Anki alternatives that write the cards for you
Anki is the gold standard for spaced repetition, and for many students nothing replaces it. The usual reason to look elsewhere is time: Anki does not write a single card for you. Here are the alternatives, and how to keep Anki if you love its scheduler.
By the Quizard team, so we are not neutral: Quizard is on this list. Every claim about another product links to its source. Last checked .
Why students look for a Anki alternative
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1
You make every card
Anki gives you no cards from your lectures. You write them by hand, download a shared deck, or install add-ons, and making cards for a full course can take hours.
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2
A lot to set up
Note types, deck options and scheduler settings such as FSRS give you deep control, but they take time to learn before they help.
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3
Paid on iPhone
Anki is free on desktop, web and Android, but the iOS app is a one-off purchase.
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4
Shared decks follow someone else’s course
Decks such as AnKing are excellent for board exams, but they do not match a class where your own professor writes the exam.
Sources: Anki: downloads and platforms, Anki manual: deck options and FSRS
The best Anki alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Quizard | Studying from your own lecture slides and notes | There is no public library of other people’s sets, and generating from more than 50 pages a month needs Plus. |
| RemNote | A note-taking app with flashcards built into your notes, spaced repetition and AI on paid plans. | Notes and flashcards together with spaced repetition. The free plan includes 5 AI cards; Pro with AI is $18 a month billed yearly. |
| Brainscape | Flashcards built on confidence-based spaced repetition. | Confidence-based spaced repetition. Creating cards with AI from files is part of Pro, listed at $7.99 a month. |
| Gizmo | A game-like flashcard app with community decks and Magic Import from files, Quizlet and Anki. | Imports Anki and Quizlet decks, but the free plan uses hearts: lose 15 and you wait 10 minutes. |
| Knowt | A popular free Quizlet alternative with public study content, unlimited self-made sets and AI tools on paid plans. | Free study modes including spaced repetition, with one AI summary a month on the free plan. |
Other products’ details come from their own pages, checked on 3 November 2026 and linked on each comparison page. Products change, so tell us if anything is out of date.
Quizard
- Writes exam-style questions and flashcards from your own PDFs, PowerPoints and notes
- Every question links to the slide it came from, so you can check it
- No limits while you study, and export to Anki or CSV on every plan
- Free plan
- Unlimited studying, no ads; questions and flashcards from 50 pages a month
- Paid
- Plus at $7.99 a month or $39.99 a year, or a $9.99 exam pass
Watch out for: There is no public library of other people’s sets, and generating from more than 50 pages a month needs Plus.
Quizard vs Anki, side by sideRemNote
A note-taking app with flashcards built into your notes, spaced repetition and AI on paid plans.
- Keeping notes and flashcards in one connected place
- Flexible spaced repetition
- Long-term knowledge building
Watch out for: Notes and flashcards together with spaced repetition. The free plan includes 5 AI cards; Pro with AI is $18 a month billed yearly.
Quizard vs RemNoteBrainscape
Flashcards built on confidence-based spaced repetition.
- Rating how well you knew each card to set its schedule
- Pre-made decks for common subjects
- Clean mobile flashcard review
Watch out for: Confidence-based spaced repetition. Creating cards with AI from files is part of Pro, listed at $7.99 a month.
Quizard vs BrainscapeGizmo
A game-like flashcard app with community decks and Magic Import from files, Quizlet and Anki.
- Game-like quizzing with hearts
- Importing from PDFs, PowerPoints, Quizlet and Anki
- Community decks
Watch out for: Imports Anki and Quizlet decks, but the free plan uses hearts: lose 15 and you wait 10 minutes.
Quizard vs GizmoKnowt
A popular free Quizlet alternative with public study content, unlimited self-made sets and AI tools on paid plans.
- Free study modes on your own sets, including spaced repetition
- Public notes, flashcards and exam resources
- AI summaries from files, video and recordings
Watch out for: Free study modes including spaced repetition, with one AI summary a month on the free plan.
Quizard vs KnowtWhen Anki is still the better choice
If you enjoy making cards, rely on add-ons, or your exam is covered by a shared deck, stay with Anki. You can also generate cards in Quizard and export them to Anki for free, so you keep reviewing where you already review.
Try Quizard on one of your lectures
Drop in a lecture and get 5 exam-style questions from it in about a minute, each linked to its slide. No account, no ads.