For a month, my Google Pixel 8 became a testing ground to find the best personal knowledge management (PKM) app.

While Notion, Obsidian, Capacities, and Anytype promise to be the ultimate ‘Second Brain’ on the desktop, the real test of a PKM app is how seamlessly it integrates into our lives – and for millions, that means the Android app experience.

I dedicated 30 days to intensely using these four major contenders on my Android phone. I tested everything from widget functionality and fast capture speed to offline access and overall stability.

Let’s go over it and conclude which of these four knowledge giants deserves a place on your Android home screen.

Notion

Packed with features

Over the years, I have seen Notion seriously commit to improvement, and the Android app is surely not the slow, clunky web wrapper it used to be.

The developers have started using native components for many areas, and as a result, the Android app is launching up to 3x faster than before.

However, despite all the under-the-hood work, Notion’s biggest flaw is its lack of a true quick-capture experience. Notion is designed for the desktop-first audience, and it clearly shows in its Android app.

I had to use Google Keep just to write down my quick thoughts and ideas on the go.

The Home Screen widget is a welcome addition and a great idea, but when I tap the plus button, it just creates a generic new page.

What I really need is a sticky notes-like functionality that bypasses the full workspace.

That said, when you look past the initial capture speed, you remember why Notion is such a beast.

Having all my databases, automations, and my carefully built templates instantly available is excellent. No other app in this category offers as many features as Notion does.

Obsidian

Graphs, plugins, canvas, and more

When I look at the Obsidian mobile app, I feel a genuine mix of awe and frustration.

The key feature that sets Obsidian apart for me is the ability to create and access an entire vault right on my device. Besides, these are Markdown files, which means my notes and knowledge are future-proof.

Obsidian mobile apps support graph view, community plugins, canvas, and all the core features on Android. I have my entire second brain with me, ready to link, visualize, and expand my thoughts no matter where my Pixel is or whether I have a signal.

But the app suffers from the same fundamental issue as Notion: it doesn’t feel native on Android. When I launch the app, especially after it’s been in the background for a while, I get that noticeable load time.

The quick-capture process is also a nightmare since it doesn’t have home screen widgets. I have to launch the app, select a vault, head to a folder, and create a new Markdown file.

Obsidian is a fantastic mobile editor when it’s open, but as a mobile capture tool, it constantly reminds me that it’s a desktop application crammed onto my smartphone.

Anytype

An ideal balance of features and privacy

After using Notion and Obsidian, I finally arrived at a true contender, and for me, that’s Anytype. It’s the PKM app that actually delivers on the mobile promise.

It brings the best of both worlds — Notion’s structured power and Obsidian’s privacy and speed. It’s the PKM app I suggest the most.

First, Anytype has a native app on Android, and it feels robust and fast. The fact that it is built to be offline-first and supports end-to-end encryption gives me the privacy and data control I love about Obsidian.

The built-in editor is a delight to use. The block-based editor supports the slash command, and I had no problem formatting the pages the way I want. And like Notion, it also lets me create complex databases with multiple views.

The list of features continues with a graph view, customizable home, wallpaper, and multiple objects to fly through your pages.

My only major feature request for the future would be homescreen widgets.

Capacities

A unique approach to PKM

Capacities is the other capable contender that made a huge impression on me, mainly because it offers a completely different yet compelling way to organize information.

Capacities’ object-based knowledge management system requires the biggest learning curve.

Instead of simply creating nested pages or folders, you need to create objects for things like People, Books, Ideas, or Meetings, each with its own set of custom properties and fields.

It’s a completely different mental model from the other three apps, and after it clicks, it makes organization feel intuitive.

Where Capacities shines brightest on my Android device is its user experience. It offers a fast and dedicated quick-capture functionality that lets me save text, links, or images from my favorite apps right into Capacities.

I also appreciate the built-in focus on Daily Notes and the functional graph view.

However, getting into that object-based system means there is a huge initial learning curve.

It takes real effort to define my own object types and figure out how they should interact. It doesn’t support end-to-end encryption either.

Don’t buy the hype

After a month of testing these four giants of knowledge management on my Pixel 8, the verdict is clear.

While Notion and Obsidian are productivity powerhouses on the desktop, they still have a long way to go when it comes to delivering the same fluid experience on Android.

Capacities and Anytype have done an excellent job with their native mobile apps. But they do come with a slight learning curve, and if you are comfortable with initial hiccups, you can’t go wrong with either of them.

As for me, I have decided to stick with Anytype due to its robust privacy, features, open source nature, and offline-first design.

However, at the same time, I’m keeping a close eye on how other PKM tools evolve on the mobile scene.