Calendar Sync (coming soon) - Beautiful premium dark themes Pro Plan Unlock full AI features with an optional in-app subscription. All your data is stored securely in the EU and fully GDPR compliant. We never sell your personal data. No more complexity. Just calm, intelligent productivity. Think Less. Remember More. SecondBrain AI Assistant by Build To Connect LTD Terms of Use: https://secondbrainai.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://secondbrainai.app/privacy

Screenshots

Simple Zen4 screens
SecondBrain AI Assistant4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SecondBrain AI Assistant at daily against Simple Zen's every 2 weeks. SecondBrain AI Assistant also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Simple Zen sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and SecondBrain AI Assistant sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Zen ships an update every 2 weeks, SecondBrain AI Assistant daily. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
Simple Zen versus SecondBrain AI Assistant: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple ZenSecondBrain AI Assistant
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksDaily โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” better
Requires iOS18.015.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size110 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer็ซ‹ๆดพ ๆฑชBUILD TO CONNECT LTD

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Simple Zen

One-time2
  • Simple Zen Premium_$3.99
  • Simple Zen Premium$3.99
2 purchases

SecondBrain AI Assistant

Subscriptions2
  • Second Brain Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Second Brain Pro Annual$69.991 Year

Questions

Is Simple Zen free?
Simple Zen is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SecondBrain AI Assistant free?
SecondBrain AI Assistant is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Simple Zen or SecondBrain AI Assistant have ads?
Neither Simple Zen nor SecondBrain AI Assistant shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simple Zen or SecondBrain AI Assistant?
Simple Zen ships an update every 2 weeks, and SecondBrain AI Assistant daily. Most recently, Simple Zen was updated on October 31, 2026 and SecondBrain AI Assistant on November 10, 2026.

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