Best study apps
compared honestly
We compared 6 popular study apps. Here's what each does best—and where they fall short.
OUR PICK
Cruxly AI
4.8
Photo to quiz in 60 seconds
Best for: Students who photograph notes/slides
AI generates questions from photos
Handwriting recognition
60-second quiz creation
New app (launching 2025)
No community decks yet
Free tier + $6.99/mo Student
Quizlet
4.5
The OG flashcard app
Best for: Students who want pre-made decks
500M+ community flashcards
Multiple study modes
Widely used
Manual card creation
AI features cost $8/mo
Free + $8/mo Plus
Anki
4.6
Power user's spaced repetition
Best for: Medical students, language learners
Free forever (desktop)
Most customizable
Proven algorithm
Steep learning curve
Dated UI
Free (desktop) / $25 iOS
Notion
4.7
All-in-one workspace
Best for: Students who want notes + tasks + databases
Flexible organization
Great for note-taking
Free for students
Not study-focused
No spaced repetition
Free for students
Kahoot
4.4
Game-based learning
Best for: Teachers and group study sessions
Fun and engaging
Great for classrooms
Multiplayer quizzes
Not for solo study
Limited free features
Free + paid plans
Brainscape
4.3
Confidence-based repetition
Best for: Students who want adaptive learning
Adaptive algorithm
Clean interface
Good for languages
Limited free tier
Smaller community
Free + $10/mo Pro
Feature comparison
| Feature | Cruxly | Quizlet | Anki | Notion | Kahoot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI quiz generation | ✓ | Paid | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Photo to flashcards | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Handwriting OCR | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Spaced repetition | ✓ | Basic | ✓✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Community decks | ✗ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Free tier | ✓ | Limited | ✓ | ✓ | Limited |
| Mobile app | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Offline mode | Coming | Paid | ✓ | Paid | ✗ |
Our honest verdict
Best for most students
Cruxly AI
If you photograph notes or hate typing flashcards, nothing else comes close.
Best community library
Quizlet
500M+ pre-made decks. Great if you want existing flashcards.
Best for power users
Anki
Steepest learning curve, but most customizable spaced repetition.
Best for classrooms
Kahoot
Fun group quizzes. Not for solo studying.