Anki Flashcards Maker Alternatives: 7 Powerful Reasons To Switch To A Faster, Smarter App – Stop Wasting Time Tweaking Settings And Start Actually Learning More In Less Time
Anki flashcards maker feels clunky? See how Flashrecall gives you Anki-style spaced repetition, instant card creation from text, PDFs, YouTube, and more.
How Flashrecall app helps you remember faster. It's free
Anki-Style Flashcards… Without The Headache
If you’ve ever thought, “I want an Anki flashcards maker, but I don’t want to spend hours setting it up,” you’re not alone.
Anki is legendary, but it can feel like you need a mini computer science degree just to make good-looking cards and get the settings right.
That’s where Flashrecall comes in:
👉 Flashrecall – Study Flashcards on the App Store)
It gives you the power of Anki-style spaced repetition, but in a fast, modern, easy iOS app that actually feels nice to use.
Let’s break down how it compares and why you might want to switch (or at least use both).
Anki Flashcards Maker vs Flashrecall: What’s The Actual Difference?
Think of it like this:
- Anki = insanely powerful, super customizable, but kind of clunky and overwhelming.
- Flashrecall = powerful enough for serious learners, but designed so you can start learning in minutes, not hours.
Both use the same idea (flashcards + spaced repetition), but they feel very different in day-to-day use.
Where Flashrecall Wins For Most People
Here are the big reasons people look for an Anki flashcards maker alternative and end up loving Flashrecall:
1. Card creation is crazy fast
2. Built-in spaced repetition and active recall (no scary settings)
3. Works great on iPhone and iPad with a modern UI
4. Amazing for images, PDFs, YouTube, and text
5. Study reminders so you don’t forget to review
6. Works offline
7. You can literally chat with your flashcards when you’re stuck
Let’s go through these with real examples.
1. Making Flashcards: Anki Can Be Slow, Flashrecall Is Instant
With Anki, making cards can feel like:
- Importing decks
- Tweaking card types
- Formatting cloze deletions
- Syncing across devices
It works, but it’s not exactly “quick and easy”.
How Flashrecall Makes Cards Instantly
In Flashrecall, you can create cards from almost anything:
- Images – Snap a photo of your textbook page, notes, or slides and let Flashrecall turn it into flashcards.
- Text – Paste a chunk of notes and auto-generate cards.
- PDFs – Upload a PDF and pull cards from it.
- YouTube links – Drop in a link and create cards from the content.
- Audio – Great for language learning and pronunciation.
- Or just type cards manually like a normal flashcard app.
Instead of spending 30 minutes formatting cards in Anki, you can have a full mini-deck in under 2 minutes in Flashrecall.
👉 Try it yourself: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085
2. Spaced Repetition And Active Recall: Same Science, Less Stress
A big reason people look for an Anki flashcards maker is the spaced repetition system. Anki is famous for that. But it also throws a lot of settings at you:
- Intervals
- Ease factor
- Learning steps
- New card limits
If you love tweaking systems, great. If you just want to pass your exam… it’s a lot.
Flashrecall: All The Brain Science, None Of The Configuration
Flashrecall bakes in:
- Spaced repetition – It automatically schedules your reviews at the right time so you don’t have to think about it.
- Active recall – It pushes you to answer from memory before showing the answer, which is the whole point of flashcards.
You just:
1. Open the app
2. See what’s due
3. Review
Flashrecall automatically keeps track and reminds you of the cards you don't remember well so you remember faster. Like this :
No deck tuning. No spreadsheet-level configuration. Just learn.
3. Flashrecall Is Built For iPhone And iPad From Day One
Anki works on mobile, but it started life as a desktop app, and you can kind of feel that.
Flashrecall is built specifically for iPhone and iPad, with a clean, modern UI:
- Swiping through cards feels smooth and natural
- Buttons are where you expect them
- It just feels like a 2025 app, not a 2010 one
If you’re someone who studies on the bus, in bed, between classes, or at the gym, having a mobile-first flashcard maker is a game-changer.
And yes, it works offline, so you can review even with no signal.
4. Anki Add-Ons vs Flashrecall’s Built-In “Smart” Features
With Anki, a lot of the “cool” stuff requires add-ons, templates, or extra setup.
Flashrecall builds the smart stuff right in.
Examples Of What You Can Do In Flashrecall
- Take a screenshot of lecture slides → turn them into cards
- Paste lecture notes or textbook paragraphs → auto-generate Q&A cards
- Drop in a YouTube video link → create cards around the content
- Upload a PDF (like lecture notes, academic papers, or study guides) and mine it for flashcards
You’re not just making cards manually (though you totally can).
You’re turning your existing study materials into a deck in seconds.
5. Study Reminders So You Actually Review Your Cards
Anki shows you what’s due when you open it… but it doesn’t always remind you to open it.
Flashrecall has study reminders so you don’t accidentally ghost your decks for a week.
You can:
- Set daily or custom reminders
- Get a gentle nudge when reviews are due
- Keep your streak going without constantly thinking, “Oh yeah, I should open Anki.”
For exams, languages, or long-term learning, those reminders make a huge difference.
6. Chat With Your Flashcards When You’re Stuck
This is something Anki doesn’t do at all.
In Flashrecall, if you’re unsure about a concept on a card, you can literally chat with the flashcard:
- Ask for a simpler explanation
- Request an analogy or example
- Get it broken down step-by-step
It’s like having a mini tutor sitting inside your deck.
This is insanely useful for:
- Medicine – complex physiology or pharmacology
- University subjects – stats, economics, engineering
- Languages – grammar explanations, usage examples
- Business – frameworks, definitions, case-study type content
Instead of switching to Google or YouTube every time you’re confused, you can stay inside your study flow.
7. Perfect For Any Subject: Languages, Exams, School, Uni, Business
People often think “Anki = med school”, but flashcards are useful for pretty much anything.
Flashrecall works great for:
- Language learning – vocab, phrases, verb conjugations, listening practice with audio
- School subjects – history dates, formulas, definitions
- University – law cases, theories, terminology, diagrams
- Medicine – drugs, mechanisms, anatomy, clinical guidelines
- Business – frameworks, acronyms, interview prep, sales scripts
Because you can create cards from text, images, PDFs, YouTube, audio, and manual input, you can basically turn your entire study world into spaced-repetition fuel.
And it’s free to start, so you can test it on one subject and see how it feels.
👉 Grab it here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085
When Anki Still Makes Sense (And How To Use Both)
To be fair, there are times when Anki is still a great choice:
- You love deep customization and tweaking every setting
- You’re already heavily invested in huge Anki decks
- You need niche add-ons or very specific workflows
But for a lot of people searching “Anki flashcards maker”, what they really want is:
> “An app that gives me the benefits of Anki without the friction.”
That’s exactly where Flashrecall shines.
You can even:
- Keep your old Anki decks for long-term stuff
- Use Flashrecall for new topics where you want speed, simplicity, and a better mobile experience
Best of both worlds.
Example: How A Real Study Session Looks In Flashrecall
Let’s say you’re prepping for a biology exam.
1. You take photos of your textbook diagrams and lecture slides.
2. Import them into Flashrecall → it generates cards from them.
3. You paste your notes from your laptop → more cards, auto-generated.
4. You start a review session:
- The app shows you a question or image
- You try to recall the answer (active recall)
- You tap to reveal, then rate how well you knew it
5. Flashrecall’s spaced repetition schedules the next review automatically.
6. Tomorrow, you get a reminder: “You’ve got cards due.” You review for 10 minutes on your phone while commuting.
7. Stuck on a concept? You chat with the flashcard, ask it to explain in simpler terms, and move on.
No messing with deck options. No syncing drama. Just learning.
So, Is Flashrecall A Good Anki Flashcards Maker Alternative?
If you:
- Want Anki-level memory benefits
- But don’t want Anki-level complexity
- And you mainly study on iPhone or iPad
…then yes, Flashrecall is absolutely worth trying.
You get:
- Instant flashcard creation from images, text, PDFs, YouTube, audio, or manual input
- Built-in spaced repetition and active recall
- Study reminders so you don’t forget
- A fast, modern, easy-to-use interface
- Offline studying
- The ability to chat with your flashcards when you’re unsure
- And it’s free to start
If you’ve been putting off using Anki because it feels like too much, Flashrecall gives you the same core benefits in a way that fits real life.
👉 Try Flashrecall on your iPhone or iPad:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085
Turn your notes, slides, and videos into smart flashcards and let spaced repetition do the heavy lifting for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Anki good for studying?
Anki is powerful but requires manual card creation and has a steep learning curve. Flashrecall offers AI-powered card generation from your notes, images, PDFs, and videos, making it faster and easier to create effective flashcards.
What's the fastest way to create flashcards?
Manually typing cards works but takes time. Many students now use AI generators that turn notes into flashcards instantly. Flashrecall does this automatically from text, images, or PDFs.
How do I start spaced repetition?
You can manually schedule your reviews, but most people use apps that automate this. Flashrecall uses built-in spaced repetition so you review cards at the perfect time.
Related Articles
- Make Flashcards Fast: 7 Powerful Ways To Study Smarter (Most Students Don’t Know These) – Stop wasting time formatting cards and start actually learning more in less time.
- Anki App Web Alternatives: 7 Powerful Reasons to Switch to a Faster, Smarter Flashcard Tool – Most People Stick With Anki Out Of Habit…Here’s What They’re Missing
- Anki Cards: Smarter Flashcard Hacks Most Students Don’t Know (And a Better Alternative) – Stop wasting time making clunky decks and learn how to upgrade your flashcards for faster results.
Research References
The information in this article is based on peer-reviewed research and established studies in cognitive psychology and learning science.
Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354-380
Meta-analysis showing spaced repetition significantly improves long-term retention compared to massed practice
Carpenter, S. K., Cepeda, N. J., Rohrer, D., Kang, S. H., & Pashler, H. (2012). Using spacing to enhance diverse forms of learning: Review of recent research and implications for instruction. Educational Psychology Review, 24(3), 369-378
Review showing spacing effects work across different types of learning materials and contexts
Kang, S. H. (2016). Spaced repetition promotes efficient and effective learning: Policy implications for instruction. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3(1), 12-19
Policy review advocating for spaced repetition in educational settings based on extensive research evidence
Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L. (2008). The critical importance of retrieval for learning. Science, 319(5865), 966-968
Research demonstrating that active recall (retrieval practice) is more effective than re-reading for long-term learning
Roediger, H. L., & Butler, A. C. (2011). The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(1), 20-27
Review of research showing retrieval practice (active recall) as one of the most effective learning strategies
Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students' learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4-58
Comprehensive review ranking learning techniques, with practice testing and distributed practice rated as highly effective

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FlashRecall Development Team
The FlashRecall Team is a group of working professionals and developers who are passionate about making effective study methods more accessible to students. We believe that evidence-based learning tec...
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