An Anki alternative for people tired of making cards
Breef keeps the part of Anki that works, spaced review, and drops the part that takes the time: writing cards. Every note you write comes back at growing intervals, and Breef asks the questions.
Why people try Breef instead
The same idea, reviewing just before you’d forget, applied to the notes you already take.
No deck to build
Every note is reviewed as it is, from the day you write it. There are no cards to write, unless you want some.
Quizzes, written for you
When a note is due, Breef asks three questions from it and shows each answer beside the line of your note it comes from.
The explanation stays
A note keeps the whole picture, with formulas, images and links to other notes, so reviewing it means understanding it again, not just recalling a line.
Cards can still go to Anki
Write “question :: answer” lines in a note: Breef reviews them too, and exports them as a file Anki imports.
Breef and Anki, side by side
| Feature | Breef | Anki |
|---|---|---|
| What you review | YesYour notes themselves, and any cards you write in them | YesFlashcards you write, or decks others have shared |
| Making cards | YesOptional: every note is reviewed as it is, and Breef writes the quiz questions | In partYou write each card yourself, or download a shared deck |
| Review schedule | YesGrowing steps: 1, 3, 7, 21, 60 and 120 days, the next day when it’s shaky | YesSM-2 by default, or FSRS, an adaptive scheduler, built in |
| Notes and explanations | YesFull notes with headings, formulas, images, files and links between them | In partFormatted card fields; notes are kept somewhere else |
| Lecture recording | YesRecords a lecture and writes it up into a note | NoNot built in |
| A map of what you know | YesEvery note and link as one map, coloured by how well you know it | NoNot built in |
| Shared decks and add-ons | NoNo shared decks or plugins | YesA large library of shared decks, and add-ons |
| Apps | In partIn the browser on any computer or phone, and installable as an app | YesFree on computers and Android; the iOS app is paid |
| Price | YesFree to start; Pro is €6 a month or €48 a year | YesFree, except the iOS app |
What’s said here about other apps comes from their own websites, as of October 2026, and may have changed since.
Where Anki is stronger
Every app makes trade-offs. These are the ones Breef makes.
- Shared decks for medicine, languages and much more, ready to download.
- A scheduler you can tune in depth, FSRS included, and add-ons for almost anything.
- Native apps on computers, Android and iOS that work offline.
- Image occlusion for diagrams, built in.
Moving from Anki
Breef doesn’t import Anki decks. It works the other way round: write cards in your notes as “question :: answer” lines, and Breef reviews them with the note and exports them as a file Anki imports, a deck for each project. Plenty of students keep Anki for shared decks and use Breef for their own notes.
Questions
Does Breef use spaced repetition?
Yes. A note is due a day after you write it, then after 3, 7, 21, 60 and 120 days for as long as you remember it. When it’s shaky, it comes back the next day.
Do I have to stop using Anki?
No. Many students keep Anki for shared decks and write their own material in Breef, exporting cards to Anki when they want them there.
Is there a mobile app?
Breef runs in the browser on any phone or computer, and can be installed as an app from it.
How much does it cost?
Free to start, with reviews, linking and your map free for good. Pro, at €6 a month or €48 a year, adds 30 hours of voice notes, more storage and many more AI quizzes.
More comparisons
Start with one note.
Free to start, nothing to install. Your notes are never sold, used for ads or used to train AI.