These Are the Best Flashcard Apps for Studying.
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Creating your own flashcards can be tedious, but they’re such an effective learning tool that it would be a shame if that prevented you from using them. While writing information by hand has significant memory benefits , busy students don’t always have the time, so here are a few reliable online services for creating and using flashcards.
Benefits of Flashcards for Study
First, it’s important to understand why you want to use flashcards for studying, not to mention why some apps and services are better suited for this task than others. Regular self-testing can cement the contents of flashcards in your brain, as you’re forced to use active retrieval to retrieve information from short-term or long-term memory when prompted. You can vary your active retrieval strategies by using the “blurting” method (saying or writing down everything you can remember from the material before checking your notes) or the Feynman method (transferring the material to another person ), even if it’s just ChatGPT . But for now, let’s focus on flashcards.
The best way to cement material in your memory is to use the Leitner method , a kind of spaced repetition , and flashcards do just that. With this method, you sort your cards into about five piles (though you may have more or fewer, depending on how much time remains until your test) as you review them, moving them up or down the pile depending on whether you got the answer right or wrong. Over time, you’ll be able to review cards in the top piles less frequently as you understand their content, and you’ll review cards in the bottom piles more frequently as you struggle with them.
Not only will you spend less time memorizing familiar material, but you’ll also force your brain to store it in long-term memory so you can retrieve it on the rare occasions you do encounter these flashcards. Many of the apps listed below use the Leitner method, or a form of spaced repetition, to automatically present you with cards you struggle with more frequently, which is what makes them so useful. However, you still need to study the less frequently encountered cards as well; this process is called “relearning,” and it will help you retain the information much longer.
The apps below were chosen for several reasons. First, I chose those that make creating flashcards easy. Second, I chose those that are based to some extent on the Leitner method and allow you to indicate whether you answered a flashcard correctly.
The best flashcard apps
There are several great and easy-to-use websites that allow you to create flashcard decks online and then use these virtual decks for studying.
To find ready-made flashcards: Brainscape
In my full review of Brainscape, I gave it five stars. I really like it. I’m actually using it extensively in preparation for my upcoming certification exam.
Brainscape lets you create your own flashcards, search for flashcards created by other students, and even access flashcards approved by accrediting organizations for purposes like standardized tests, entrance exams, and certification tests. Brainscape is perfect for everyone, from SAT preppers to lifelong learners like me, and the variety of materials is endless. I’ve even used it to study random things simply because I was curious about learning something new. Best of all, I never had to create flashcards. Everything I need is already there.
The free version allows you to use text, while the paid version lets you add images and sounds, perform more complex editing, study an unlimited number of materials, import materials, copy other users’ flashcards into your files, and view learning statistics. A Brainscape subscription costs $19.99 per month, $59.94 per six months, $95.88 per year, and $199.99 per lifetime. By the way, I’ve been using the free version for several months now and I’m happy with it. What about the phone version? Here are the iOS and Android versions.
For simplicity: Cram
Sometimes all you need is a simple deck of cards with fronts and backs that can be used for a quiz. Cram is very easy to use and works great in the free version (though $29.99 per month gives you access to a few additional features, such as customizing the card format).
Read my full review here , but the gist is this: you get simple white cards, which on the website are displayed either as traditional cards, a matching game with a drop-down menu, or classic computer games (like jewel-matching games and a space shooter), which record the information on your cards. Aside from the colorful games, there’s nothing extraneous here. Just enter information on the cards and get to work. It’s that simple.
Download the apps: for iOS – here, for Android – here.
To add photos: Quizlet
There are a number of flashcard generators that allow you to use images, but the pricing for many of them is oddly opaque. Quizlet , a popular study platform you’re probably already familiar with if you’ve ever taken an online course and tried Googling your homework assignments, lets you create flashcards (with pictures!), view other people’s flashcards, and take practice tests. The price for getting rid of ads and unlimited learning is simple: you pay $35.99 per year or $7.99 per month. You can also import existing data from Word or Excel to create flashcards even faster. In my review of this one , I gave it five stars because you can also use your account to access practice tests and games, plus it’s been around for so long that it’s essentially become the gold standard for students. Like others on this list, it works great in the free version, which is why it made my list of the best free study apps .
Download for your iPhone here and for Android here .
For quick flashcard creation: Flashcard Lab
If you want to create flashcards quickly and use Google’s free productivity suite (namely, Google Sheets), you should use Flashcard Lab . As I explain in my full review, it’s not exactly a flashcard maker. It’s essentially a simple way to quickly convert Google Sheets content into flashcards. Column A is the front of the card, column B is the back, and that’s it—but it’s great if you just need a few quick flashcards. If you’re really in a rush, you can upload your class materials to ChatGPT and have the AI create a downloadable .xls file with the questions and answers, then open it in Sheets and work with it. Honestly, using this tool couldn’t be simpler or less labor-intensive.
The app is available on iOS and Android , as well as via a Chrome extension . You can use it for free to study 600 words from the GRE set, view or print up to 20 cards in each deck, add up to five images to each deck, and manually add cards to the “forgotten” set for review. A one-time payment of $10.99 upgrades you to the “Elite” level, which provides access to some additional features, such as the ability to enable spaced repetition or randomized repetition.
For learning a foreign language: DuoCards
I recommend two apps for learning foreign languages: Repeet and DuoCards. In a direct comparison, I chose DuoCards because its additional features slightly outperform Repeet’s. But the bottom line is that both apps have automatic translation features, allowing you to quickly create flashcards directly in the app or with a Chrome extension.
Repeet works on iOS , Android , or a Chrome extension . The same goes for DuoCards: iOS , Android , or a Chrome extension . DuoCards features a mini-game and an AI-powered chatbot to help you dive deeper into the language than just using flashcards, while Repeet is flashcard-only, but these features come at a cost. While Repeet is completely user-friendly and excellent in its free version, DuoCards’ free version only allows 20 flashcards in the “to study” category and just 10 opportunities to ask the chatbot questions. Paying $33 for three months or $64.90 for a year removes ads, gains access to unlimited flashcards, and allows nonstop conversations with the AI-powered chatbot. If mini-games and immersion are important to you, choose DuoCards. If you just want flashcards or don’t want to spend money, Repeet is a good choice.
Bonus: NotebookLM from Google
If you read a lot of my course materials, you know I love NotebookLM . If you don’t read much of my course materials, I’ll explain why: this free resource is an AI-powered chatbot that uses only the materials you provide. This means you upload your slides, notes, links, videos, and PDFs from class, and the answers it gives you will be based solely on those. I’ve seen ChatGPT make serious mistakes in homework assignments, mostly because it can and will use data from all over the internet, so there are safeguards in place.
NotebookLM can do several things to help you study. It can take notes on your materials or create a work plan like any chatbot, but it can also create a mock podcast discussing your materials, generate flashcards , and prepare practice tests for you. In all of its materials, NotebookLM hyperlinks to the section in your materials where it pulled the material from, so if you make a mistake on a card or test question, you can quickly find the source and review it. It’s free, but its drawback is that it doesn’t use the Leitner method for flashcards.
It can be accessed through a browser via the website or via an app on iOS and Android .