StudyVisually vs Brainscape
StudyVisually and Brainscape side by side: prices, free plans, AI from your notes and spaced repetition, with where Brainscape is the better pick.
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Which should you choose?
Choose Brainscape if
you mainly want flashcards, like rating your own confidence on each card, or want a certified deck for your exam.
Choose StudyVisually if
you want to understand a topic as well as memorise it, with concept cards, diagrams and practice questions beside your flashcards.
How do they compare?
| StudyVisually | Brainscape | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | StudyVisuallyStudying is free. Basic is $4 a month or $40 a year; Premium is $8 a month or $80 a year. | BrainscapePro is $7.99 a month on its yearly option. |
| What the free plan includes | StudyVisuallyEvery ready-made subject and study mode, with progress saved in your browser before you sign in. After signing in, 5 AI decks a month. | BrainscapeUnlimited flashcards you make, importing existing flashcards, AI to make hundreds of flashcards, spaced repetition and study reminders. |
| AI study material from your own notes or PDFs | StudyVisuallyYes. PDFs, text files or pasted notes become concept cards, flashcards, practice questions, explain-it questions and diagrams (uploads up to about 20 pages on Free). | BrainscapeYes. Give it instructions or a PPT, PDF or document and it makes flashcards: hundreds on the free plan, unlimited on Pro. |
| Spaced repetition | StudyVisuallyYes. FSRS with a 90% target, and each rating button shows the gap it will set. | BrainscapeYes. A spaced retrieval algorithm that uses your own 1 to 5 confidence rating for each card. |
| Ways to study | StudyVisuallyConcept cards, flashcards, Quiz questions, timed Interview answers, step-by-step diagrams, a roadmap and a 20-minute daily mission. | BrainscapeFlashcards with text, images and sound; reverse flashcards, bookmarks and expert-certified decks on Pro. Web, iPhone and Android. |
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.
Where Brainscape is better
- Its free plan already includes AI to make hundreds of flashcards.
- Expert-certified decks cover hundreds of subjects, exams, languages and certifications (on Pro).
- Cards can hold images, sounds and animated GIFs.
- Native iPhone and Android apps.
Where StudyVisually is better
- Seven ways to study one topic: concept cards, flashcards, predict-the-answer, timed explain-it answers, step-by-step diagrams, a progress map and a 20-minute daily mission.
- Nothing to set up: open the app and study, without an account.
- AI decks are more than flashcards: concept cards, predict and explain-it questions and a diagram from the same notes.
- Paid plans start lower per month: Basic is $4 a month.
Can you use both?
Use a Brainscape certified deck for exam facts, and StudyVisually when a topic needs explaining first: concept cards, diagrams and timed explain-it answers, with your flashcards on the same spaced schedule.
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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Try it with today's mission.
Open the app and spend 20 minutes on a free subject or your own notes. Start without signing up, no card needed.
Start studyingSee you tomorrow?