FlashRecall

Memorize Faster

Get Flashrecall On App Store
Back to Blog
Study Tipsby FlashRecall Team

Brainscape Free Trial: 7 Things You Must Know (And a Better Flashcard App Alternative) – Before you commit your study time, see how far a “free trial” really gets you and what smarter options you’ve got.

Brainscape free trial feels like a demo with locked decks and upsells. See what actually happens after it ends and why Flashrecall’s free core features hit h...

How Flashrecall app helps you remember faster. It's free

FlashRecall app screenshot 1
FlashRecall app screenshot 2
FlashRecall app screenshot 3
FlashRecall app screenshot 4

Brainscape Free Trial: Is It Really Enough To Level Up Your Studying?

Let’s skip the fluff: you’re probably here because you saw Brainscape, noticed there’s a free trial, and you’re wondering:

  • Is the free trial actually useful?
  • What happens when it ends?
  • Is there a better flashcard app that doesn’t lock everything behind a paywall?

Short answer: the Brainscape free trial is fine to test the vibe, but if you want something that’s powerful, flexible, and doesn’t nickel-and-dime you from day one, Flashrecall is honestly a better move.

You can grab it here (free to start):

👉 Flashrecall on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Let’s break down what you actually get with Brainscape’s free trial, where it falls short, and how Flashrecall fixes those pain points.

1. What You Actually Get With A Brainscape Free Trial

Brainscape’s free tier / trial usually gives you:

  • Limited access to some decks
  • Basic flashcard studying
  • A taste of their spaced repetition system
  • But lots of “locked” content unless you upgrade

It’s basically “here’s the app… but not really.”

You can test the interface, but you don’t get the full experience of:

  • Unlimited premium decks
  • Full customization
  • Advanced study features

So yeah, it’s enough to see if you like the idea of Brainscape, but not enough to really build a full, long-term study system.

You can start for free, and actually use the core features that matter:

  • Create your own flashcards manually
  • Generate cards from images, PDFs, text, audio, YouTube links, or typed prompts
  • Use built-in spaced repetition and active recall from day one
  • Study on iPhone and iPad, even offline

No “fake” free trial that feels like a demo. You can actually start learning properly.

2. The Big Question: What Happens After The Brainscape Free Trial Ends?

This is where a lot of people get annoyed.

Once your Brainscape trial or free access runs out, you’ll likely hit:

  • Locked decks you can’t access without paying
  • Limited creation or usage of your own decks
  • Upsells to go premium just to keep your normal study routine going

It’s like getting used to a gym and then suddenly half the equipment is roped off unless you buy the “real” membership.

Flashrecall’s model is more: “Here, actually study first. Decide later.”

You can:

  • Start with the free version
  • Build your decks
  • Test it on real exams, language vocab, or uni courses
  • Only think about upgrading if you actually feel it’s helping

And because the app is designed to be fast, modern, and easy to use, you don’t waste your free time just figuring out how it works.

Grab it here and see for yourself:

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

3. Spaced Repetition: Brainscape vs Flashrecall

Brainscape does use a form of spaced repetition. That’s good. But the real question is:

> “Does it actually help you remember long-term without you micromanaging everything?”

With Brainscape, you get a confidence-based rating system. You rate how well you know a card, and the app shows it more or less often. It works, but it’s pretty basic and you still feel like you’re managing your learning manually.

  • Automatic scheduling: It calculates the best time to review each card
  • Built-in reminders: Study reminders ping you so you don’t forget to open the app
  • No manual planning: You don’t have to decide what to review; it just shows you what’s due

So instead of “I hope I remember to review,” it’s more like:

> “Open Flashrecall → do today’s cards → done.”

This is huge if you’re juggling school, work, exams, or just life.

4. Creating Flashcards: Where Flashrecall Completely Outshines Brainscape

This is honestly where Flashrecall pulls ahead hard.

With Brainscape free trial, you can:

  • Make basic text-based flashcards
  • Use some shared decks
  • But advanced importing, content generation, or media options are usually more limited without paying

You’ll end up doing a lot of copy-pasting and manual work.

With Flashrecall, even on free:

You can create flashcards from almost anything:

  • Images – Take a pic of textbook pages, notes, slides → turn them into cards
  • Text – Paste in text and let Flashrecall help generate Q&A cards
  • PDFs – Upload slides, lecture notes, eBooks and pull flashcards out of them
  • YouTube links – Turn video content into flashcards (perfect for lectures, tutorials, or language content)
  • Audio – Use recorded lectures or language audio
  • Typed prompts – Just type what you’re learning and generate cards quickly
  • Or just create cards manually if you like full control

Flashrecall automatically keeps track and reminds you of the cards you don't remember well so you remember faster. Like this :

Flashrecall spaced repetition reminders notification

You’re not stuck thinking, “Ugh, I have to rewrite this whole chapter into cards.”

You can literally snap a photo or drop in a PDF and start studying.

And if you’re unsure about something on a card, you can chat with the flashcard to learn more. That’s something Brainscape just doesn’t do.

5. Active Recall: Both Have It, But Flashrecall Makes It Easier

To be fair, both Brainscape and Flashrecall are built around active recall — you see a question, try to answer from memory, then reveal the answer.

The difference is how smooth the experience is.

  • Solid flashcard format
  • Confidence rating system
  • But feels a bit rigid and old-school sometimes
  • Clean, modern interface that feels fast and smooth
  • Designed for quick sessions: on the bus, between classes, in bed
  • Built-in active recall with smart prompts
  • You can chat with your cards if you’re confused and need deeper explanation

So instead of just “right/wrong/1–5,” you can actually have a mini-conversation with the content you’re learning. That’s huge for medicine, law, engineering, languages, or anything complex.

6. What Can You Study? (Spoiler: Pretty Much Anything)

Brainscape markets itself for lots of subjects, and it’s definitely usable for:

  • Languages
  • Exams
  • School and university subjects

Flashrecall does all of that too, but the content creation features make it way more flexible.

Some examples:

  • Languages:
  • Turn vocabulary lists, dialogues, or subtitles from YouTube into flashcards
  • Add audio so you can practice listening and pronunciation
  • Medicine / Nursing / Pharmacy:
  • Convert dense PDFs, lecture slides, and Anki-style decks into usable flashcards
  • Use spaced repetition to keep all those tiny details fresh
  • Law / Business / Finance:
  • Turn cases, frameworks, and formulas into concise Q&A cards
  • Use reminders to keep revisiting tricky topics over weeks or months
  • High school / University:
  • Capture whiteboard photos, lecture notes, and textbook pages
  • Instantly get cards instead of rewriting everything

Basically, if it’s text, images, audio, or video, Flashrecall can probably make flashcards from it.

Download it here and try with your current course materials:

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

7. Brainscape Free Trial vs Flashrecall: Quick Comparison

Here’s a simple side‑by‑side so you don’t have to guess:

FeatureBrainscape Free TrialFlashrecall (Free to Start)
Spaced repetitionYesYes, with automatic reminders
Active recallYesYes, plus chat with flashcards
Create your own cardsYes (basic)Yes (manual + AI‑assisted)
Make cards from imagesLimitedYes
Make cards from PDFsLimitedYes
Make cards from YouTube linksNoYes
Make cards from audioLimited/NoYes
Study remindersBasicBuilt‑in, smart reminders
Works offlinePartiallyYes, works offline
PlatformsWeb + mobileiPhone & iPad, optimized
Free tier usefulnessOkay for testingActually usable long‑term

If you’re just curious about Brainscape, the free trial is fine.

If you’re serious about actually remembering stuff long-term, Flashrecall gives you more power without forcing you to upgrade on day three.

8. So… Should You Even Bother With The Brainscape Free Trial?

If you’re the kind of person who likes to test everything, sure, try it. It won’t hurt.

But if you:

  • Don’t want to waste time setting up in an app you might outgrow fast
  • Need something that handles PDFs, YouTube, images, and text right now
  • Want spaced repetition + reminders + active recall built in
  • Prefer a modern, fast, easy-to-use app that doesn’t feel clunky

Then you’re honestly better off putting your time into Flashrecall from the start.

You can:

1. Download Flashrecall

2. Import a PDF, screenshot, or YouTube link from what you’re currently studying

3. Let it generate cards

4. Start reviewing with spaced repetition and reminders

5. Chat with tricky cards when you’re stuck

No fake “trial,” just actual studying.

👉 Get Flashrecall here (free to start):

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

If you’re going to spend hours studying, you might as well do it in an app that works with you, not one that keeps reminding you your time is almost up.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Is there a free flashcard app?

Yes. Flashrecall is free and lets you create flashcards from images, text, prompts, audio, PDFs, and YouTube videos.

What's the most effective study method?

Research consistently shows that active recall combined with spaced repetition is the most effective study method. Flashrecall automates both techniques, making it easy to study effectively without the manual work.

What should I know about Brainscape?

Brainscape Free Trial: 7 Things You Must Know (And a Better Flashcard App Alternative) – Before you commit your study time, see how far a “free trial” really gets you and what smarter options you’ve got. covers essential information about Brainscape. To master this topic, use Flashrecall to create flashcards from your notes and study them with spaced repetition.

Related Articles

Ready to Transform Your Learning?

Start using FlashRecall today - the AI-powered flashcard app with spaced repetition and active recall.

Download on App Store