In short: Anki is the best for long-term memorization and is free on desktop and Android. FlashcardMaker.me (this site) is the fastest way to make cards: paste notes or a PDF and get a deck in about 30 seconds with no sign-up, then study it here or export it to Anki. Quizlet wins on ready-made sets, Knowt is the free Quizlet-style option, and RemNote suits people who want notes and cards in one place. Prices checked November 2026.
Disclosure: we make FlashcardMaker.me. Every other app’s free plan and price comes from its own pricing page; strengths are stated as fairly as our own.
Free plan, AI and price for each app, side by side. Checked November 2026.
| Feature | Anki | FlashcardMaker.me | Quizlet | Knowt | Brainscape | RemNote | Mochi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Long-term memorization (medicine, languages) if you will put in setup time | Making a deck from notes, a PDF or a topic in seconds, then studying or exporting it | Finding a set someone already made, and classroom games | Students moving off Quizlet who want a free Learn mode | Confidence-based repetition and expert-made decks | Taking notes and turning them into flashcards in the same document | Minimalist Markdown flashcards that work offline |
| Free plan | Free on desktop, web and Android | 1 AI deck/day without account (10 cards); 3 decks with free account; studying unlimited | Free with limits on Learn and tests, plus ads | Free plan with Learn mode and Quizlet import (ads) | Basic: unlimited typed cards, import, spaced repetition, some AI generation | Unlimited notes and cards; 250 AI credits/month | Unlimited cards and offline use; no sync |
| Paid | AnkiMobile (iPhone) $24.99 one-time | Pro $9.99/mo or $95.88/yr; 7-Day Pass $4.99; Exam Pass $19.99 (3 months) | Plus $35.99/yr; Plus Unlimited $44.99/yr | Ultra $149.99/yr or $24.99/mo | Pro shown at $7.99/mo (term varies) | Pro $8/mo ($96/yr); Pro with AI $18/mo ($216/yr) | Pro $5/mo billed annually (sync, more) |
| AI card making | None built in; add-ons with your own API key | Core feature: notes, PDF, Word, YouTube or a topic → cards, quizzes and tests | AI features mostly on paid plans | AI notes and flashcards from files and videos | AI can draft cards from text on the free plan | AI cards from text, capped on free | Limited |
Scroll sideways on a phone. Prices are in USD before tax and change often; check each vendor before buying.
Paste notes or type a topic. Your first deck needs no account, and you can export it to Anki or Quizlet afterwards.
Start with your own material
Notes: start without signup. PDF or Word: choose a file first, then create a free account for your first import.
Text & topics: no signup. 1 deck/day · first 10 cards of each deck free. Guest access includes 10 decks total.
Include facts or explanations you want to remember. For a subject name, choose Topic above.
Best for: Long-term memorization (medicine, languages) if you will put in setup time
Strengths
Drawbacks
Best for: Making a deck from notes, a PDF or a topic in seconds, then studying or exporting it
Strengths
Drawbacks
Best for: Finding a set someone already made, and classroom games
Strengths
Drawbacks
Best for: Students moving off Quizlet who want a free Learn mode
Strengths
Drawbacks
Best for: Confidence-based repetition and expert-made decks
Strengths
Drawbacks
Best for: Taking notes and turning them into flashcards in the same document
Strengths
Drawbacks
Best for: Minimalist Markdown flashcards that work offline
Strengths
Drawbacks
Looking specifically for AI study help beyond flashcards? See the best AI study tools. Leaving Quizlet? Read the free Quizlet alternative guide.
It depends on your bottleneck. If you will review every day for months, Anki has the best scheduler and is free on desktop and Android. If the slow part is writing cards, an AI maker such as FlashcardMaker.me builds a deck from your notes or a PDF in seconds and can export it to Anki. If you mostly need sets other people made, Quizlet has the largest library.
Anki is completely free on desktop, web and Android. Among apps with AI, FlashcardMaker.me lets you make a deck with no sign-up and never limits studying, Knowt keeps Learn mode free, and RemNote gives unlimited cards with 250 AI credits a month. Quizlet’s free plan caps Learn and practice tests and shows ads.
For turning your own notes, PDFs or slides into cards, look for three things: questions written only from your material, an export so you are not locked in, and a free tier you can test without paying. FlashcardMaker.me does all three (first deck with no account, .apkg and CSV export). Knowt and RemNote also generate cards; Anki has no AI of its own.
For long-term memory, usually yes: Anki’s spaced repetition is stronger and it is free on most platforms. Quizlet is easier, has far more ready-made sets and is better for class games. Many students make cards with AI, study short-term in a web app, and export to Anki for the long haul.
Anki, by a wide margin, because of its scheduler and shared decks built for board exams. Use an AI maker to turn lecture slides into cards and export them as .apkg so they sit alongside your other Anki decks.
Quizlet, Knowt, Brainscape, RemNote and Mochi have free iPhone apps, and FlashcardMaker.me works in Safari with no install. Anki’s iPhone app (AnkiMobile) is the exception: it costs $24.99 once, though AnkiWeb in the browser is free.