The Ultimate Guide to Flashcard Apps to Ace Your Studies!

OK, before we get started, you might be asking …

… But Why Should I Use Flashcards?

I never used flashcards in my studies, and I definitely should’ve. When I look back on my time studying, I definitely didn’t study effectively or efficiently AT ALL. I made pages and pages of notes in the same colour pen … I mean, what was I thinking?! Anyways, they say hindsight is 20-20, and if I ever study again, I’ll definitely be studying smarter, not harder 😉.

OK, so the great thing about flashcards is that if you use them correctly, they will help you learn and retain info quickly and effectively. Here’s what makes flashcards an excellent and valuable study tool:

1. They promote active learning and active recall. When you create and then study your own flashcards, you have to think about the answer and test your memory before you flip them over to get the answer (questions or a key term are on the front of the card, and answers are on the back). This is way better than passively reading through notes where you’re likely to zone out (and fall asleep, if you’re like me).
2. They enhance and deepen memory (metacognition). With flashcards, you can quickly check if you got the correct answer, which helps you self-assess and reflect on how you’re doing. Also, the repetition in learning your flashcards strengthens your memory, helping you recall info later on in your tests and exams.
3. They help you assess how well you know your material. If you answer your flashcard and then see you’ve got the answer wrong, you can immediately see which areas of the material you need to go back to and focus on. You can then repeat this flashcard until you’re 100% confident you know the answer/s.
4. You can structure them based on your confidence level. If you’re confident about specific topics and their answers, you can create a separate group for these flashcards. For the work you’re still unfamiliar with, you can create another group and spend more time practising these flashcards until you’re confident you know the material.
5. They condense information and are ideal for on-the-go learning. Flashcards don’t contain a lot of information – just questions or keywords and the answers at the back. This means you can learn from them easily anytime, anywhere (especially if you’re using an app on your phone). Now there’s no excuse not to study😉.

Your Ultimate Guide to Online Flashcard Apps

Here’s a list of some of the most popular flashcards apps.

AnkiApp

What to expect

AnkiApp has a unique algorithm (developed by an ex-neuroscientist) to make studying extra efficient for you. The algorithm tracks how well you know each flashcard and will then prioritise the ones you don’t know. You can download pre-made flashcards (over 80 million to choose from!) or easily create your own. You can then test how much you know in quick sessions of 60 seconds or less and track your progress afterwards.

Features

• Access to pre-made, public flashcards.
• Downloadable flashcards are available from the likes of Quizlet.
• Create flashcards on any device.
• Study from back to front.
• Self-grading options to track how well you know your materials.
• Ability to add images and sound to your flashcards, plus further customisation with colours, bulleted lists, and more.
• Cloud synchronisation so that you can access your flashcards from all devices.
• Available in English, French, German, Chinese, Portuguese, and Romanian.

Who are the flashcards created by?

Students and creators from other flashcard apps, like Quizlet.

Price

The app is free for download. You will need to create an account. AnkiApp Basic is free, but you’ll only have sync access for one device. You can choose AnkiApp Unlimited, which you’ll have to pay for.

Available on

Web, Android, iOS

Brainscape

What to expect

Brainscape focuses on spaced repetition, which, according to its website, is ‘the process by which new or difficult concepts are studied more frequently than easier known concepts’. Brainscape’s modified version of spaced repetition, called Confidence-Based Repetition, further optimises the learning process by automatically determining how a student’s study time is allocated. Brainscape offers over a million flashcard classes, including flashcards focused on A Level exams, AP exams, GCSE exams, and university entrance exams. You can also choose from a wide range of subjects on foreign languages, science and maths, humanities and social sciences, medicine and nursing, vocations, law, health and fitness, business and finance, and even random knowledge like mythology and national capitals!

Features

• Ability to add images and sounds.
• Advanced editor to personalise your flashcards.
• Study statistics.
• Reverse flashcards.

Who are the flashcards created by?

Students, professors, publishers, and subject-matter experts.

Price

If you want to create, share, and study your own content, then that’s always for free. However, if you want access to other flashcards and classes, the starting price is about £8 a month. You can also opt for semester, yearly, or lifetime plans.

Available on

Web, Android, iOS

Chegg

What to expect

Like many other apps listed here, you can either make your own flashcards or study from existing ones. You can currently search from over 500 million flashcards (including on subjects like aeronautical engineering, horticulture, and even real estate). You can also review your flashcards on any device.

Features

• When learning, you can choose your practice mode: flashcards or multiple choice.
• Flashcards are completely free – no need to sign up to look for them.
• You can start your cards from back to front when learning them.

Who are the flashcards created by?

Students.

Price

If you want to find flashcards, that’s completely free, and you don’t need to have an account to access them. However, you’ll need to sign up if you want to create your own flashcards.

Available on

Web

Cram Flashcards

What to expect

What a name, right?! The main webpage isn’t the most appealing, I must admit, but Cram does offer a plethora of flashcards on fascinating topics. You’ve got the likes of Ambulance Driver’s Test, Army Battle Drills, Cessna Speeds, Crossfit Level 1 Test, Navy History and Heritage, Private Pilot Oral Exam, and so much more. So if you’re looking for flashcards on very niche topics, Cram has you covered.

Who are the flashcards created by?

You don’t need to create an account to create and upload flashcards, so anyone can create and upload them. Based on the topics offered, it’s safe to say subject matter experts and professionals are creating them, too!

Features

• Ability to import flashcards from Google Drive.
• Ability to test yourself in different formats (matching letters, written, multiple-choice, true/false questions), including how many flashcards you want to be tested on.
• Play games that use the flashcard set you’re currently studying (I tried it, and it’s pretty fun and great for visual learners!).

Price

Free (you can access and create flashcards without an account).

Available on

Web, Android, iOS

iDoRecall

What to expect

This flashcard app uses science-backed technology (retrieval practice, interleaving, variation, metacognition training) and spaced-repetition flashcards, which are all organised in a single repository. You can upload your study materials to the iDoRecall library, including Word docs, PDFs, images, and media from YouTube and Soundcloud. One of the app’s coolest features is that if you’re battling with a particular flashcard, you can click a link that will take you directly to the study material in its original context. Rather than creating your own flashcards, iDoRecall lets you upload your study materials and then create flashcards from that. You’ll also have access to stats to see your progress. It’s also a great app for teachers who want to monitor how their students are doing.

Features

• Ability to create social hubs where teachers can create classes and students can form study groups. Here you can share learning materials and flashcards.
• Access to curated collections of free OpenStax flashcards (including subjects such as sociology, business ethics, physics, statistics, precalculus, and statistics).
• Ability to clone files.
• Access to deep metrics to track progress.

Who are the flashcards created by?

Students (undergrad and postgrad), teachers, and academic experts.

Price

You can access textbook content for free, but you need to create an account. The free version comes with 200 flashcards and 10MB of storage space. If you want to access all features, you’re looking at around £13 a month if you’re a learner.

Available on

Web

Polar

What to expect

Although Polar is primarily a reading and note-taking tool, you can effortlessly create your own flashcards super quickly – all you have to do is highlight some text, and in one click, you’ll have your flashcard. You can then use Polar’s spaced-repetition algorithm to learn them or sync them with Anki. You can also track your progress and set goals, such as learning X number of flashcards per day.

Features

• Automatic syncing with Anki via the Polar add-on.
• An intelligent algorithm that schedules your flashcards for review. When you start a new review, the algorithm chooses ten cards up for review.
• All flashcards go into learning mode until you can fully understand your material.
• Light and dark mode.

Who are the flashcards created by?

Yourself!

Price

Polar is free with free cloud storage and access to the main features. There is a premium plan available for more storage and advanced features (the plus version is about £6 a month). If you’re a student, you can get a 25% discount.

Available on

Web

Quizlet

What to expect

Quizlet has been around since 2005 and offers students an archive of millions of flashcard decks (its website says over 300 million flashcards have been created!). You can simply browse flashcards created by other students and teachers, or you can create your own and share them with the app’s free flashcard maker. Some flashcards featured on Quizlet’s website include organic chemistry, biological psychology, angles, architectural styles, and even Czech verbs!

Who are the flashcards created by?

Students and teachers.

Features

• Ability to add images from Quizlet’s library.
• Ability to customise existing flashcards.
• Swipe mode to learn your flashcards quickly (if you know the work, swipe right, if you don’t, swipe left – exactly like a dating app 😁).
• Seven types of study modes.

Price

The app is available for free download, and you can create flashcards for free. If you want access to QuizletPlus (which comes with expert explanations), you’re looking at about £27 a year.

Available on

Web, Android, iOS

StudySmarter

What to expect

OK, so obviously, we’re biased, and we could write a separate blog post on why you should choose our flashcards 😉, but let’s keep this short and sweet! StudySmarter is an all-in-one learning platform, so apart from our flashcards, you’ll also have access to study sets (created by subject-matter experts) on various subjects (we’ve got study sets for A Levels, GCSE, AP, high school, and university), textbook solutions, and statistics to set goals and track your progress. With our flashcards feature, you can create your own flashcards (you can do this by simply highlighting some text from your study materials!) or access millions of flashcards on various subjects. StudySmarter uses a space-repetition algorithm that adapts to how you learn to optimize your studying success.

Who are the flashcards created by?

Students, teachers, and subject-matter experts.

Features

• Effortlessly create flashcards with our templates and smart formatting (add media, change colours, add bullet points, and much more).
• Create flashcards directly from your uploaded documents by simply highlighting important parts.
• Access flashcards in a variety of formats, including multiple-choice quizzes.
• Access your flashcards wherever you are with our offline mode.
• Available in other languages.
• Replaces all the other apps listed above 😉 because you have everything you need in one place!

Price

It’s all for free 🤩! You’ll need to sign up by creating an account and telling us a few details about yourself so that we can tailor your study plan!

Available on

Web, Android, iOS (check out our article on the difference between our desktop app and our mobile app!)

Other Flashcard Apps to Check Out

Here are a couple more apps for you to peruse!

Flashcards App

With its oh-so-creative name 😉, you can use Flashcards App to study what you want. You can create question-answer flashcards, multiple-choice flashcards, and single-choice flashcards, and you can easily share them with other students. The website leaves little to be desired, but if all you want is a flashcard tool, then Flashcards App will give you exactly that. A cool feature is that the app can read your flashcards in various languages. You can create up to 50 flashcards for free.

Memrise

Memrise is purely for language learning, so if you’re a beginner or at an intermediate level, this is a great app to try out. While it’s not explicitly marketed as a flashcard app (you instead get video examples of how the language you’re learning is used in real life), the info presented to you resembles a flashcard with bite-sized info. The app also offers gamified tests to improve your language skills. It’s available on Android and iOS.

So, Who Wins? Which Is the Best Flashcard App?

We hope this guide to flashcards helps you in your quest to study more effectively! Of course, each app has its own advantages, and you must find one that best suits your needs. However, we can’t help but blow our own horn a little bit 😉. We were voted the best edtech start-up, after all! StudySmarter really is an incredible app, and it’s all for free! You can create your own flashcards, access millions of flashcards created by other students, and study from our study sets created and edited by our experts without paying a single cent. Our app also comes with a smart planner feature that will help you structure your studies so that you can get the most out of your learning experience.

If you’re keen to check us out, you can download our app on Google Play or the App Store.

Hope to see you there (and hope to see some of your own awesome flashcards, too!)