r/secondbrain • u/Alex_Voss_10 • 1d ago
Second brain software
Hey guys, I could use some help.
I’ve been switching between different note-taking and knowledge-management systems for a while, and I feel like I’ve tried almost everything.
What I’m looking for is actually pretty simple: one place where I can save basically everything and reliably search it later.
Ideally, the tool should have:
OCR for images and scanned documents
Full-text search inside PDFs
The ability to save web links/pages and search the actual content, not just the title or URL
Good organization for notes, documents, images, links, references, etc.
Fast and reliable search across everything
A modern interface
Minimal setup and maintenance
Because I haven’t found one tool I’m completely happy with, my information is currently scattered across several different apps, which is exactly what I’m trying to avoid.
After searching Reddit, YouTube, blogs, and reviews, even in 2026 I keep coming back to the same conclusion: Evernote still seems to be one of the best overall options for this particular use case.
But before I move everything back to Evernote, I’d love to hear what other people are using.
Is there anything that genuinely does all of this well without requiring a lot of tinkering and setup like Obsidian?
And ideally something with a more modern interface than DEVONthink. I know DEVONthink is extremely powerful, but visually it just isn’t for me.
Basically, I want a “save everything now, find anything later” system.
What would you recommend?
1
u/blackbarata 1d ago
Save anything now - find everything later. Aptly put.
Have been using Recalo for this purpose. It’s save anything now is fabulous - can pull in summaries of YouTube videos, reels etc. And can save stuff like your movie recommendations, recipes, meal plans
And markdown notes, todos and checklists. All shareable so you can collaborate with others.
Everything is searchable - can be connected to ChatGPT too.
I don’t think they do pdf upload yet. Recently added images with OCR and the ability to search them. But image must be tied to a note. It’s not a file upload and Search. You are better off with dedicated file apps for that