Anki is the undisputed king of spaced repetition flashcards. It's free, powerful, and has been the go-to choice for medical students, language learners, and serious studiers for over 15 years.

But let's be honest: Anki is also frustrating.

The interface looks like it was designed in 2006 (because it was). Setting it up properly requires YouTube tutorials, Reddit deep-dives, and hours of configuration. Syncing between devices is clunky. The mobile app costs $25. And creating cards—especially from existing materials—is tediously manual.

If you've ever thought "there has to be something better," you're not alone. This guide compares the 7 best Anki alternatives, covering their strengths, weaknesses, and ideal use cases. Whether you're a student, professional, or lifelong learner, there's likely a modern option that fits your needs better.

Quick Comparison Table

App	Best For	AI Features	Price	Spaced Repetition
Scholarly	PDF/image to flashcards	Yes - auto generation	Free + Premium	Yes
RemNote	Note-takers	Limited	Free + Premium	Yes
Quizlet	Casual users	Basic	Free + Premium	Basic
Brainscape	Curated content	No	Free + Premium	Yes (CBR)
SuperMemo	SR purists	No	Paid	Yes (original)
Mochi	Markdown users	No	Free + Premium	Yes
Memrise	Language learning	No	Free + Premium	Yes

Why People Look for Anki Alternatives

Before diving into alternatives, let's acknowledge what drives people away from Anki:

The Learning Curve Problem

Anki is not intuitive. New users face:

• Confusing terminology (notes vs. cards, deck options, ease factors)
• Complex settings with non-obvious defaults
• Add-ons required for basic features
• Sync setup that shouldn't be complicated
• Card formatting that requires HTML/CSS knowledge

Many people bounce off Anki before ever experiencing its benefits.

The Interface Problem

Anki's desktop app looks dated. The review interface is functional but uninspiring. Creating cards feels like filling out a database form. There are no modern touches like dark mode (without add-ons), drag-and-drop, or visual progress indicators.

For something you're supposed to use daily for years, the experience matters.

The Creation Problem

Making flashcards in Anki is manual and slow:

1. Open Anki
2. Click "Add"
3. Type front
4. Tab to back
5. Type back
6. Click "Add"
7. Repeat hundreds of times

There's no OCR, no AI, no PDF import, no image-to-text. You're typing everything by hand or hunting for pre-made decks that may or may not match your needs.

The Mobile Problem

Anki's iOS app costs $25 (one-time). The Android app is free but third-party. Neither is as polished as modern mobile apps.

What Anki Does Right

To be fair, Anki's core strengths are real:

• Free and open-source (desktop)
• Highly customizable (if you put in the work)
• Massive community with pre-made decks
• Proven algorithm refined over 15+ years
• Works offline completely
• No subscription (except iOS purchase)

Now let's see how alternatives compare.

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1. Scholarly - Best for AI-Powered Flashcard Creation

Website: scholarly.so

Overview

Scholarly takes a fundamentally different approach: instead of manual card creation, it uses AI to generate flashcards automatically from PDFs, images, and text. Upload your lecture slides, and get study-ready flashcards in seconds.

Key Features

• AI Flashcard Generation: Upload PDFs, images, or paste text—AI extracts key concepts and creates Q&A pairs
• PDF to Flashcards: The standout feature. Upload any PDF and get instant flashcards
• Image to Flashcards: Take photos of notes, textbooks, whiteboards—AI does the OCR and card creation
• Modern Interface: Clean, intuitive design that doesn't require tutorials
• Built-in Spaced Repetition: Automatic scheduling without configuration
• Web-Based: Works on any device, no installation required

Pros

• Dramatically faster card creation
• No learning curve—start studying immediately
• Great for students with lots of lecture materials
• Modern, pleasant interface
• AI generates well-structured cards

Cons

• Smaller pre-made deck library than Anki
• Less customization for power users
• Requires internet connection
• AI generation isn't perfect (but you can edit)

Best For

Students who want to turn lecture PDFs and notes into flashcards quickly. If you've ever thought "I wish I could just upload my slides and have flashcards made for me," Scholarly is exactly that.

Pricing

• Free tier with limited uploads
• Premium for unlimited AI generation

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2. RemNote - Best for Integrated Note-Taking

Website: remnote.com

Overview

RemNote combines note-taking with flashcard generation. Instead of creating notes AND flashcards separately, you write notes and RemNote automatically turns them into flashcards using special syntax.

Key Features

• Notes-First Approach: Write notes, get flashcards automatically
• Bidirectional Linking: Connect concepts across notes
• Multiple Card Types: Cloze deletions, Q&A, and more
• PDF Annotation: Highlight and annotate PDFs, create cards from highlights
• Knowledge Graph: Visualize how concepts connect
• Spaced Repetition: Built-in scheduling

Pros

• Perfect for people who already take notes
• No duplicate effort (notes = cards)
• Powerful knowledge management features
• Good for building connected understanding
• Active development with regular updates

Cons

• Learning curve for the note syntax
• Can feel overwhelming with too many features
• Performance issues with large databases reported
• Less powerful than Anki for pure flashcard use

Best For

Students and researchers who take extensive notes and want flashcards generated automatically from their note-taking workflow.

Pricing

• Free tier available
• Pro subscription for advanced features

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3. Quizlet - Best for Casual Users and Sharing

Website: quizlet.com

Overview

Quizlet is the most popular flashcard platform by user count. It's simple, social, and has a massive library of user-created sets. What it lacks in spaced repetition sophistication, it makes up for in accessibility.

Key Features

• Huge Library: Millions of pre-made flashcard sets
• Multiple Study Modes: Flashcards, learn, write, spell, test, match
• Easy Sharing: Share sets with classmates instantly
• Quizlet Live: Classroom game for group study
• Mobile Apps: Polished iOS and Android apps
• AI Features: Basic AI assistance for explanations

Pros

• Dead simple to use
• Largest library of pre-made content
• Great for classroom/group use
• Multiple study modes beyond flashcards
• Smooth mobile experience

Cons

• Basic spaced repetition (not true SR algorithm)
• Premium required for many features
• No PDF/image import
• Less effective for long-term retention
• Ad-supported free tier

Best For

Casual studiers, high school students, and anyone who values simplicity and social features over optimization.

Pricing

• Free with ads and limitations
• Quizlet Plus: ~$36/year
• Quizlet Teacher: ~$48/year

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4. Brainscape - Best for Curated Professional Content

Website: brainscape.com

Overview

Brainscape uses "Confidence-Based Repetition" (CBR), where you rate how well you know each card on a 1-5 scale. It also offers professionally-created flashcard content for standardized tests and professional certifications.

Key Features

• Confidence-Based Repetition: Rate your confidence, algorithm adapts
• Certified Content: Professional decks for MCAT, bar exam, languages, etc.
• Clean Interface: Modern, distraction-free design
• Progress Tracking: Detailed statistics and progress visualization
• Collaborative Decks: Create and share with classmates
• Mobile Apps: Well-designed iOS and Android apps

Pros

• High-quality curated content
• Intuitive rating system
• Professional, modern interface
• Good for standardized test prep
• Works well out of the box

Cons

• Best content requires payment
• Less customizable than Anki
• Smaller community deck library
• No AI card generation
• CBR may be less optimal than SM-2 for some

Best For

Students preparing for standardized tests (MCAT, GRE, LSAT, bar exam) who want quality pre-made content without the DIY approach.

Pricing

• Free for basic features
• Pro: ~$10/month for premium decks

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5. SuperMemo - Best for Spaced Repetition Purists

Website: supermemo.com

Overview

SuperMemo invented spaced repetition. Literally—Piotr Wozniak created the first SR algorithm in 1985. While Anki used an older SuperMemo algorithm (SM-2), SuperMemo itself has continued evolving to SM-18.

Key Features

• Advanced Algorithm: SM-18 is theoretically more optimized than Anki's SM-2
• Incremental Reading: Process large texts and generate flashcards
• Knowledge Tree: Organize learning hierarchically
• Statistics: Extremely detailed retention analytics
• Decades of Development: Longest-running SR software

Pros

• Most advanced spaced repetition algorithm
• Incremental reading is powerful for processing textbooks
• Detailed analytics for optimization nerds
• Supports very long-term learning (decades)
• Created by the inventor of SR

Cons

• Windows only (no Mac/Linux)
• Very steep learning curve
• Interface is even more dated than Anki
• Expensive compared to free alternatives
• Small community

Best For

Spaced repetition purists who want the most theoretically optimal algorithm and don't mind a dated interface. Also good for incremental reading of dense texts.

Pricing

• One-time purchase: ~$60
• SuperMemo.com online version: subscription

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6. Mochi - Best for Markdown Lovers

Website: mochi.cards

Overview

Mochi is a minimalist flashcard app that uses Markdown for card creation. If you already write in Markdown (developers, writers, note-takers using Obsidian/Notion), Mochi feels natural.

Key Features

• Markdown Support: Write cards in Markdown, including code blocks
• Clean Interface: Minimal, distraction-free design
• Spaced Repetition: Solid SR implementation
• Templates: Create card templates for consistency
• Offline First: Works without internet
• Open Format: Data stored in readable files

Pros

• Elegant, simple interface
• Perfect for Markdown users
• Great for programming/technical content
• Fast and lightweight
• Good data portability

Cons

• Small community
• Limited pre-made decks
• No AI features
• Basic image support
• Mobile app is basic

Best For

Developers, technical writers, and anyone who thinks in Markdown. Great for learning programming languages and technical concepts.

Pricing

• Free tier available
• Pro: ~$5/month

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7. Memrise - Best for Language Learning

Website: memrise.com

Overview

Memrise specializes in language learning, combining flashcards with video clips of native speakers, mnemonics, and gamification. It's not a general-purpose flashcard app, but it's excellent for its niche.

Key Features

• Native Speaker Videos: Real people pronouncing words/phrases
• Gamification: Points, streaks, leaderboards
• Official Courses: Professionally designed language courses
• Spaced Repetition: Adapted for vocabulary learning
• Community Courses: User-created content for various topics
• Mobile-First: Designed for phone learning

Pros

• Excellent for language vocabulary
• Native speaker audio/video is unique
• Gamification motivates daily use
• Well-designed mobile experience
• Good for beginners

Cons

• Language-focused (limited use for other subjects)
• Premium required for best features
• Less effective for advanced learners
• Not customizable
• Grammar instruction limited

Best For

Language learners who want vocabulary acquisition with native speaker media and gamification to stay motivated.

Pricing

• Free with limitations
• Premium: ~$9/month

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How to Choose Your Anki Alternative

Choose Scholarly if:

• You have lots of PDFs, lecture slides, or notes to convert
• You want AI to generate flashcards for you
• You don't want to spend time configuring settings
• Modern interface matters to you
• You're a student with textbook/lecture-heavy learning

Choose RemNote if:

• You already take extensive notes
• You want notes and flashcards integrated
• Building connected knowledge is important
• You like the Roam/Obsidian approach
• You want one tool for everything

Choose Quizlet if:

• You want something dead simple
• Sharing with classmates matters
• You're a casual studier
• Pre-made decks for common topics are sufficient
• You're in high school

Choose Brainscape if:

• You're preparing for standardized tests
• You want curated, professional content
• CBR appeals more than traditional SR
• You prefer quality over quantity
• You'll pay for good content

Choose SuperMemo if:

• You're obsessed with SR optimization
• You process lots of dense reading material
• You're on Windows
• You're in it for the very long term
• Interface doesn't matter to you

Choose Mochi if:

• You love Markdown
• You're learning technical/programming content
• Minimalism appeals to you
• You want offline-first
• You value simplicity

Choose Memrise if:

• Language learning is your goal
• Native speaker audio matters
• Gamification helps you stay consistent
• You're learning common languages
• You prefer mobile learning

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When to Stick with Anki

Despite its flaws, Anki remains the right choice if:

• You already have a working setup: Don't fix what isn't broken
• You need specific pre-made decks: Medical, law, and some language communities have unmatched Anki resources
• Customization is essential: No alternative matches Anki's flexibility
• You're an advanced user: Power users can optimize Anki beyond any competitor
• Cost is paramount: Anki desktop is completely free

The Anki community has built incredible resources over 15+ years. For some use cases (especially medical school), migrating away means leaving behind thousands of hours of community work.

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The Future of Flashcard Apps

The flashcard space is evolving rapidly:

AI Generation

Tools like Scholarly are proving that AI can dramatically reduce the barrier to flashcard creation. Expect more apps to add AI-powered card generation from documents, notes, and media.

Integration

The line between notes, flashcards, and knowledge management is blurring. Apps that combine these functions (like RemNote) will likely grow.

Mobile-First

As more learning happens on phones, apps designed for mobile will gain advantage over desktop-first tools like Anki.

Adaptive Learning

Beyond simple spaced repetition, expect apps to adapt to individual learning patterns, time of day, energy levels, and more.

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Conclusion

Anki earned its dominance through free access, powerful customization, and a dedicated community. But it's not the only option anymore.

If you've bounced off Anki's complexity, or you're spending too much time making cards instead of studying them, modern alternatives offer real benefits:

• Scholarly turns your PDFs into flashcards automatically
• RemNote generates cards from your notes
• Quizlet makes everything dead simple
• Brainscape provides curated professional content
• Mochi serves Markdown lovers
• Memrise specializes in languages

The best flashcard app is the one you'll actually use consistently. If Anki's friction is preventing that, it's worth exploring alternatives.

Ready to try a modern approach? Create AI-powered flashcards from your PDFs with Scholarly—and see how much time you save.

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Related Resources

• The Science of Flashcards: Why They Work
• 10 Free Anki Alternatives
• AI Flashcards: How AI Transforms Studying