Anki

Free spaced-repetition flashcard app with a powerful card scheduler

AI Education & LearningFree planOverseasβ˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… 5.0

What is Anki?

Anki is a free, open-source flashcard program built on spaced repetition: cards you find difficult return sooner, and material you know well is pushed further out, which makes study time far more efficient than rereading notes. Decks can hold text, images, audio and video, and cards are generated from note templates, so one record can produce several question forms. It runs on desktop, mobile and the web, and syncing across devices uses a free AnkiWeb account. AI is not part of the core product; text-to-speech and card generation come from community add-ons, and the scheduling algorithm is the real differentiator.

Last updated: 2026-09-20. This site only provides an index; for exact features, pricing, and licensing, see the official website.

Key features

  • Spaced-repetition scheduler with configurable learning steps
  • Note templates that generate several cards from one record
  • Support for images, audio, video and LaTeX in card fields
  • Free AnkiWeb sync plus a large library of shared decks
  • Thousands of community add-ons and custom card styling
  • Desktop, mobile and browser clients on one collection

Pros & cons

Strengths

  • Free and open source with no subscription at all
  • Scheduling is measurably better than rereading notes
  • Card templates and add-ons are extremely flexible

Watch out for

  • Interface is dated and unfriendly to new users
  • Writing good cards takes skill and real effort
  • No built-in AI generation; that depends on add-ons

Best for & use cases

language vocabulary, medical and exam revision, long-term memory retention

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FAQ

Why is spaced repetition better than rereading?

It schedules each item just before you would forget it, so difficult cards appear often and easy ones fade into the background. That concentrates the same study time on the material you actually struggle with.

Do I need to write my own cards?

You can, and it tends to produce better retention. Shared decks exist for many subjects, but cards you write yourself reflect your own course and wording, which makes them easier to recall.

Does Anki include AI features?

No, not in the core app. Community add-ons can generate cards or add speech, but the product itself is a scheduler. For AI card generation, a dedicated study app is the simpler route.