The Best Flashcard and Spaced Repetition Apps in 2026
Flashcards work best when an app tells you exactly when to review each one. These apps all do flashcards, but they differ a lot in how they schedule reviews, where your cards come from, and what they cost.
Checked against each app’s own website in September 2026.
Quick picks
- Best for studying from your own notes
Strawberry Notes
Make cards right from your handwriting and PDFs, scheduled with FSRS, in the same app as your notes.
Get Strawberry Notes - Best for power users and huge decks
Anki
Free, open source, endlessly tweakable, with a giant library of shared decks.
Strawberry Notes vs Anki - Best for ready-made sets and class games
Quizlet
A huge public library, plus Quizlet Live for classes.
Strawberry Notes vs Quizlet - Best for outline notes with cards inside
RemNote
Turn bullet notes into flashcards as you type.
Strawberry Notes vs RemNote - Best free exam prep
Knowt
Free study modes, plus AP, SAT, and ACT prep.
Strawberry Notes vs Knowt
All of them, side by side
Scroll sideways to see every app.
| Feature | Strawberry Notes | Anki | Quizlet | RemNote | Knowt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 a year (7 days free), $4.99 a month, or $39.99 once | Free on computers and Android. $24.99 once on iPhone and iPad | Free with limits. Plus plans up to $44.99 a year in the App Store | Free with limits. Pro is $10 a month or $96 a year, $20 a month with AI. Higher in the App Store | Free with ads and 1 AI summary a month. Ultra is $24.99 a month or $149.99 a year |
| Works on | iPad and iPhone. Android, Windows, and Mac coming soon | Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android, and web | iPhone, iPad, Android, and web | Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android, and web | iPhone, iPad, Android, and web |
| Flashcards | Yes:Built in, with FSRS spaced repetition, image occlusion, and Anki import | Yes:Its specialty: FSRS (you turn it on), cloze, image occlusion, and shared decks | Yes:A huge public library. Spaced repetition on the web only | Yes:Built in, with SM-2 by default (FSRS in beta), image occlusion, and Anki import | Yes:Study modes and spaced repetition. No image occlusion that we could find |
| Handwriting | Yes:Smooth, realistic-looking ink with pens, pencil, highlighter, study tape, and shape recognition | Partly:A scratchpad for reviews, not for notes | No:No handwritten notes. You can scan a page to make a set | Partly:An add-on to its typed outlines: handwritten pages or a canvas, and drawing on PDFs | No:No handwriting |
| Write on PDFs | Yes:Write on PDFs and scans, or read side by side | No:No | Partly:Upload PDFs to make study guides, but you can't write on them | Yes:Highlight PDFs and link parts into your notes | Partly:Upload PDFs to make AI notes and flashcards |
| AI study tools | Yes:Chat, summaries, study guides, games, and quizzes with matching, fill-in-the-blank, and ordering questions. Free starter credits, then pay only for what you use | No:Not built in. Add-ons only | Yes:Study guides, practice tests, and Ask Quizlet chat. More on paid plans | Yes:Flashcards, quizzes, summaries, and chat. Monthly credits by plan | Yes:AI notes, flashcards, practice tests, and a tutor. Unlimited on Ultra |
| Organize and link | Yes:Subjects, folders, subnotes, tags, links, backlinks, and Sky View, a map of your notes | Decks, subdecks, and tags | Folders and classes | Yes:References, backlinks, tags, and nested outlines | Folders and tags |
| Works offline | Yes:Yes. Everything saves on your device first, then syncs to your other devices through iCloud | Yes:Fully offline, with free AnkiWeb sync | Partly:Study saved sets in the mobile apps | Yes:Yes, then syncs when you're back online | Online first. Offline use isn't documented |
| Where your notes live | Yes:Your device, plus your own iCloud if you want it. Back up your whole library as one file anytime. We can't read your notes | Yes:Your device. AnkiWeb sync is optional | Quizlet's servers | RemNote's servers, or local-only knowledge bases on desktop | Knowt's servers. The free plan has ads |
| Share and work together | Partly:Publish a note, or export it as a .sbnote file, to share it. Live editing isn't here yet | Shared decks to download | Yes:Shared sets, classes, and Quizlet Live | Yes:Shared knowledge bases you edit together | Share sets to study, plus classes and live games |
App by app
1. Strawberry Notes
The all-in-one study app for iPad and iPhone.
- You want notes, flashcards, and tasks in one simple app, with docs and a calendar coming soon
- You write by hand on infinite pages with infinite zoom
- You want to link your notes and see them all on a map
- You want flashcards scheduled with FSRS, plus image occlusion and Anki import
- You want to use AI and only pay for what you use
- You want your notes private, on your device and your own iCloud
2. Anki
The free, powerful flashcard app that med students and language learners swear by.
- You only need flashcards, and lots of them
- You want it free on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android
- You love shared decks and add-ons
- You want to tweak every setting and stat
3. Quizlet
The giant flashcard library, with study games and class tools.
- You want ready-made flashcard sets for your class
- Your teacher uses Quizlet classes or Quizlet Live
- You only need flashcards, not a place for your notes
- You need Android or the web right now
4. RemNote
Outline notes with flashcards built in, popular with med students.
- You want deep control: custom schedulers, outlines, and lots of settings
- You type your notes as bullet outlines
- You need Windows, Mac, Linux, or the web right now
- You want to move Anki decks over with their review history
- You're studying for the MCAT and want their bundles
5. Knowt
A free Quizlet-style flashcard app with AI notes and exam prep.
- You want free flashcard study modes and a big public library
- You're prepping for AP, SAT, or ACT exams
- You want to bring Quizlet sets over in one click
- You need Android or the web right now
Questions people ask
If you make flashcards from your own notes, Strawberry Notes keeps your notes and cards together and schedules every review with FSRS. Anki is the pick for power users and huge decks, Quizlet for ready-made sets and class games, RemNote for outline notes, and Knowt for free exam prep.
Strawberry Notes uses FSRS by default. Anki offers FSRS as an option you turn on, and RemNote has it as an opt-in beta. Quizlet and Knowt use their own scheduling.
Yes. Strawberry Notes imports Anki .apkg files, including images and audio, and turns cloze deletions into study tape. RemNote imports them too. Review history doesn't carry over to Strawberry Notes, so FSRS starts fresh.
More roundups
- Best Handwriting Apps for iPad
- Best Note-Taking Apps for Students
- Best AI Study Apps for Students
- All one-on-one comparisons
Every app here is a trademark of its maker, and Strawberry Notes isn't affiliated with any of them. Prices are in US dollars and can change, so check before you buy. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.