Brainscape vs Anki
Updated 17 September 2026 · Written by the Reji team, who make one of the apps below.
Brainscape and Anki both schedule cards from how well you knew them. Brainscape asks for a confidence rating from 1 to 5 and keeps the interface simple; Anki offers four answer buttons and every setting under the sun. Brainscape sells expert-made decks; Anki's are community-made and free.
| Brainscape | Anki | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free basic; Pro $7.99 per month billed annually | Free on desktop and Android; AnkiMobile for iOS is $24.99 one-time |
| What is free | Unlimited cards, importing and studying of user-made content | Everything on desktop, Android and web |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web |
| Spaced repetition | Yes, based on your 1–5 confidence rating | Yes, FSRS or SM-2, fully configurable |
| Audio | Text-to-speech on Pro | Only what you add yourself or via add-ons |
| Fills in cards for you | No | No, unless you install add-ons |
| Import | CSV and spreadsheets | CSV, .apkg, thousands of shared decks |
| Ads | None | None |
| Sync | Account | AnkiWeb, free |
| Offline | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Certified decks for exams like the MCAT or bar | Power users, medical students, anyone who wants total control |
Scheduling
Brainscape's confidence-based repetition repeats low-rated cards sooner and stretches the interval as your rating rises. Anki's FSRS models your memory per card and is the more precise of the two over long periods. For a semester either works; for a multi-year project Anki's history is worth more.
Content
Brainscape's paid tier includes certified decks for exams like the MCAT, bar and CFA, written by subject experts. Anki has larger free libraries for the same exams, of uneven quality, and you choose. If you would rather pay than evaluate, Brainscape's curation is the product.
Price and platforms
Brainscape is free for your own cards on web, iOS and Android; Pro is $7.99 a month billed annually and adds certified decks, text-to-speech and media. Anki is free except on iPhone, where AnkiMobile is $24.99 once.
Verdict
Brainscape if you want a friendly app and are willing to pay for vetted exam decks. Anki if you want control, free content and the strongest scheduler. For language vocabulary on iPhone, Reji is the free option that fills in the card for you.
Questions people ask
- Is Brainscape free?
- Making and studying your own cards is free. Pro, $7.99 a month billed annually, unlocks certified decks, text-to-speech and unlimited media.
- Does Brainscape use spaced repetition?
- Yes, based on the confidence rating you give each card after seeing the answer.
Reji is free, has no ads and fills in translation, audio and an example for every word you save. Or try the public decks first.