Turn your own notes into spaced repetition flashcards with AI
Anki is powerful but leaves the card writing to you. DeckOwl reads your PDFs, slides, notes or photos and drafts flashcards you can review on a spaced schedule.
Who Anki flashcards suit, and who they do not
Anki flashcards are good for memorizing facts you need to recall again and again, such as vocabulary, drug names or anatomy labels. The strength is spaced repetition: cards you miss come back sooner, and cards you know fade to longer gaps. The weakness is setup. Anki does not write cards for you, so the hours spent typing them out can cost more than the review itself.
- Good for: vocabulary, definitions and short facts you must recall word for word
- Weaker for: multi-step reasoning, where one card cannot show the full process
- Setup cost: writing cards by hand takes time that adds up across a semester
- Faster route: draft cards from your own material, then review and edit them before studying
Reads your own material
Upload PDF, DOCX, PPTX, plain text or a photo of a page. Text recognition handles the images.
Spaced repetition built in
Cards return on a schedule that adjusts to what you forget, the same core idea Anki uses.
Export when you need it
Plus adds Anki, CSV, PDF and DOCX export, so you can keep using Anki if you prefer it.
How it works
Upload your material
Add a lecture PDF, slide deck, notes file or a photo of a textbook page.
Review the flashcards
Edit or delete cards before you study so the deck matches what your course actually covers.
Study on a spaced schedule
Review in the browser on the free plan, or export to Anki with Plus.
Whether Anki is worth it depends on how you build your deck. Students who write cards from their own lecture notes often remember more than those who copy a shared deck, because writing a card forces a decision about what matters. Anki works well for long courses and language study, and less well for subjects that need explaining, like a proof or a case study.
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Frequently asked questions
How many flashcards should I make for a single study session?
A common starting point is 20 to 40 new cards per session, plus any reviews that are due. Start smaller if the material is new, and add more once your recall feels steady.
Does spaced repetition work better than rereading?
Research on the spacing effect generally finds that spreading practice over time improves long-term recall more than cramming or rereading. Results vary by subject and by how well the cards are written.
Can I export my flashcards to Anki?
Yes, Anki export is a Plus feature at $99.90 per year or $9.99 per month. The free plan lets you study in the browser with up to 3 generations per month.
Do I need a credit card to try it?
No. You can start on the free plan without a credit card, and students get 40% off with a school email.
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