There is a huge increase in online education applications due to the surge in eLearning demand. Flashcard apps are making learning much simpler than you can imagine in this technology age. And it most certainly is if you choose an app that meets your requirements.
Anki and Quizlet are two popular learning tools for students to understand academic material quickly. These applications can assist you in remembering a lot of information while spending less time studying since they provide more effective conventional learning methods.
Before settling on either Quizlet or Anki as your preferred learning app, you must check their best features, pros and cons, and similarities and differences.
In this post, I’ve compared Quizlet vs Anki by discussing their features and capabilities. By the end, we’ll get to know which is better than the other.
Let’s get started.
What is Quizlet?
Quizlet is a digital learning tool that students can use to boost learning. Andrew Sutherland, a high school sophomore, created it in 2005.
The app has various study tools, including game-based quizzes and flashcards. The flashcards help you learn vocabulary, new words, sample sentences, and foreign characters with additional meanings.
It has millions of study sets, each comparable to a deck of flashcards. It also features two game types to make studying enjoyable: Match and Gravity.
There is much more to choose from on Quizlet if you want to broaden your horizons. Also, it includes social science, science, math, the arts, and humanities.
How Does Quizlet Work?
The “Learning Assistant System,” which powers Quizlet Learn, combines artificial intelligence and techniques based on cognitive science. It analyzes millions of anonymous tutoring sessions to predict students’ learning preferences and provide the material they should focus on.
Quizlet’s artificial intelligence helps to mimic human cognitive processes like learning and problem-solving. Studying becomes more efficient, pleasant, and successful.
Quizlet’s flashcard tool allows you to create a list or collection of subjects you would like to study. In addition, you can find your favorite already-existing sets indexed by someone else using the search option.
The platform is divided into sections by subject to make it simple to explore and locate a certain study objective. Many of them employ flashcard-like designs with prompts or questions from which the learner can choose and turn over to reveal the answer.
Quizlet also offers additional solutions, allowing you to gain knowledge from the same data in multiple methods. For a more active learning strategy, you can choose “learn” rather than “flashcards,” where the question would only be presented with multiple choice responses.
The learning tool features a live option where students can compete, and the winner is the one who receives 12 accurate answers. You can also do it if you’re interested in presenting an online gamified quiz. The live game’s overall premise is excellent for practice exams.
As a reviewer, you can make flashcards containing all the information you need on a single card, including text, pictures, and audio recordings. Secondly, teachers have taken advantage of this by creating sets for their students to study, turning them into powerful class reading material.
What is Anki?
Anki is a free and open-source flashcard application that uses spaced repetition, a cognitive science technique for quick and lasting memory retention. This app is a great fit if you have trouble remembering stuff.
Damien Elmes created and developed the app in 2006. Anki app was initially developed for language learners, but it has now evolved into a learning tool that helps students study various subjects quickly.
This program offers a wide range of capabilities, including flexibility and synchronization. Also, Anki’s creators assert that this program is completely expandable, optimized, and media-rich.
You can use this tool to learn a new language, geography, law, do medical research, and much more.
How Does Anki Work?
Anki’s deck concept is a big feature that helps you to assemble your cards as you see fit. For example, you might create different decks for various topics or tasks so you can learn them individually.
If you have a vocabulary layer for words and another for historical events from the same era, you might want the terms to be grouped with the appropriate historical events.
After installing Anki on your device, it will prompt you to select a “Source” from which to draw your cards. This can be any online page or file (even offline) that offers information related to what you wish to study in the form of text, images, or audio.
After that, Anki will turn this data into flashcards so you can study them on a computer, smartphone, or tablet.
You can access these cards by selecting File -> Open Deck -> (choose deck) -> Study Cards after installing the free version of Anki. There are two ways you can respond to the question(s) on the card (based on the type of card).
You can choose your answer from the preloaded answers. After typing it for other flashcards, you just enter your response in the textbox.
Each time you respond to a question, Anki will display the proper response along with comments that compliment, criticize, or tell you if your response was accurate or incorrect. You can more easily learn from your errors and gain confidence in your ability to respond to similar questions in the future accurately.
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Features
Quizlet
Quizlet has a core feature that assists you in achieving your goals.
Flashcard: You can make as many flashcards as you’d like, which function similarly to paper flashcards. The front of the card can be either a picture, a text, or both, depending on the user’s choices. Also, it allows you to flip between them by tapping, using arrow keys, or the space bar.
Gravity: It’s one of the entertaining play study modes for rapid learning in which the explanation scrolls down vertically in the shape of an asteroid, and the user must input the phrase that matches the description before it reaches the bottom.
Write: With the help of this mode, you can practice quizzes to sharpen your vocabulary. You are given the word or definition, asked to input the phrase or meaning that best describes it, and then allowed to verify your answers.
Spell: It assists you in learning accurate spellings of words by reading terms and meanings aloud and asking you to type in the right spelling of the utterance you just heard.
Match: This mode demands you to swiftly clear the grid by dragging the words on top to their respective definitions after seeing words scattered around it.
Live: This area is just for teachers that use Quizlet. Teachers can often set up a structure of chosen flashcards and ask students or teams to choose the proper phrase or meaning to win the game.
Anki
The Anki application’s primary features are as follows:
Notes: It lets you make as many flashcards as you like, which are saved as Notes and shown as database entries with as many fields as you want.
Add-ons: Anki offers over 750 free plugins to help you organize your cards, export them from other digital sources, and integrate a gamified learning aspect.
These plugins assist with slow reading, picture blockage, enhanced user statistics, text-to-speech, and more. You might use these plugins to maximize the use of flashcards and boost your productivity.
Syncing: AnkiWeb, a free web server, lets you synchronize your material between various devices and mobile phones.
Shared decks: There is still a sizable and active database of shareable decks that individuals can download and use, even though Anki’s user manual advises creating one’s decks for most content.
However, various decks are available for geography, biology, physics, chemistry, and foreign languages. Plus, there are various medical science cards, sometimes created by several individuals working together.
Verdict
Both platforms have an immersive feature that can help you achieve your wants. So, in terms of features, it is a draw.
Interface
The app’s design and interface are two factors that draw you in at first sight. Users expect it to be simple to use and visually appealing to them. Colors can sometimes influence learners’ learning mood.
For learners, an app that is simple to use is a wonderful asset. Therefore, we will compare the interface of Quizlet and Anki.
Quizlet
Quizlet features a simple appearance. It employs the colors white and blue with hints of yellow and green. The sleek design makes it easier for students to focus on their studies without interruption. There aren’t many words on the landing page so you notice the features.
Anki
Even though Anki offers a simple user interface, its design is more old-fashioned than Quizlet. It lacks strong colors for emphasis, and the predominant colors are white with a hint of blue. Lastly, the pages are too wordy.
Verdict
The Quizlet site is colorful and has bold fonts that capture your attention. Its page layout is simple for a newcomer to use. This makes it a winner.
Gamification
Gamification makes learning more enjoyable for students. It allows you to learn new information while having fun with flashcard applications like Anki and Quizlet. Just as in a game, if you choose the right response, your level also rises.
Quizlet
Quizlet includes two game modes; the first is titled “Match,” and it refers to matching games or match mode. The other game is “Gravity,” a study game in which you apply accurate responses to prevent asteroids from colliding with the globe. Since it’s a game, the challenge of each level changes as you go.
Anki
Anki is ideal for you if you’re a dedicated learner and are accustomed to the traditional learning approach. In contrast to Quizlet, it is not gamified. It is a standard card flip and does not provide several options.
Verdict
Quizlet is the winner because it has two games that entertain the learners while learning. In contrast, Anki doesn’t come with a game.
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Spaced Repetition
Quizlet
Unfortunately, Quizlet has no spaced repetition.
Anki
Anki comes with spaced repetition, which controls the questions’ recurrence. As the time interval rises, the likelihood of retention in long-term memory increases. You will find that it becomes a little repetitive, but you have to look at it as an additional opportunity for learning.
Verdict
Anki has spaced repetition, making learning much easier for learners. This feature makes it better than Quizlet.
Study Mode
We know that students can learn in many ways. But the other factors to consider when comparing Quizlet vs Anki are the preferred study and learning modes. A variety of study methods will make you comfortable while learning.
Quizlet
Quizlet has much more to offer than simple card-flipping games. It contains five study modes that will make studying more interesting for you.
- You can use pre-made or custom decks to study possible in the Flashcard mode.
- The Learn mode develops a study schedule and leads you through the entire learning process.
- The Write mode gauges your level of subject comprehension and records any missed lessons.
- Your learning is evaluated in the Test mode.
- Lastly, the Spell mode’s primary goal is to help you improve your spelling.
Anki
Anki only features one study mode, the card flipping option. You can quickly determine whether you answered correctly by selecting the “display the answer” button. The Anki app might be useful if you enjoy studying this way.
Verdict
Quizlet is the winner. You have multiple study modes when using it, making it more reliable than Anki.
Compatibility
Quizlet
Quizlet has iOS and Android mobile applications. Check the mobile app for frequent updates and ensure you have the latest version for smooth performance.
The software works with Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox. Don’t forget to get the most recent version of your browser to prevent performance issues.
Anki
In contrast, Anki has five distinct versions:
- AnkiDesktop: Computer version of Anki
- AnkiDroid: Android version
- AnkiMobile: iOS version
- AnkiWeb: Web version
Verdict
Both platforms are compatible with most browsers and have apps for iOS and Android, and that’s a tie.
Pricing
Quizlet
The app allows you to create a free account to access interactive diagrams, practice questions, flashcards, and other study tools. To further personalize your study resources and tasks and access tools like learn mode, expert solutions, test mode, and offline learning, you can sign up for one of the plans below.
- Quizlet Plus: The membership for Quizlet Plus is $35.99 per year and $2.99 per month, and it automatically renews. Subscribers can create individual study courses, monitor their progress, and use smart grading to concentrate on concepts rather than rote memorization.
- Quizlet Plus for teachers subscriptions: its subscription is $35.99 per year or $3 per month. A Quizlet Plus membership for teachers provides improved content production tools, formative assessment options to monitor student progress, test mode, learn mode, and professional solutions.
- Group subscriptions: You can get the entire department or class up and running by purchasing memberships at a discount; the discount increases with the increase in the number of paid subscriptions.
Anki
The PC and Android users can use Anki for free. You can keep a certain amount of data in the cloud for free, allowing you to synchronize the data with other devices. On the other hand, iOS users must pay a one-time fee of $24.99 subscription.
You’ll have access to advanced Anki features like limitless reviews, more study statistics, automatic cloud backup, AnkiApp Web access, and separated data storage and engagement.
Verdict
In terms of subscriptions, Anki has a pocket-friendly subscription offer. Secondly, only iOS users are mandated to pay a one-time subscription, unlike Quizlet, which has expensive monthly and annual subscriptions for all users.
Support
Customer support is a crucial component of an educational app since it includes instructions on troubleshooting problems when stuck. Support comes through private chats, emails, and phone calls. Users can contact the app support team to attend to account-related settings, upgrade subscriptions, fix faults or technical problems, and payment processing.
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Quizlet
Quizlet’s help center is more appealing and well-organized. It has a live chat where you can communicate with its customer support to get help. Don’t forget that a search bar feature in Quizlet’s support area allows you to post queries and receive responses.
It comes with article guides that address different topics, so you can pick whichever article addresses your issue, and you’ll get help.
In addition, below are topics in the help center that you can click to access information to help you resolve your problem.
Account: It includes all the guidance you need, from account creation instructions to language change manuals.
Billing: It clears up your concerns regarding payment options, memberships, free trials, etc.
Studying: It provides instructions on organizing your study by creating, editing, saving, accessing, and sharing sets in Quizlet.
Teaching: A comprehensive teacher manual covers everything, from starting to conducting live sessions.
Troubleshooting: Besides learning to produce unique audio recordings and troubleshooting audio playing, this option provides browser and device compatibility information.
Community and Safety: Quizlet communities contain Quizlet sweepstakes, tutorial competitions, and copyright content takedown policies.
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Anki
You can access your mailing list, file a bug report, and send a troubleshooting report via Anki’s help menu. Other useful resources include the Android manual, FAQs, and intro videos.
You can have a private discussion with its staff. Besides, you can make calls if you need a quick response.
These resources will help you use and understand the Anki app more effectively. In addition, you can ask and answer questions in Anki’s online communities like Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, and the Anki forums.
The Settings menu in Anki lets you change things like your default login settings, automatic device synchronization, error reporting modes, language, alerts, and more.
Verdict
Quizlet is the winner. It has a robust help center with numerous tools to assist you in using the platform without any hiccups.
Anki vs Quizlet: Similarities and Differences
Similarities
- You can make your decks using both platforms.
- They both have free versions.
- Both have web and mobile app versions to use.
- The two platforms help students to learn.
Differences
- Anki has a space repetition feature while Quizlet doesn’t
- Quizlet has multiple study modes, while Anki has only one.
- Anki only charges its iOS users, and Android users can get the service for free. On the other hand, Quizlet has a free version with limited access. You’ll need to subscribe to one of its premium plans to get top-notch service.
- Quizlet has a robust help center compared to Anki.
- Quizlet has a user-friendly interface, while Anki’s interface looks wordy and outdated.
Anki vs Quizlet: Pros and Cons
Anki
Pros
- It is free for PC and Android users, and all content add-ons and other features are accessible.
- It employs spaced repetition, one of the finest techniques for acquiring vocabulary.
- Simple and cost-free offline usage.
- You can customize your learning process by choosing from a variety of add-ons.
- There are several ready-made user decks.
Cons
- The app and desktop software aren’t particularly user-friendly and have a clumsy, outdated feel.
- There is only one common learning mode, which might get monotonous.
- iOS users must pay for lifetime access.
- The desktop and mobile versions do not automatically sync.
Quizlet
Pros
- It features a variety of learning modes, so you don’t get bored merely staring at flash cards.
- The test function is quite helpful for monitoring your development.
- The layout is clear, uncomplicated, and straightforward to use.
- There are several user-made flashcard sets available there for free usage.
Cons
- It no longer employs spaced repetition, one of the most successful methods of acquiring vocabulary.
- You must upgrade to Quizlet Plus to access all of Quizlet’s features.
Conclusion
Between Anki and Quizlet, Quizlet is our preferred choice. Although it has a subscription plan, the best thing about it is that it offers numerous study and game modes.
The game mode can help in-class learners and those getting ready for difficult tests because it sharpens their memory.
The platform has a sleek and simple interface that you can navigate easily, especially if you are a newbie. Also, its features like Spell and Write can help you learn new words and language easily.
