Study Stacks — The Modern Way to Build & 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.
Create a Study Stack
Sign up free to build your first AI-powered study stack
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Step 1: Upload Source
Drop in a PDF, slide deck, YouTube video, or paste plain text — your full study material in one place.
Step 2: AI Builds the Stack
The AI extracts every important concept, definition, and relationship and organizes them into a clean study stack.
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.
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.
Scholarly vs StudyStack
StudyStack.com is the classic flashcard-stack site from 2006. Here's how Scholarly's study stacks compare in 2026.
| Feature | Scholarly | StudyStack |
|---|---|---|
| AI flashcard generation | From PDFs, slides, videos, text, images | Manual entry only |
| Spaced repetition | SM-2 algorithm, built-in | Basic flip-card review |
| Study modes | Flashcards, quiz, matching, written, audio | Flashcards, matching, hangman, crossword |
| Export to Anki / Quizlet | Yes, native exports | Limited |
| Printable PDF | Yes, print-ready | Yes |
| Mobile experience | Modern responsive web app | Dated UI, ad-heavy |
| Ads | None | Display ads throughout |
| AI chat with material | Ask questions about your stack | Not available |
| Cost | Free plan available | Free with ads |
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 for Study Stacks
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 plans add unlimited generation 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.
More Scholarly study tools
Build Your First Study Stack Today
AI-powered study stacks with spaced repetition — free to start.
Free
- 3 AI Chat messages per day
- 1 AI creation per day
- 1 file upload per day (8MB)
- 10 quiz questions per day
- 1 exam attempt per day
- 8-page PDF to flashcards
- 500 autocomplete words per day
Use it to generate flashcards, improve a deck, make a podcast, create a video lecture, build slides, or process a recording.
Ultimate
$144 billed yearly
Everything in Free, plus:
- Unlimited AI Chat messages & autocomplete
- Unlimited AI creations
- Unlimited file uploads (up to 300MB)
- Unlimited study sessions
- Unlimited exams & quizzes
- 1,000-page PDF to flashcards
- Export to Anki
- Priority support
Pricing in USD. Local currency available in app.
Compare plans
Feature
Free
Ultimate
AI Chat
3 messages/day
Unlimited
AI Creations
1/day total
Unlimited
Creation Tools
Flashcards, deck edits, podcasts, videos, slides, recordings
All unlimited
File Uploads
1/day (8MB)
Unlimited (300MB)
PDF to Flashcards
8 pages
1,000 pages
Practice Questions
10/day
Unlimited
Practice Exams
1/day
Unlimited
Autocomplete
500 words/day
Unlimited
Export to Anki
—
Included
Support
Standard
Priority
What students say
Scholarly has been a valuable tool for my studies. The AI-generated flashcards and intuitive features make organizing and retaining information much easier.
Briana
Student
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
Student
I am currently preparing for a test that covers a substantial amount of material, and I've found that not having to physically write out my flashcards has been incredibly beneficia...
Isabelle
Student
Scholarly is great for students. I am enrolled in online university and my classes are all PDF based. All I do is upload the PDF and it creates flashcards decks for me. The greate...
Alexandra
Student
Your questions, answered
Is Scholarly free to use?
Yes! The free plan includes core study tools with daily limits: AI Chat messages, one AI creation per day, file uploads, quizzes, practice exams, and manual flashcard creation. Upgrade to Ultimate when you want unlimited AI creations and higher limits.
What uses my daily AI creation?
Generating flashcards, improving a flashcard deck, making a podcast, creating a video lecture, building slides, or processing a recording each use the same daily free AI creation allowance. AI Chat messages, uploads, quizzes, and exams have their own separate daily limits.
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.
Do you offer discounts for educators?
Yes, we offer special pricing for educators and educational institutions. Contact us at [email protected] for details.
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 daily actions like AI Chat messages, uploads, quiz questions, and new AI creations. Limits reset every day.
For Educators or Schools
Contact us for special pricing at [email protected].