An Anki alternative designed for students

Anki is free and open source on desktop, and on Android thanks to AnkiDroid. It is extremely flexible. So the reasons to look elsewhere are rarely the algorithm. They are more often:

• A stark interface, with vocabulary (note types, templates, deck options) you have to learn before you can study.
• Cards cut off from your courses: you type your cards from a PDF open in another window.
• Nothing for MCQs, or for organizing the weeks before an exam.
• On iPhone and iPad, the official AnkiMobile app is paid.

If Anki works for you, keep it. This page is for those who want the same method in a more straightforward tool.

The heart of Anki is spaced repetition: each card comes back just before you forget it. Mnemesia is built on the same principle.

• FSRS, the open algorithm from the open-spaced-repetition project, available in Anki since version 23.10. Mnemesia uses it by default, with an adjustable retention target.
• Import of Anki decks in .apkg format, with their media.
• Cloze deletion, modeled on Anki's clozes.
• Image occlusion, to hide the labels on a diagram.
• Math formulas, rendered with KaTeX.

Mnemesia also adds a multi-deck “Review for exams” mode, which covers every subject on an exam, and a self-test graded out of 20 that doesn't disturb the scheduling of your cards.

An honest comparison has to say it:

• Anki's add-ons let you customize everything. Mnemesia has none.
• AnkiWeb syncs your cards across all your devices, Windows and Android included. Mnemesia only connects the Mac and the iPad, through iCloud.
• AnkiDroid runs on Android phones, and AnkiMobile on iPhone. Mnemesia has no phone app.
• Anki's card templates are fully programmable in HTML and CSS.

If you mostly study on your phone on the subway, Anki is still the best choice today.

Migration takes a few minutes per deck.

• In Anki, open the File menu, then Export, and choose the "Anki Deck Package (.apkg)" format. Check the option to include media.
• In Mnemesia, start an import and choose the .apkg file.
• Your cards and their media (images, diagrams) arrive in a new deck.
• File the deck under the matching subject so it follows your exam planner.

Check a few cards after the import, especially if you used heavily customized templates. To go further, read our tips on how to make good flashcards.

It all depends on how you work. A few guidelines to help you decide:

• You mostly study on your phone, between classes or on public transit: stick with Anki, with AnkiDroid or AnkiMobile.
• You have spent years tuning your templates and add-ons: Anki remains the most flexible tool.
• You mostly work on a computer or an iPad, from PDF handouts: Mnemesia saves you the back and forth between course and cards.
• You also want to practice MCQs and follow a planner up to the exam: Mnemesia brings everything together in one place.
• You are new to spaced repetition and Anki discouraged you: Mnemesia is easy to pick up with no setup.

Nothing stops you from trying both. Import a deck into Mnemesia, review it for a week, and compare.

Once your decks are imported, the routine looks like Anki's, with your courses at hand.

• Every day, review the cards that are due. FSRS picks the next date based on your answer.
• During the week, open the handout, highlight, and create cards for what you just learned.
• Before an exam, start a multi-deck review and a practice MCQ set.

Mnemesia is free, needs no account and works offline. Install it from the App Store on Mac and iPad, and from the download page on Windows, Linux and Android tablets.