Ranked: Best AI flashcard generators

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Preparing for an exam has become a lot less grueling with the help of AI. There is nothing more satisfying for a college student like myself seeing AI instantly turn my disorganized notes into clean, concise flashcards. With that precious time saved, I’m able to redirect my focus on the subject matter and devote myself into comprehending the material better. 

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Hearing the word exam is enough to send a chill down every student’s spine. For me, it’s not the exam itself that I dread, but rather the preparation for it. The mind-numbing task of sifting through all my lecture notes is already enough to drain me of my motivation to study. Thanks to these tools, I am freed from the time-consuming task of creating flashcards, allowing me to dive straight into understanding the material. Now, with less writing and more reviewing, I’m not just acing my exams but also enjoying the learning process.

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Even if you’re not enrolled into any academic institution, anyone looking to improve their memory or expand their skills can benefit from these tools. Whether you’re a professional wanting to retain industry lingo or a linguaphile looking into studying a new language, you too can save some of your precious time with these AI flashcard creators.Curious how AI can streamline your studying? Here are 4 AI flashcard generators to get you started.

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What I looked for

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The best AI flashcard generators

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1. Gizmo

Best for making cloze flashcards

See the flashcards it generated

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Gizmo lets you skip the hassle of making handcrafted flashcards by instantly turning your lecture notes into highly-customizable flashcards. With over a million visitors per month, it has become a valuable companion for students in their exam preparations.

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With the myriad of course materials our professors give out, I often struggle finding where to start. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for me to keep track of all the Powerpoint presentations, PDF files, and supplementary videos I have to go through. Now, I can merge all of these materials into a handy set of flashcards, allowing me to review everything in just one platform. Gizmo supports an extensive list of import options, including Powerpoint, Google Sheets, PDF files, Youtube videos, web pages, and more!

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What I really liked about Gizmo is how they “gamified” studying to make it enjoyable and engaging. Everytime you master a flashcard, you gain exp points that contribute to leveling up your profile. They also have a Leaderboard system where I can compare my progress with friends. Not only am I able to track my progress, but I also get a sense of achievement, which further motivates me to stay consistent with studying.

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Another thing that I liked is how user-friendly it is in customizing your flashcards. If you come across a term or a key concept in your study materials that you want to focus on, you simply highlight it. Gizmo then automatically blanks it out for you when you start reviewing.

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Under their free plan, you can create unlimited cards and decks, and gain limited access to all their features. Their subscription plans are pricey however, but you gain significant value for your money if you decide to commit to an annual plan. They even offer discounts especially for students!

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Elevate your studying game with Gizmo by visiting their website or by downloading it from the Google Play store and App store.

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2. PDF2Anki

Best for highly-tailored flashcards

See the flashcards it generated

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For those who have used and love the popular flashcard program Anki, you would definitely want to check out PDF2Anki. What sets it apart from other flashcard generators is its wide array of customization options, allowing you to tailor your decks to fit your specific learning needs.

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Right from the start, I could already tell that PDF2Anki was made with the user’s learning goals in mind. After uploading a PDF file, I was given the option to set how deterministic or creative I want the generated flashcards to be. 

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With a more deterministic setting, it will focus on creating straightforward and factual cards that are taken straight from the text with minimal rephrasing. This is suitable when I’m looking to remember specific dates, formulas, or definitions. In contrast, with a more creative setting, PDF2Anki takes more liberties in paraphrasing, uses analogies, and creates more abstract questions. This is extremely useful when I want to test how well I am able to apply concepts in various contexts, such as in philosophy, literature, and other advanced scientific theories.

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PDF2Anki provides users with greater flexibility in customizing their flashcards by examining the source materials first before presenting a list of topics. Users are then able to decide which topics to include or omit when creating the flashcards. It also lets users select the pages of the documents from which they want the cards to be generated, allowing them to create a deck for specific chapters. I found these features particularly helpful in narrowing down subjects that I want to concentrate on.

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Still find it hard understanding anything? PDF2Anki has their own personalized chat tutor to answer your specific questions and guide you along the way.

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Unfortunately, their basic plan alone is not enough to sustain more rigorous studying, as it only allows you to generate two decks per month. However, if you find yourself needing to create flashcards often, PDF2Anki is a great choice with the amount of features you gain access to with their subscription plans.

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Get started with PDF2Anki by visiting them from their website.

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3. Revisely

Best for converting handwritten notes

See the flashcards it generated

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Transform your written notes into digital cards with Revisely’s flashcard generator. It is a well-liked tool to complement your study efforts, with one million students using it each month.

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What makes Revisely stand out among the tools I tested is its ability to convert handwritten notes. Since I can’t just copy and paste them, being able to take a picture of it makes the transfer to digital a lot more convenient. Not only does it save me time and effort of encoding everything, but this feature also makes flashcard generators more accessible to those who prefer taking down notes by hand.

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Revisely also provides additional explanations from outside the material for each card. This has definitely saved me a couple of times by clarifying concepts that were still vague and difficult to understand. I also appreciate the personalized feedback in exam mode, which has provided me with valuable insights on how to enhance my answers by suggesting what to include or omit.

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It’s not really recommended to use Revisely with just the basic plan as you will immediately hit the limit of 3 generations that it allows you to do. However, it is worth considering as its subscription plans are more affordable compared to other tools, perfect for those on a tight budget.

Supplement your studying with Revisely by visiting their website.

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4. Quizgecko

Best for interactive quizzes

See the flashcards it generated

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Quizgecko transforms quizzes into a fun and interactive experience, providing you with the serotonin to enjoy studying. Although it is not as well-known as the other tools in this article, it still offers unique and standout features that make it worth a closer look.

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Although their focus is mainly on creating quizzes, I still found Quizgecko’s generated flashcards to be on par with the previous tools like Gizmo and PDF2Anki. It stands out from the others thanks to the detailed questions extracted from your study materials, leading to more impactful flashcards. With the option to set the difficulty, I can choose to study in the way that’s most comfortable to me given my existing knowledge regarding a topic.

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What impressed me the most with Quizgecko is how it offers a seamless study loop. First, I solidify core concepts with their flashcards, then I put myself to the test with their quizzes. With this, I can reinforce my existing knowledge and test for my own comprehension regarding the subject matter.

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Aside from what’s already mentioned, it unfortunately does not offer anything else that would make it stand out from the other tools. There are some things that you cannot do in Quizgecko, like making cloze flashcards. The ability to upload your own files, which other tools let you do for free, is also locked behind their Premium plan.

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Another downside is their subscription plans being on the pricier side when compared to the other tools. It’s not really viable to use Quizgecko with just the free plan given how you’re only allowed 3 generations a month. As such, I recommend making use of the basic plan only to try it out first and see if their quiz function provides you with more value in achieving your study goals.

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Make your study flow more fun with Quizgecko by visiting their website.

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How I tested these tools

With my own finals week coming up, I found that this was a good opportunity to test out these tools. I'll be using my own handwritten notes as well as course materials (like PDF files and videos) provided to me by my professors.

To ensure a fair comparison, I've decided to limit my uploads for flashcard generation to these three topics:

1. Introduction and basic concepts of thermodynamics
2. Biological perspectives
3. Commitment, love, and mate retention

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Top Pick: Gizmo

Its ability to convert a wide range of study materials—from text files to YouTube videos—into customizable flashcards is just one reason as to why Gizmo came out on top of our ranking. It allows you to zero in on your core material without getting bogged down by managing a bunch of different sources.

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Gizmo also understands that staying motivated is key. By incorporating game-like features such as levels and leaderboards, they help students stay engaged and focused on achieving high scores. 

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Most importantly, you get all of these and more for free, making Gizmo the perfect choice for bookish people on a tight budget. You'll get significantly more functionality to maximize your studying or workflow, without breaking the bank.

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Runner-up: PDF2Anki

PDF2Anki also stood out for us, with its extensive feature set that gives you greater choice over how you study with flashcards. It compiles a list of topics from your readings so you may choose which ones to include in your cards. This lets you focus on what you need to learn most without getting overwhelmed by irrelevant information.

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PDF2Anki also offers an integrated chat tutor where you can ask follow-up questions and get detailed explanations without opening a new tab. Because it has your learning resource as context, it supplies information more precisely to help you break through challenging concepts.

While the free tier only gives you limited use, it gives you a taste of what you can expect with PDF2Anki. Their variety of tools, combined with their budget-friendly paid plans, makes a subscription a worthwhile investment.