In an increasingly digital world, flashcard apps are becoming more and more popular — especially among students who want to prepare efficiently for exams. However, with so many apps available, choosing the right one can be challenging.

This blog post provides an overview of the best free flashcard apps in 2025. By “free,” we mean freemium apps that offer a free basic version and only charge once a certain usage threshold is exceeded. We’ll be comparing five leading apps: Anki, Quizlet, StudySmarter, Anki Pro, and Retain. Our comparison is based on the three most important criteria for students: learning efficiency, user-friendliness, and cost. With this guide, you’ll find the app that best fits your study needs.

Comparison

In the following section, we compare what we consider the five best flashcard apps for students in 2025: Anki, Quizlet, StudySmarter, Anki Pro, and Retain. To help you find the app that best meets your needs, we evaluate them based on three main criteria: learning efficiency, cost, and user-friendliness.

Learning efficiency is our top priority, as students want to make the most of their study time. Flashcard apps that offer innovative learning methods like Spaced Repetition or personalized study plans help learners retain information faster and more sustainably — allowing them to achieve the same results in less time. This category is further broken down into two aspects: how efficiently learning material can be created, and how efficiently it can be studied (e.g., through advanced learning techniques).

Cost is also an important factor. While all the featured apps offer a free version, they differ in the pricing and value of their premium features.

User-friendliness is equally crucial; an intuitive interface and modern design help you stay focused on learning without getting lost in complex menus or unnecessary features.

To objectively evaluate each app, we assign a score from 1 to 5 for each criterion — 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest. This comparison will help you make an informed decision by clearly highlighting the pros and cons of each app.

Anki

Anki is a popular learning app, best known for its ability to help users retain knowledge effectively through flashcards.

Learning Efficiency: Anki uses the Spaced Repetition algorithm and Active Recall to optimize learning. However, its default algorithm is based on the outdated SM-2 model, which is nearly 40 years old. While this method still delivers solid results, the flashcard creation process is entirely manual and time-consuming, as there is no AI support. Score: 3/5

Cost: Anki offers its web, Android, and desktop versions for free, making it an attractive option for many students. However, the iOS app comes with a one-time cost of €29.99, which may be a barrier for some users. Still, Anki remains the most affordable learning app overall. Score: 5/5

User-Friendliness: Anki has an outdated and somewhat unintuitive interface, with many configuration options that can be overwhelming for beginners. The steep learning curve often requires watching YouTube tutorials to use the app effectively. Score: 2/5

Quizlet

Quizlet is a widely used learning app that’s especially popular among school students, and is well suited for creating and studying flashcards.

Learning Efficiency: Quizlet allows users to create flashcards from various sources like PDFs or YouTube videos, making the creation process easier. However, the flashcard types are limited to basic formats and do not offer features like image occlusion or cloze deletions, which can be useful in certain learning scenarios. The app offers a variety of learning modes, but it’s unclear which algorithms are used and how effective they are compared to others. Spaced Repetition is only available in the premium version, and there’s no way to rate your answers when studying with regular flashcards. Overall, Quizlet is more suitable for school students than university students. Score: 3/5

Cost: The basic version of Quizlet is free, but includes ads that can disrupt the learning flow. Access to advanced features like Spaced Repetition requires a paid subscription at €6.99 per month. Score: 3/5

User-Friendliness: Quizlet’s interface is user-friendly and focuses on the core element—flashcards. However, the ads can be distracting, and there’s no feature to track learning progress in relation to a specific exam date, which can limit the user experience. Score: 3/5

Studysmarter

StudySmarter is a popular learning app designed specifically for students, offering a range of features to help make studying more efficient.

Learning Efficiency: StudySmarter allows users to create flashcards from PDFs, though user feedback on this feature is mixed. The app only supports very basic flashcard types—such as simple text cards—and lacks more advanced options like image occlusion or cloze deletions, which could be beneficial for certain learning styles. A standard Spaced Repetition algorithm runs in the background, but it is not based on the latest scientific research. On the plus side, StudySmarter also offers practice tests, which can help learners assess their level of understanding more effectively. Score: 4/5

Cost: The basic version of StudySmarter is free and includes core features. However, access to advanced tools like AI-generated flashcards requires a premium subscription. This premium plan costs around €5.80 per month and grants unlimited access to AI-generated cards. StudySmarter only offers an annual subscription, which might be a financial hurdle for some users. Score: 3/5

User-Friendliness: StudySmarter offers a clean and intuitive interface that makes it easy to navigate and study. Like Quizlet, it includes ads, though they are less intrusive. Despite the ads, the app delivers a pleasant user experience — especially for students looking for a simple, easy-to-use study platform. Score: 4/5

Anki Pro

Anki Pro is an independent app (completely unrelated to Anki) developed primarily for students who prefer a more modern user interface. It combines some of the strengths of the original Anki with added features intended to make studying more enjoyable.

Learning Efficiency: In Anki Pro, flashcards are created manually and without AI assistance, making the process time-consuming and sometimes tedious. However, the app does support the import of Anki decks, which is a plus for users who already have existing study materials — though not all decks import smoothly. A key advantage of Anki Pro is the ability to choose from different Spaced Repetition algorithms, allowing users to tailor the learning process to their personal study habits. Score: 3/5

Cost: Anki Pro allows users to study for free, but offers a premium plan for €5 per month that unlocks unlimited studying. Since this is the only major feature in the paid version, the app offers less value in this category compared to others that include more functionality in their premium plans. Score: 2/5

User-Friendliness: Anki Pro stands out for its very user-friendly mobile app, which is especially convenient for on-the-go studying. Features like streaks help motivate users and reinforce study habits. Another advantage is the absence of ads in the free version, which greatly enhances the overall user experience. Score: 4/5

Retain

Retain is an innovative learning app that stands out through its integration of cutting-edge technology and user-friendly features. It offers students an efficient and modern way to prepare for exams.

Learning Efficiency: Retain excels in advanced flashcard creation. With its Co-Pilot Mode, flashcards can be generated using state-of-the-art models, accelerating the creation process while building user confidence in AI-generated content. Unlike many other apps, Retain supports advanced flashcard types like image occlusion and cloze deletions, allowing for more flexible and targeted learning. The app also offers the best Anki integration available, enabling seamless import of Anki decks. Moreover, Retain uses the most effective learning algorithms, including Spaced Repetition and Active Recall, which studies show can reduce study time by 20% compared to apps like Anki. A standout feature is the ability to see your predicted knowledge level on exam day—helping students plan and prepare more effectively. Score: 5/5

Cost: The free version of Retain already includes many features, including unlimited Anki deck imports, making it comparable to Anki’s free version in many ways. For those who want to accelerate their learning and track progress, an affordable upgrade is available for €3.99 per month. Additional AI-generated flashcards are available with an extended plan at €6.99 per month. Score: 3/5

User-Friendliness: Retain features a minimalist, Notion-inspired design that offers an intuitive and modern user experience. The app is free of unnecessary clutter and focuses on the essentials, making it easy to use and helping learners stay focused. The interface is cleanly structured, simplifying navigation across features and making the study process pleasant and efficient. Score: 4/5

Conclusion

Here’s a quick summary of the results:

This is the definitive overview of the best flashcard apps for 2025. Retain comes out on top, closely followed by StudySmarter and Anki. Retain particularly stands out for its learning efficiency, enabling students to absorb new knowledge in record time.

After a detailed comparison of the best free flashcard apps in 2025, Retain wins with a total score of 12 out of 15 points. Thanks to its combination of cutting-edge learning algorithms, an intuitive user interface, and flexible pricing options, Retain offers the best balance between efficiency, user experience, and cost.

While other apps like Anki, Quizlet, StudySmarter, and Anki Pro each have their own strengths, Retain shines with its advanced features and the ability to precisely plan and track learning progress. For students who want to make the most of their study time, Retain is the ideal choice.

Try Retain today and take your learning to the next level!