Anki
Anki is a flashcard program that schedules reviews around recall. It is mainly used to memorize languages, exam material, facts, formulas, and other information.
#8 in Learning & Career ToolsStudy AppsFree plan
Who it's for
Best for
Medical students building decision-focused decks for exam preparation
Language learners maintaining vocabulary and sentence recall over time
Not for
Learners who need polished setup and minimal configuration- Language learners needing conversation or listening practice beyond flashcards
Features
Spaced review scheduling
Anki schedules the next review for when recall is most likely to fade. Review ratings guide the timing of future study.
Cross-device synchronization
The free AnkiWeb synchronization service lets cards sync across devices.
Rich media cards
Audio, images, videos, and scientific markup can be used in flashcards.
Card layout customization
Flashcard layouts and the timing of reviews can be changed to match different study workflows.
Large deck handling
Anki can handle decks of 100,000+ cards with no problems. Add-ons extend Anki with new features and functionality.
What users say
Pros
- Spaced reviews helped raise exam scores and retain vocabulary months after practice.
- Personal decks adapt to specific goals, from medical decisions and language sentences to chess positions and programming commands.
- Short daily sessions make studying practical during commutes, queues, and other small gaps.
- Desktop and Android study work smoothly together for language and other long-term decks.
Cons
- Large decks can create daily review loads that crowd out practice questions and new material.
- The interface and settings can require lengthy setup, troubleshooting, and specialist knowledge.
- Creating polished custom cards can involve manual writing, formatting, audio work, and repeated revisions.
- Flashcard recall alone does not build listening, speaking, or flexible understanding in every subject.
A selection of the review sources we used:
Summarized from public user reviews and community discussions. View details
Global Traffic Rank
Top 100k
Alternatives
Rank#8 in category#5 in category#9 in category#11 in category
Free planYesYesYesYes
Prostrong recall, flexible decks, broad study uses, cross-deviceFlexible drilling, shared sets, classroom activityFocused review, broad library, flexible cards, exam organizationlasting recall, reliable offline study, organized mobile learning