Simple Memo vs Heptabase
Which Should You Choose?

What is Heptabase?

Heptabase is a visual knowledge management tool from Taiwan. Cards (notes) are freely arranged on infinite whiteboard canvases for visual thinking. Features include card linking, tags, and a journal (daily notes). Ideal for academic research and deep thinking. Pricing: $11.99/mo (annual: $9.99/mo). 7-day free trial available. Desktop and mobile apps.

Combining Visual Thinking with Text Capture

Heptabase's greatest strength is spatially arranging cards on whiteboards to visualize relationships between ideas. Building paper structures, surveying project landscapes, discovering connections between concepts — Heptabase excels at this kind of deep thinking. But visual thought organization requires focused time and environment. You sit at a desk, open a whiteboard on a large screen, and carefully position cards. This doesn't work on a commuter train, during a two-minute break between meetings, or when an idea strikes while walking. Simple Memo - for Obsidian is built for those "can't focus" moments. Launch in 0.4 seconds, type your thought, one-tap send to email. It specializes in catching thoughts before they vanish. The ideal workflow: capture fragmented ideas with Simple Memo - for Obsidian while on the move, receive them via email. Then, during focused time, open Heptabase and drag those received memos onto your whiteboard for spatial organization. By separating capture from thinking, both improve in quality. Adding a ¥500/month capture layer alongside your $11.99/month Heptabase offers excellent return on investment. The two tools complement rather than compete — Simple Memo - for Obsidian feeds the raw material that Heptabase transforms into structured knowledge.

Comparison Table: Simple Memo vs Heptabase

3 Differences Between Visual Thinking and Text

• 1Whiteboard Thinking vs Text Capture
  Heptabase arranges cards spatially on infinite canvases to visually discover relationships between concepts. Simple Memo types text in 0.4 seconds and sends it via email. Heptabase's "see ideas laid out" process and Simple Memo's "never lose a thought" process serve different workflow phases.
• 2Built for Learning vs Built for Moments
  Heptabase is optimized for deep understanding of complex topics like literature reviews and course learning. Simple Memo is optimized for capturing "right now" moments -- commute insights, meeting keywords, walking epiphanies. The purposes are clearly distinct.
• 3$11.99/mo vs $2.99/mo — the ROI question
  Heptabase delivers a full suite of whiteboards, cards, and journals for $11.99/mo. Simple Memo Premium offers unlimited sends for $2.99/mo ($29.99/yr). Prices may vary by region; see the App Store purchase screen. If you need visual thinking, Heptabase's price is justified, but for text capture alone, Simple Memo's cost-effectiveness is overwhelming.

Who Should Choose Which?

When to Use Heptabase

Simple Memo excels at instant capture, but Heptabase is genuinely better in these scenarios. When you need to visualize and deeply explore your thinking, Heptabase's whiteboards are irreplaceable.

• 1Academic Literature Review and Idea Mapping
  As you read dozens of papers, place key points on cards arranged on whiteboards. Visualize relationships between authors, theoretical lineages, and opposing views spatially. Structures invisible in linear text emerge through visual arrangement.
• 2Grasping Complex Project Overviews
  Place project tasks, dependencies, and milestones as cards on whiteboards. Cross-cutting connections invisible in Gantt charts or kanban boards become visible, deepening your holistic understanding of the project.
• 3Brainstorming and Idea Development
  Turn free-association ideas into cards and freely move them around on whiteboards for grouping. The thinking process itself becomes visible, making solo brainstorming and idea development remarkably effective.
• 4Online Course and Video Learning Notes
  Create cards for key points from each course section and reconstruct the overall course structure on a whiteboard. Rearranging knowledge connections yourself transforms passive learning into active knowledge construction.

Migration Guide: Adding Simple Memo to Heptabase

The most effective approach is to continue using Heptabase for deep thinking while delegating mobile material collection to Simple Memo. Let Simple Memo complement Heptabase's weakness in mobile capture.

• 1Download Simple Memo from the App Store
  The free version allows up to 3 sends per day. It operates completely independently from Heptabase. Just configure your email address to start using it.
• 2Create a Dedicated Email Folder for Heptabase
  In Gmail, create a "HeptaInput" label. In iCloud Mail, create a folder. Auto-sort emails from Simple Memo to collect Heptabase-bound material in one place.
• 3Collect Raw Material with Simple Memo During the Day
  Capture reading insights, walking epiphanies, and conversation keywords in 0.4 seconds and send via email. No need to open Heptabase and navigate to a whiteboard.
• 4Convert Emails to Heptabase Cards in the Evening
  Review your "HeptaInput" folder, create new cards in Heptabase by copying memo content. Place them on appropriate whiteboards and link them to existing cards.
• 5Structure and Review Whiteboards on Weekends
  Survey the week's collected material cards, then group, link, and rearrange. Thanks to Simple Memo, your raw material volume increases, enriching your thinking in Heptabase. Establish this input-organize-deepen cycle.

FAQ

Practical Combined Workflow

Combining Heptabase's "visual thinking" with Simple Memo's "instant capture" creates a complete flow from input to deep thinking.

• 1During the day: Collect raw material with Simple Memo
  Insights from reading, keywords from meetings, ideas spotted on the street. 0.4s launch captures everything instantly — no need to open a whiteboard.
• 2Evening: Transfer from email to Heptabase cards
  Review inbox memos and place them as cards on themed whiteboards. Spatial arrangement reveals unexpected connections between notes.
• 3Deep thinking: Structure on the whiteboard
  Link cards together, group them, add new cards to develop ideas. Paper structures, project overviews, and idea maps take visual shape.

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