Revizly vs Anki: Which Study Tool Should You Choose?
AI-powered instant study materials with built-in FSRS spaced repetition vs the most customizable flashcard system. Honest comparison with pros and cons of each tool.
Revizly wins for students who want to instantly transform their courses into flashcards, quizzes and revision sheets with built-in FSRS spaced repetition. Anki wins for users who want maximum customization and are willing to invest time in setup.
Quick Summary
Revizly
AI-powered study material generator
- Generates flashcards, quizzes and revision sheets from any PDF in 30 seconds
- Built-in FSRS spaced repetition + flashcards, MCQs and structured sheets
- Zero setup required, modern intuitive interface
- Free on web with all core features
Anki
Advanced spaced repetition flashcard system
- Mature SM-2 spaced repetition algorithm refined over 15+ years
- 100,000+ community shared decks available for free
- Extreme customization via 1,000+ add-ons and plugins
- Open source and free on desktop (AnkiMobile $24.99 on iOS)
How we compared
We tested both tools over 4 weeks across multiple subjects (medicine, law, languages, history). We evaluated content creation speed, learning effectiveness, ease of use, mobile experience, and total cost of ownership.
Detailed Comparison
Feature by feature
Content Creation
| Feature | Revizly | Anki | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto-generate from PDF | Revizly generates flashcards, quizzes and sheets from any PDF in 30 seconds. Anki requires 100% manual card creation or copy-paste from other sources. | ||
| PDF/Image import | Revizly: direct PDF upload with text extraction and OCR for images. Anki: no native PDF import, requires manual copy-paste or third-party add-ons. | ||
| Multi-format output | Revizly creates 3 formats at once (flashcards, MCQs, revision sheets). Anki produces flashcards only. | ||
| OCR support | Revizly: built-in OCR for photos of handwritten notes. Anki: no native OCR, requires external tools. |
Learning Features
| Feature | Revizly | Anki | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spaced repetition | Revizly uses the FSRS (Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler) algorithm, more modern and accurate than Anki's default SM-2, with automatic interval scheduling. Anki uses SM-2 by default, refined over 15+ years (FSRS available as an optional add-on). | ||
| Quiz/MCQ modes | Revizly generates interactive MCQs with explanations and scoring. Anki has no native quiz mode (add-ons exist but are limited). | ||
| Revision sheets | Revizly generates structured, printable revision sheets. Anki does not offer this format. |
Ease of Use
| Feature | Revizly | Anki | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup time | Revizly: upload a PDF and get study materials in 30 seconds. Anki: hours to learn the interface, configure decks, card types and scheduling options. | ||
| Learning curve | Revizly: intuitive, no training needed. Anki: steep learning curve with complex menus, note types, card templates, and scheduling parameters. | ||
| Modern UI | Revizly: clean, modern web interface. Anki: functional but dated desktop UI, unchanged since the 2010s. |
Mobile Experience
| Feature | Revizly | Anki | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| iOS app | Revizly: free via mobile browser. AnkiMobile: $24.99 one-time purchase on iOS (developed by Anki's creator). | ||
| Android app | Revizly: free via mobile browser. AnkiDroid: free and open source on Android. | ||
| Offline access | Anki: full offline support on all platforms. Revizly: requires internet connection. |
Community & Ecosystem
| Feature | Revizly | Anki | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared decks/content | Anki: 100,000+ shared decks covering medicine, languages, law and more. Revizly: focused on generating content from your own courses. | ||
| Add-ons/plugins | Anki: 1,000+ community add-ons for image occlusion, heatmaps, custom scheduling and more. Revizly: integrated features, no plugins needed. | ||
| Free tier | Revizly: 2 courses/month with all features. Anki: unlimited on desktop and AnkiWeb (fully free and open source). |
Pricing
| Feature | Revizly | Anki | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium cost | 2 courses/month | Unlimited (desktop) | Revizly Pro: from $4.99/month for 20 courses/month. Anki: completely free (open source, no premium tier). |
| Mobile app cost | From $4.99/month | Free (open source) | Revizly: free (web app). AnkiMobile: $24.99 on iOS (funds development). AnkiDroid: free on Android. |
| Value for money | Free (web app) | $24.99 on iOS | Revizly: all-in-one study generator at a fraction of tutoring costs. Anki: completely free but requires significant time investment to set up and maintain. |
When to use each tool?
Choose Revizly if:
- You have PDFs or course notes and want instant flashcards, quizzes and revision sheets
- You don't want to spend hours manually creating and formatting cards
- You need multiple study formats (not just flashcards) from the same course material
- You want a tool with built-in FSRS spaced repetition, no complex configuration needed
Choose Anki if:
- You want the most advanced spaced repetition algorithm for long-term memorization
- You need access to 100,000+ pre-made community decks (especially for medicine or languages)
- You want full offline support and total control over card templates and scheduling
- You prefer open-source software and are comfortable with a steeper learning curve
Conclusion: which tool to choose?
Anki is a legendary tool with its community decks and deep customization options. However, it demands significant time investment to set up, learn and maintain decks — time many students simply don't have.
Revizly takes a fundamentally different approach: upload your PDF and get flashcards, quizzes and revision sheets in 30 seconds, with built-in FSRS spaced repetition — the same cutting-edge algorithm available as an option in Anki, but enabled by default in Revizly. No manual card creation, no complex configuration. If you want to start studying immediately with a scientifically proven memorization system, Revizly is the faster path.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Revizly better than Anki?
It depends on your needs. Revizly is better for students who want to instantly generate study materials from their courses (PDF, text, images) with built-in FSRS spaced repetition, without manual work. Anki is better for users who want extreme customization and access to community-shared decks.
Can I import Anki decks into Revizly?
Not currently. Revizly generates flashcards from your own course materials (PDF, text, images) using AI, rather than importing pre-made decks. This means your flashcards are tailored to your exact syllabus.
Is Anki really free?
Anki is free and open source on desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux) and on Android (AnkiDroid). However, the official iOS app (AnkiMobile) costs $24.99. AnkiWeb sync is free. Revizly is free on all platforms via web browser.
Which is better for medical students?
Anki is extremely popular among medical students thanks to pre-made decks like Anking (40,000+ cards covering Step 1/2). However, Revizly excels at turning your own lecture PDFs into study materials instantly. Many medical students use both: Anki for standardized board prep decks, Revizly for their course-specific materials.
Can I use both Revizly and Anki?
Yes, although Revizly now includes built-in FSRS spaced repetition, some students also use Anki to access pre-made community decks (especially for medicine). Revizly excels at generating and memorizing content from your own courses, while Anki remains useful for shared decks.