Anki Supermemo: The Complete Comparison Guide + A Smarter Flashcard Alternative Most Students Don’t Know About

So… Anki Supermemo? What’s The Difference And Which One Should You Use?

Alright, let’s talk about anki supermemo because they’re basically two different takes on the same idea: using spaced repetition to help you remember stuff long-term instead of cramming and forgetting. Anki is the popular, customizable flashcard app with spaced repetition built in, while SuperMemo is the older, research-heavy program that actually invented the SM algorithms a lot of apps use today. Both try to schedule your reviews at the perfect time so you don’t forget, but they differ a lot in design, difficulty, and how nice they are to use day-to-day. And now you’ve also got simpler options like Flashrecall that give you the benefits of spaced repetition without the setup headache:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Quick Overview: Anki vs SuperMemo vs Flashrecall

Let’s break it down super simply:

• Anki
• Free (desktop), paid mobile apps
• Huge community, lots of shared decks
• Very powerful but can feel nerdy/overwhelming
• Customizable but you kind of have to babysit it (add-ons, settings, syncing, etc.)
• SuperMemo
• Windows-focused, very research-based
• Uses advanced SM algorithms (e.g., SM-18, SM-19)
• Super powerful but the interface feels… ancient
• Steep learning curve; not exactly “pick up and go”
• Flashrecall
• Modern, clean, super easy to use
• Built‑in spaced repetition + active recall, no config required
• Instantly makes flashcards from images, PDFs, YouTube, text, audio, or typed prompts
• Works on iPhone and iPad, free to start
• App link again so you don’t scroll back:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

If you like tweaking settings and hacking workflows, Anki or SuperMemo might be fun.

If you just want to start studying now with minimal friction, Flashrecall is honestly way nicer.

What Is Spaced Repetition (The Thing Anki & SuperMemo Are Built Around)?

So, you know how you cram for a test, feel like a genius for 24 hours, and then your brain wipes everything a week later?

Spaced repetition is the fix for that.

• You see a card.
• You rate how hard it was.
• The system schedules it for review right before you’re likely to forget it.
• Over time, the gaps get bigger: 1 day → 3 days → 1 week → 1 month → etc.

In Flashrecall, you just:

1. Make or import your cards

2. Study

3. Let the app handle all the scheduling and reminders in the background

Anki: Why People Love It (And Why It Drives Others Crazy)

What Anki Does Really Well

• Community decks: Want “Anki MCAT deck”, “Anki Japanese N5”, “Anki med school”? Someone’s already made one.
• Add-ons: Tons of plugins for stats, pretty layouts, image occlusion, etc.
• Custom card types: Cloze deletions, image occlusion, multiple fields, all that good stuff.
• Cross-platform: Desktop, web, mobile (AnkiMobile on iOS is paid, AnkiDroid on Android is free).

If you like tinkering and customizing, Anki is like a playground.

The Downsides Of Anki

• Setup overhead: You can’t really “just start” if you want to use it well. People watch entire YouTube tutorials to get their settings right.
• Clunky UX: It works, but it feels like software from another era.
• Manual card creation: Copy-paste, format, add cloze, pick deck… it adds up.
• No built-in “assistant”: If you’re unsure about a card, Anki doesn’t help you understand it—it just shows it again.

This is exactly where Flashrecall feels like a breath of fresh air.

With Flashrecall:

• You can snap a picture of a page, upload a PDF, paste a YouTube link, or drop in text, and it helps turn that into flashcards automatically.
• You can chat with the flashcard (or the underlying content) if you don’t understand something, instead of just guessing and moving on.
• The interface is clean and modern, and you don’t need to install add-ons or tweak a million settings.

SuperMemo: The OG Brain Science App (But Kinda Stuck In Time)

SuperMemo is like that brilliant professor who knows everything but still uses Windows XP.

What Makes SuperMemo Special

• Cutting-edge algorithms: It’s where the SM algorithms (SM-2, SM-15, SM-18, etc.) originally came from.
• Very granular control: You can tune how aggressively it schedules your reviews.
• Serious long-term learning: If you stick with it, it can be insanely effective for building a knowledge base over years.

Why Most People Bounce Off SuperMemo

• Windows-focused: Not great if you’re on Mac, iPhone, or iPad.
• Interface feels outdated: It’s functional, but not friendly.
• Steep learning curve: Not something you can just casually start using in 5 minutes.

So if you’re choosing between anki supermemo and you’re not super technical, both can feel like a bit of a project.

That’s why a lot of people are now going, “Okay, what’s a simpler spaced repetition app that still works great?”

That’s where Flashrecall fits in really nicely.

Flashrecall: A Simpler, Modern Alternative To Anki & SuperMemo

If Anki and SuperMemo feel like powerful but clunky tools, Flashrecall is like the modern, minimal version that still gets you all the spaced repetition benefits without the headache.

👉 Download it here:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

What Flashrecall Does Better For Everyday Learners

You don’t always want to manually type every card. Flashrecall lets you:

• Take a photo of textbook pages / notes → turn them into flashcards
• Upload PDFs → pull key points into cards
• Paste a YouTube link → generate flashcards from the content
• Use audio or text → convert into Q&A style cards
• Or just create cards manually when you want full control

Compared to Anki/SuperMemo, this is way faster for building decks for:

• Med school or nursing notes
• Language vocab
• Business concepts or certifications
• School or uni exams

Flashrecall already has:

• Automatic spaced repetition scheduling
• Study reminders so you actually come back to your decks
• Works offline, so you can review anywhere

With Anki and SuperMemo, you spend time:

• Tuning intervals
• Syncing
• Messing with add-ons or profiles

With Flashrecall, you just open the app, tap your deck, and it shows you exactly what to review today. Done.

Flashcards already force active recall by design, but Flashrecall goes a step further:

• If you’re confused by a card, you can literally chat with it to get more explanation.
• It’s like having a tiny tutor living inside your flashcards.
• Super handy for tricky topics like medicine, law, coding, or grammar.

Neither Anki nor SuperMemo natively help you understand content; they only help you review it. Flashrecall does both.

Flashrecall is:

• Fast
• Modern
• Easy to navigate
• Made for iOS and iPadOS

You don’t have to deal with:

• Old-school Windows UI (SuperMemo)
• Slightly clunky desktop-style design ported to mobile (Anki)

It just feels like a normal, modern app you’d want to open every day.

So Which Should You Use: Anki, SuperMemo, Or Flashrecall?

Here’s a simple way to decide:

Pick Anki if:

• You love tweaking settings and add-ons
• You want access to thousands of community decks
• You don’t mind a bit of a learning curve and slightly older UI

Pick SuperMemo if:

• You’re on Windows
• You care a lot about the most advanced algorithm tuning
• You’re okay with a steeper learning curve and older design

Pick Flashrecall if:

• You want to start fast with almost zero setup
• You like the idea of generating cards from images, PDFs, YouTube, text, or audio
• You study on iPhone or iPad
• You want built-in spaced repetition + reminders without touching settings
• You’d love being able to chat with your flashcards when something doesn’t make sense

If you’re already deep into Anki or SuperMemo and happy, cool—stick with them.

But if you’ve tried them and felt overwhelmed or unmotivated, Flashrecall is honestly a way smoother experience.

How To Switch Or Start Fresh With Flashrecall

If you’re coming from Anki or SuperMemo, you can:

1. Start fresh

• Pick one subject (e.g., anatomy, Spanish, finance)
• Add cards by snapping photos of your notes or copying text
• Let Flashrecall handle the scheduling

2. Rebuild only your best cards

• Instead of importing 10,000 cards, just recreate the ones you actually need
• Use PDFs, screenshots, or typed prompts to speed it up

3. Use Flashrecall for new topics only

• Keep your old decks in Anki/SuperMemo
• Use Flashrecall for everything new going forward

Either way, you’re getting:

• Automatic spaced repetition
• Active recall
• Modern UI
• Study reminders
• Offline access

All with way less friction than trying to master every Anki or SuperMemo setting.

Final Thoughts: Anki Supermemo… Or Something Easier?

So yeah, anki supermemo are both powerful, science-backed ways to use spaced repetition.

They absolutely work—people pass med school, language exams, and big certifications with them all the time.

But power isn’t everything.

If you want something:

• Easier to start
• Faster to create cards
• Nicer to use daily
• With smart features like chatting with your flashcards

…then Flashrecall is 100% worth trying out.

You can grab it here (free to start):

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Try it for a week alongside whatever you’re using now and you’ll feel the difference in how painless studying can be.

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.

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