Anki vs Quizlet: which one fits how you study
Anki is a flashcard app. You write the cards, and Anki decides when you see each one again. Quizlet works with study sets. You make a set of terms and definitions, then study it with flashcards, tests or games. Winda is a third option. It makes flashcards and quizzes from what you read.
Anki and Quizlet checked on Sep 26, 2026
Who should pick which
Pick Anki if you want control of your reviews
- You must remember a lot over months or years, for medicine, law or a language
- You are happy to write your own cards, or to use a shared deck
- You want cloze (fill-in-the-blank) and image occlusion cards, and control of when reviews come back
Pick Quizlet if you study from sets
- Your class or teacher already uses Quizlet
- You want to study with Learn, Test or games such as Match, not only with flashcards
- Your material is mostly short terms and definitions
Try Winda if you study from what you read
- You study from PDFs, articles or lecture videos, not word lists
- You want Winda to write cards and quizzes from what you read, each one linked to its source
- You want reviews like Anki's, without making the deck by hand
Where Anki is stronger
Many people use Anki for years. Most of the reasons are its scheduler and its flexible cards.
A scheduler you can tune
Anki has included FSRS since version 23.10. FSRS learns from your review history. It schedules each card to reach the retention you choose, 90% by default. You can still use the older SM-2 algorithm.
Many kinds of cards
Anki comes with basic, reversed, cloze, type-in and image occlusion cards. You can design your own card templates in HTML and CSS. Cards can hold audio, images, video and math.
On every device, in sync
Anki runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone. You can also study in a browser on AnkiWeb. AnkiWeb keeps your cards in sync on all your devices.
Add-ons for almost everything
Add-ons add language tools, scheduling controls and other features to the desktop app. You find them on AnkiWeb.
Where Quizlet is stronger
Quizlet needs less setup. It is made for study with other people.
Quick to start
You type terms and definitions, or paste a list. You can start to study within a minute. Anki needs more setup. Its deck options include daily limits, learning steps and target retention.
More ways to study a set
Quizlet lets you study one set with flashcards, Learn, Test or games such as Match. In Anki, you study every card the same way. You see the card, then you grade it Again, Hard, Good or Easy. Anki's FAQ advises against multiple-choice questions.
Built for classrooms
Teachers can share sets with a class and run live quizzes. Anki's FAQ says that AnkiWeb is for individuals. It points schools to a tool such as Quizlet.
AI from your notes
Quizlet can make study guides and flashcards from notes you upload. Anki has no built-in AI to write cards.
How Winda does it
In Winda, you read the web page, PDF or video itself. AI helps as you read. Winda makes flashcards and quiz questions from what you read. It brings them back for review on a schedule.
Read the whole page, not a summary
Winda opens web pages, PDFs, YouTube videos with their transcripts, Word and PowerPoint files, and images in one reader. The Chrome extension brings the same tools to any web page. Select a line to explain it, ask about it or turn it into cards.
Every card links back
Each card keeps the passage it came from. When an answer stops making sense, you can go back to that page.
Reviews come back on a schedule
Winda schedules every card with FSRS, the same algorithm Anki uses. A card you miss comes back the same day. A card you know waits longer each time.
Anki, Quizlet and Winda, side by side
| Flashcard appAnki | Study setsQuizlet | ReaderWinda | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Making cards | |||
| Where cards come from | You write them or import a shared deck | You make, import or find sets, or AI makes them from your notes | You or AI write them from what you read |
| AI card writing | Not built in | From notes you upload | From a selected passage or a whole document |
| Question types | Basic, reversed, cloze, type-in, image occlusion, your own templates | Flashcards, written answers, multiple choice, true or false | Flashcards, fill in the blank, multiple choice |
| Link from a card to its source | Only if you add a field for it yourself | No | Every card links to its passage |
| Reviewing | |||
| Spaced repetition | FSRS or SM-2, with a retention target you set | A spaced repetition mode in Flashcards, on the website | FSRS across all your cards |
| Other ways to study | None: you review every card the same way | Learn, Test, Match and other games | Multiple-choice quizzes from what you read |
| Reading | |||
| Read the material in the app | No | No | Web pages, PDFs and YouTube, plus a Chrome extension |
| Where you use it | |||
| Apps | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone and a web version | Web, iPhone and Android | Web on computer and phone, plus a Chrome extension |
| Classroom tools | No: AnkiWeb is for individual users | Classes and live quizzes | No |
Checked on Sep 26, 2026 at apps.ankiweb.net, docs.ankiweb.net: Deck Options (FSRS), faqs.ankiweb.net: Multiple choice questions, faqs.ankiweb.net: Anki in a company or school, quizlet.com/features, help.quizlet.com: Studying with Spaced Repetition. If something has changed, write to hi@winda.app, and we will correct it.
How to move your Quizlet sets to Anki
Quizlet exports a set as plain text, but Anki needs a deck file. Our free converter turns the text into that file.
- 01
Export the set from Quizlet
On Quizlet's website, open a set you made. Choose Export. Copy the text. Quizlet exports only your own sets, and it leaves images out.
- 02
Paste the text into the converter
You see every card before you download. A definition that runs over several lines stays on one card.
- 03
Open the file in Anki
Download the .apkg file. Double-click it. You can also import it in Anki's desktop app with File > Import.
Questions
Anki is the better fit if you must remember a lot over months or years. Its FSRS scheduler adapts to your review history, and you can tune it. Quizlet is easier if you want to start quickly, study in several ways or study with a class.
Yes. Quizlet's Flashcards mode has a spaced repetition option on the website. Anki does more. Its FSRS scheduler learns from your review history, and you set the retention you want.
Yes. On Quizlet's website, export a set you made as text. Paste the text into our Quizlet to Anki converter. Open the .apkg file it gives you in Anki. Images do not transfer.
Winda is for study from what you read. You open a PDF, article or video in Winda. Winda writes flashcards, fill-in-the-blank and multiple-choice questions from it. Each card links to its passage, and all cards come back on an FSRS schedule. Winda does not have Anki's custom templates or add-ons. You can export a Winda deck to Anki or Quizlet.