The best AI study tools, and what each one is best for
Seven AI study tools compared on price, free plan and what each does best: Anki, Brainscape, Gemini Notebook, Knowt, Quizlet, RemNote and StudyVisually.
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There is no single best AI study tool. Each one below is the best pick for a different job, so they are listed alphabetically, not ranked. StudyVisually is ours; we have tried to be as fair to it as to the others.
| Tool | Best for | Price | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anki | Best forFree flashcards you fully control, on your own computer, with every setting open to change. | PriceFree on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android (AnkiDroid). The iPhone app, AnkiMobile, costs $24.99 once. | Free planEverything, including free syncing between devices through AnkiWeb. |
| Brainscape | Best forSpaced-repetition flashcards with AI card making included on the free plan. | PricePro is $7.99 a month on its yearly option. | Free planUnlimited flashcards you make, importing existing flashcards, AI to make hundreds of flashcards, spaced repetition and study reminders. |
| Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) | Best forAsking questions across a pile of your own sources at once. | PriceFree with a Google account. Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra plans raise the limits. | Free planUp to 100 notebooks with 50 sources each. |
| Knowt | Best forFree flashcard study modes, bringing Quizlet sets over, and AI summaries of lectures and videos. | PriceUltra is $24.99 a month, or $149.99 a year ($12.99 a month), with a 3-day free trial. | Free planUnlimited file creation, live collaboration and storage, 5 million shared resources, and free Learn mode, matching game, spaced repetition and practice tests. |
| Quizlet | Best forFinding flashcard sets other people made, and quick games for a class. | PriceQuizlet Plus is $7.99 a month or $35.99 a year. Plus Unlimited is $9.99 a month or $44.99 a year. Yearly plans start with a 7-day trial. | Free planFlashcards, games and sets made by others, with ads. Plus removes ads and adds practice tests, Learn rounds and textbook solutions, with monthly limits that Plus Unlimited lifts. |
| RemNote | Best forTaking notes and making flashcards in the same place. | PricePro is $8 a month or $96 a year. Pro with AI is $18 a month or $216 a year. | Free planUnlimited notes and flashcards on unlimited devices, 3 annotated PDFs, and a small monthly AI allowance (250 credits). |
| StudyVisually | Best forLearning a topic visually, with spaced repetition and a short daily plan, from free subjects or your own notes. | PriceStudying is free. Basic is $4 a month or $40 a year; Premium is $8 a month or $80 a year. | Free planEvery ready-made subject and study mode, with progress saved in your browser before you sign in. After signing in, 5 AI decks a month. |
Anki
Free, open-source flashcard app with a spaced-repetition scheduler you can tune, and add-ons for almost anything.
Best for: Free flashcards you fully control, on your own computer, with every setting open to change.
Brainscape
Flashcard app built on spaced repetition, with AI card making from your documents and expert-certified decks for exams.
Best for: Spaced-repetition flashcards with AI card making included on the free plan.
Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)
Google's research notebook (renamed from NotebookLM in July 2026): ask questions across your sources, and make flashcards and quizzes from them.
Best for: Asking questions across a pile of your own sources at once.
Knowt
Free study platform with flashcards, Learn mode and practice tests, plus AI summaries of PDFs, videos and lectures on its paid plan.
Best for: Free flashcard study modes, bringing Quizlet sets over, and AI summaries of lectures and videos.
Quizlet
Flashcard and study platform with sets made by other users, games, practice tests and AI study materials from your notes.
Best for: Finding flashcard sets other people made, and quick games for a class.
RemNote
Note-taking app with flashcards built into your notes, spaced repetition, PDF annotation and AI study tools.
Best for: Taking notes and making flashcards in the same place.
StudyVisually
Study app that turns a topic or your own notes into concept cards, flashcards on a spaced-repetition schedule, practice questions, timed explain-it answers and step-by-step diagrams.
Best for: Learning a topic visually, with spaced repetition and a short daily plan, from free subjects or your own notes.
What StudyVisually does differently
Concept cards with four sides
Each idea gets four sides: plain English, an everyday analogy, an example and where it shows up in real work. Ready-made subjects and AI decks fill all four.
Step-by-step diagrams
Processes, cycles and sequences become diagrams you tap through one step at a time, with each step explained. AI decks draw one whenever your notes describe a process.
60-second explain-it answers
Interview questions give you 60 seconds to explain an idea in your own words, then show a model answer to check yours against. On Premium you can speak your answer and it is typed out for you.
FSRS with nothing to set up
Flashcards follow FSRS, a modern review scheduler, from the first card, aiming for 90% recall. No settings to change and no add-ons to install.
Sources
Prices and features change. We read each fact on the company's own pages; tell us through the contact page if one is out of date.
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