Anki in 2026: still a benchmark, with real limitations
Anki has existed since 2006. It remains one of the most documented and widely used learning tools in academia, especially in medical education. Its reputation is deserved: it applies spaced repetition with strong precision, and its community has produced thousands of free shared decks.
But Anki was designed almost twenty years ago for technical users. Its interface reflects that legacy: dense, less intuitive, and full of settings to understand before efficient use. Many learners quit Anki not because the method fails, but because setup friction is too high.
Anki vs Memia at a glance
- Spaced-repetition algorithm — Anki: SM-2 (FSRS available via plugin) | Memia: Native FSRS
- Learning curve — Anki: High | Memia: Low
- AI card generation — Anki: No (third-party plugins) | Memia: Yes, built in
- Mobile experience — Anki: AnkiDroid (Android, free) / AnkiMobile (iOS, paid ~€25) | Memia: Native iOS & Android app
- Community decks — Anki: AnkiWeb with vast library | Memia: In development
- Advanced customization — Anki: Very high (HTML/CSS templates) | Memia: Moderate
- Progress tracking — Anki: Detailed stats | Memia: Intuitive dashboard
- Sync — Anki: Via AnkiWeb (free) | Memia: Native cloud sync
- Pricing — Anki: Free (iOS paid) | Memia: Freemium
- Support and updates — Anki: Community-led | Memia: Dedicated team
SM-2 vs FSRS: what changes in practice?
Anki historically uses SM-2. FSRS, the newer scheduler, is available in Anki but must be manually enabled and configured in deck settings—something many users skip.
FSRS models two dimensions for each card: memory stability (how fast recall decays) and intrinsic difficulty (how naturally hard that card is for you). It computes intervals to maintain retention around a target probability—90% by default.
In practice, FSRS tends to produce more precise long-term spacing, with fewer unnecessary reviews on easy cards and more appropriate resurfacing for difficult cards. In Memia, FSRS is active by default with no setup required.
AI card generation: a workflow shift
One of the biggest differences between Memia and Anki is AI-assisted card creation. In Anki, cards are built manually—pedagogically valuable (rephrasing reinforces encoding) but time-consuming for large volumes.
Memia offers automatic generation: paste a text, chapter, or notes, and the AI proposes flashcards you can review, edit, and add to decks. This does not replace manual authoring for key points, but it significantly accelerates deck-building on high-volume content.
Even with AI generation, review and rewrite each card in your own words before validating. Generated cards are a starting point, not a final deliverable. Rephrasing is already part of learning.
Which tool is best for which profile?
Choose Anki if…
You are comfortable with technical configuration.
You want community decks (medicine, languages).
You need advanced card customization.
You are on Android (AnkiDroid is excellent).
You want a 100% free tool.
Choose Memia if…
You want to start immediately without setup.
You want AI-assisted card creation.
You prefer a modern and intuitive interface.
You want FSRS quality without manual configuration.
You are on iOS and do not want to pay €25 for AnkiMobile.
Community ecosystem and shared decks
A clear strength of Anki is its shared deck ecosystem on AnkiWeb. Thousands of medical (USMLE, ECNi), language, and academic decks are freely available, built over years by student communities.
If your learning context matches these categories—especially health studies—and you want to start from existing material rather than authoring everything, Anki has a real advantage here.
Memia is gradually building community features. For users creating their own decks or using AI generation, this difference is less decisive.
Frequently asked questions
Check Memia documentation for currently supported import paths—the formats evolve with product updates. The Memia support team can help with migration guidance.
Anki still leads on medical community decks, including ECNi-oriented resources and local adaptations of major US decks. If you rely heavily on those existing datasets, Anki remains hard to beat. If you build your own cards or use AI generation, Memia is highly competitive.
Memia includes a free tier with core features. See the pricing page for plan details and usage limits by tier.
Yes. Some learners do exactly that: Anki for existing community decks and Memia for personally created or AI-generated cards. Both workflows can coexist.