Best Study Tools of 2026
Quick answer
Anki is our top pick on value: free on desktop and Android with free sync, and $24.99 once for the official iOS app (as of 2026-10-02). RemNote suits students who want notes and flashcards together, with Pro at $96 a year. Brainscape offers pre-made Certified decks with Pro from $95.88 a year or $199.99 for life. Quizlet Plus starts at £35.99 a year in the UK but caps practice tests and Learn rounds. Firsthand does not test these apps with students; ratings use each provider's published pricing and features.
Study tools range from free open-source apps to subscriptions with AI features. This guide compares four flashcard and study apps: Anki, RemNote, Brainscape and Quizlet. Prices come from each app's official pricing page or official store listing as of 2026-10-02; Quizlet's page showed UK pricing in pounds when we checked. None of these apps publishes independent learning-outcome data on its pricing page, so Outcomes reflects the study method each tool documents rather than results. We score each one on five weighted criteria: Outcomes (30%), Cost and Value (25%), Academics (20%), Support Services (15%) and Flexibility (10%). Firsthand does not audit programs or survey students. We read the provider's own published pages, and every price carries an as-of date.
How we scored: every program below was rated 0–10 on five weighted criteria — Outcomes (30%), Cost & Value (25%), Academics (20%), Support Services (15%), and Flexibility (10%). Firsthand does not audit schools or survey students: ratings analyze officially published data and each provider's own documentation, and each figure is cited to a primary source with an as-of date; self-reported outcomes are labeled as such. Affiliate commissions never affect scores or rank order. Read our full methodology.
2026 rankings at a glance
| # | Product | Rating | Best for | Price | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AnkiNot an affiliate — no commission earned | 7.2/10 | Students who want a free, long-term spaced repetition tool and are willing to build or import their own decks. | Free on Windows, macOS and Linux, free AnkiDroid on Android, free AnkiWeb sync; AnkiMobile for iOS $24.99 one-time on the US App Store (as of 2026-10-02) | |
| 2 | RemNoteNot an affiliate — no commission earned | 6.4/10 | Students who want lecture notes and flashcards in one tool and will use PDF annotation or exam scheduling. | Free plan; Pro $8/month billed $96/year; Pro with AI $18/month billed $216/year (as of 2026-10-02) | |
| 3 | BrainscapeNot an affiliate — no commission earned | 6.1/10 | Students who want pre-made, exam-focused flashcard decks and are happy to pay for Pro. | Free Basic plan; Pro $19.99/month, $59.94 per 6 months, $95.88/year, or $199.99 lifetime (as of 2026-10-02) | |
| 4 | QuizletNot an affiliate — no commission earned | 6.0/10 | Students who want quick, low-cost practice tests and Learn mode and are fine with a subscription. | Quizlet Plus £35.99/year; Plus Unlimited £44.99/year; Family £83.99/year for up to 5 accounts (UK prices shown on Quizlet's upgrade page, as of 2026-10-02) |
Anki
7.2/10Anki is a spaced repetition flashcard app that is free on desktop and Android, with free sync and a one-time $24.99 iOS app. It is the best value here if you are happy to make your own cards.
- Free on desktop and Android, with free AnkiWeb sync across devices (as of 2026-10-02)
- You make or find your own cards; there is no built-in course content
RemNote
6.4/10RemNote combines note-taking and spaced repetition flashcards, with a usable free plan and Pro at $96 a year. Its best features sit behind the paid tiers.
- Notes and flashcards in one place, with unlimited notes, flashcards and synced devices on the free plan
- Key study features are capped on the free plan: 3 annotated PDFs, 5 image occlusion cards and 1 handwritten document
Brainscape
6.1/10Brainscape is a spaced repetition flashcard app with free card creation and a Pro plan from $95.88 a year that unlocks AI cards and Certified decks. Monthly Pro is expensive.
- Making, importing and sharing your own flashcards is free, with spaced repetition and progress tracking
- Paying monthly costs $19.99, about two and a half times the $7.99 per month of the annual plan (as of 2026-10-02)
Quizlet
6.0/10Quizlet's paid plans add practice tests, Learn rounds and textbook solutions, from £35.99 a year in the UK. The cheaper Plus tier has tight monthly caps.
- Low annual price: Quizlet Plus is £35.99 a year on the UK page (as of 2026-10-02)
- Quizlet Plus is capped: 3 practice tests, 3 Q&A or textbook solutions and 20 Learn rounds a month
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free flashcard app?
Anki is free on desktop and Android with free AnkiWeb sync. RemNote and Brainscape also have free plans, with limits on some features (as of 2026-10-02).
Is a lifetime plan worth it?
Brainscape's $199.99 lifetime Pro costs about the same as two years of its $95.88 annual plan (as of 2026-10-02), so it pays off if you will study with it for more than two years.
Do you test these apps?
No. Firsthand does not run its own trials. We read each provider's official pricing and feature pages and cite them with an as-of date.
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