AI study stacks

The modern way to build and study flashcard stacks

Build study stacks from any PDF, slide deck, video, or block of text. AI organizes your stacks, spaced repetition schedules your reviews, and every stack is exportable to Anki or Quizlet.

Try the flashcard maker

Free to start · No credit card · Export to Anki & Quizlet

Used by 170,000+ students worldwide
How it works

From source to study stack in three steps

01

Step 1: Upload Source

Drop in a PDF, slide deck, YouTube video, or paste plain text — your full study material in one place.

02

Step 2: AI Builds the Stack

The AI extracts every important concept, definition, and relationship and organizes them into a clean study stack.

03

Step 3: Study with Spaced Repetition

A built-in SM-2 spaced repetition algorithm schedules each card for the optimal moment of review — no Anki setup required.

Basics

What Is a Study Stack?

A study stack is a collection of flashcards built around a single topic, chapter, or learning goal. Think of it like a deck — but more structured. A well-built stack covers the key vocabulary, definitions, concepts, and relationships for a unit of study, so you can review the whole topic in one place.

The "stack" metaphor matters because the order of cards in a stack changes as you study. The cards you almost knew get reshuffled to the top so you see them again sooner. The ones you've fully mastered slide to the back and only resurface days later. That's how spaced repetition turns short bursts of review into long-term memory.

Older study-stack tools (StudyStack, Cram, FlashcardMachine) pioneered the format with hand-typed cards and basic flip-style review. Scholarly modernizes the same idea: AI builds the stack from your actual study material in seconds, spaced repetition schedules the reviews automatically, and every stack stays in sync across your devices.

Comparison

Scholarly vs StudyStack

StudyStack.com is the classic flashcard-stack site from 2006. Here's how Scholarly's study stacks compare in 2026.

FeatureScholarlyStudyStack
AI flashcard generationFrom PDFs, slides, videos, text, imagesManual entry only
Spaced repetitionSM-2 algorithm, built-inBasic flip-card review
Study modesFlashcards, quiz, matching, written, audioFlashcards, matching, hangman, crossword
Export to Anki / QuizletYes, native exportsLimited
Printable PDFYes, print-readyYes
Mobile experienceModern responsive web appDated UI, ad-heavy
AdsNoneDisplay ads throughout
AI chat with materialAsk questions about your stackNot available
CostFree plan availableFree with ads
Features

What You Can Do with a Scholarly Study Stack

Auto-Generate from Source

Upload a chapter, slide deck, or video lecture and the AI builds the full stack — no manual card writing required.

Spaced Repetition Built In

The same SM-2 algorithm Anki uses, with zero configuration. Cards resurface at the optimal moment for retention.

Multiple Study Modes

Flip, multiple choice, matching, written response, and audio — switch modes to keep practice active.

AI Tutor on Your Stack

Stuck on a card? Ask the AI to explain it in plain English — using the exact source material you uploaded.

Export Anywhere

Send your stack to Anki, Quizlet, or download as a printable PDF. Your cards are never locked in.

Sync Across Devices

Study on your laptop in the library, your phone on the bus, your tablet at home — progress follows you everywhere.

Best practices

Best Practices for Study Stacks

1

One stack per topic. Don't mix biology and Spanish in the same stack. Tight topical scope makes the spaced repetition feel meaningful — you see every card in context with related material.

2

Keep stacks under 200 cards. If a chapter generates a 600-card stack, break it into 3 substacks. Long stacks feel endless and kill motivation; shorter stacks finish in 10–15 minutes and feel like a win.

3

Review daily, not in marathons. Fifteen minutes a day with spaced repetition outperforms a 3-hour Sunday cram. The algorithm only works if you actually open the stack regularly.

4

Edit AI-generated cards. The AI gets you 80% of the way there. Skim the stack after generation and rewrite any card that doesn't match how your professor framed the concept — your version, your wording.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a study stack and a flashcard deck?

They're effectively the same thing — different communities use different words. "Stack" is the older term (popularized by StudyStack and Cram), "deck" became the standard with Anki and Quizlet. Both refer to a collection of flashcards built around a single topic.

Can I import my existing StudyStack cards?

Yes — export your stack from StudyStack as a text or CSV file, then paste the content into Scholarly's Text to Flashcards tool. The AI will rebuild the stack with spaced repetition scheduling.

Is the spaced repetition the same as Anki's?

Scholarly uses the SM-2 algorithm, the same foundation Anki is built on. The difference is setup: in Anki you configure intervals, ease factors, and review limits. In Scholarly it just works — open the stack and study.

Is Scholarly free like StudyStack?

Yes, Scholarly has a free plan with generous AI generation limits. Unlike StudyStack, the free experience is ad-free -- Premium adds higher generation limits and advanced features.

How large can a study stack be?

Stacks can hold thousands of cards, but most students find 100–200 cards per stack works best for daily review. For larger subjects, break the material into multiple topic-based stacks.

Keep exploring

More Scholarly study tools

Scholarly vs Quizlet

How Scholarly compares to Quizlet.

Scholarly vs Anki

Spaced repetition without Anki's setup.

Flashcard Maker

Make flashcards from any source.

AI Flashcards

AI-generated flashcards.

PDF to Flashcards

Turn any PDF into a study stack.

Free Flashcards

Free flashcard generator.

Get started

Build Your First Study Stack Today

AI-powered study stacks with spaced repetition — free to start.

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Free

See what it does with one of your own sources.

$0

/month

Free forever

No card required.

  • 3 lifetime AI Chat messages

  • 1 free AI creation total

  • 2-minute podcasts and video lectures

  • 1 free file upload total (8MB)

  • 5 lifetime quiz questions

  • 1 completed practice exam total

  • 15 lifetime voice minutes

  • 32-page PDF to flashcards

  • 500 lifetime autocomplete words

Use it to generate flashcards, improve a deck, or create a podcast, video lecture, slides, infographic, mind map, study guide, worksheet, spreadsheet, story book, timeline, SOP, flowchart, lesson plan, or outline — or run Deep Research or turn a recording into AI Meeting Notes.

Premium

Most Popular

Steady weekly output from the material you already have.

$12

/month

Billed yearly at $144 · save $216

  • Everything in Free, plus:

  • 10 AI creations per week

  • Unlimited AI chat & autocomplete

  • Podcasts up to 60 minutes, videos up to 45 minutes

  • Unlimited file uploads (up to 300MB)

  • Unlimited study sessions

  • Unlimited exams & quizzes

  • 1000-page PDF to flashcards

  • Export to Anki

  • Priority support

Laureate

For work where being right matters more than the price.

$99

/month

billed monthly · cancel anytime

For frontier models & 8x more AI Creations

Our most advanced and most expensive tier.

  • Everything in Premium, plus:

  • 80 flexible AI creation credits every week

  • 80 AI creations per week

  • Podcasts up to 60 minutes, videos up to 45 minutes

  • Unlimited uploads up to 1 GB, plus 3,000-page PDFs

  • 12 hours of voice mode per day

  • Priority support and early access to new Frontier models

Pricing shown in USD. Local currency may be available for Premium in app.

Compare plans

AI chat

Premium and Laureate include unlimited AI chat. GPT 5.6 Sol and Claude Opus 5 are reserved for credit-metered AI creations.

Free
3 total
Premium
Unlimited
Laureate
Unlimited

AI creations

AI creations share one credit balance across every creation tool. Standard models use 1 credit; Frontier models Sol and Opus use 3.

Free
1 total
Premium
10/week
Laureate
80/week

Podcast length

Free episodes are fixed at 2 minutes. Paid plans can set a target length up to 60 minutes.

Free
2 minutes
Premium
Up to 60 minutes
Laureate
Up to 60 minutes

Video lecture length

Free lectures with a length control are fixed at 2 minutes. Paid plans can set a target up to 45 minutes. Short stays about 30 seconds.

Free
2 minutes
Premium
Up to 45 minutes
Laureate
Up to 45 minutes

File uploads

Free
1 total (8MB)
Premium
Unlimited (300MB)
Laureate
Unlimited (1 GB each)

PDF to flashcards

Free
32 pages
Premium
1000 pages
Laureate
3000 pages

Practice questions

Free
5 total
Premium
Unlimited
Laureate
Unlimited

Practice exams

Free
1 total
Premium
Unlimited
Laureate
Unlimited

Voice mode

Free
15 min total
Premium
2 hr/day
Laureate
12 hr/day

Autocomplete

Free
500 words total
Premium
Unlimited
Laureate
Unlimited

Export to Anki

Free
—
Premium
Included
Laureate
Included

Support

Free
Standard
Premium
Priority
Laureate
Priority

What customers say

Scholarly has enhanced the quality of notes and questions I administer to my tutees. Insightful, to the point.

TD Georgas

TD Georgas

Tutor

I have very good experience with Scholarly it summarize me scientific text in hovel academic level with citation. I use this for any therapeutic area . It is great and useful tool.

Diana

Diana

Scholarly user

Scholarly has been a valuable tool for my studies. The AI-generated flashcards and intuitive features make organizing and retaining information much easier.

Briana

Briana

Scholarly user

This app is great for studying for big test. Drop your PDF's in the system and it'll do the trick. You can organize it specifically for your needs.

Kelvin

Kelvin

Scholarly user

Your questions, answered

Is Scholarly free to use?

Yes! The free plan includes core study tools with lifetime allowances: 3 AI Chat messages, 500 autocomplete words, 5 quiz questions, 15 voice minutes, 1 practice exam, one free AI creation total, and 1 file upload. These allowances do not reset. Upgrade to Premium for 10 AI creations per week and unlimited uploads.

What uses my free AI creations?

Generating flashcards, improving a flashcard deck, making a podcast, creating a video lecture or infographic, building slides, a spreadsheet, or a story book, making a mind map, study guide, or worksheet, having an AI Agent create a timeline, SOP, flowchart, lesson plan, or outline, running Deep Research, or processing a recording uses your free AI creation. It is a lifetime free credit and does not reset. AI Chat, autocomplete, quiz practice, voice, exams, and file uploads have separate lifetime allowances.

Can I cancel anytime?

Absolutely. There are no contracts or commitments. You can cancel your subscription at any time from your account settings, and you'll keep access until the end of your billing period.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept all major credit and debit cards through Stripe. Pricing is displayed in USD by default, but local currency is available in the app.

Can I use Scholarly with a class or school?

Yes. For a school or organization-wide rollout, contact us at hello@scholarly.so and we'll help you find the right setup.

What happens when I hit a free plan limit?

You'll see a prompt to upgrade. Your existing work is never lost — limits only apply to new actions. Free-plan allowances are lifetime credits and do not reset. Premium includes 10 AI creations per week, podcasts up to 60 minutes, video lectures up to 45 minutes, unlimited uploads, chat, autocomplete, quizzes, and exams, plus more daily voice time.