Breef vs Anki
Anki is the classic flashcard app: you write the cards and it schedules them. Breef starts from your notes: every note you write comes back for review, and Breef asks the questions. Here’s how they compare, and when to pick which.
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.
Which one is for you
Choose Anki if
- You want ready-made shared decks, like the big medical ones.
- You like writing and fine-tuning your own cards.
- You need to review offline, in a native app.
Choose Breef if
- You’d rather review your notes than keep a separate deck.
- You want lectures recorded and written up into notes.
- You want to see how your notes connect, and what’s slipping, on one map.
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
Can I use Breef and Anki together?
Yes. Write cards in your notes as “question :: answer” lines: Breef reviews them with the note, and exports them as a file Anki imports.
Which has the better scheduler?
Anki’s is more configurable: SM-2 by default, or the adaptive FSRS. Breef uses growing steps of 1, 3, 7, 21, 60 and 120 days, so there’s nothing to tune.
Is Breef free, like Anki?
Breef is free to start: writing, linking, reviews and your map are free, with 10 quizzes and 2 hours of voice notes a month. Pro is €6 a month or €48 a year. Anki is free on computers and Android, and its iOS app is paid.
Can I import my Anki decks?
Not yet. Breef imports Markdown notes (like an Obsidian vault or a Notion export), PDFs and Word files.
More comparisons
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