Exam prompt
How do mass number and proton number change in alpha decay?
How certain was your answer?
CorrectUnsureWrong
FSRS-6 without setup · flashcards with sources
Compare Anki and Quanta
across different study workflows
Anki offers FSRS, offline use and plugins. Quanta combines FSRS-6 with source-first card generation, STEM tools and a Readiness Score in one guided workflow.
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Physics · Radioactivity
Flashcard
Evidence linked directly to the card
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„Ich hab schon einige Karteikarten-Apps ausprobiert und Quanta hat mir bis jetzt am besten gefallen. […] Auch die Multiple Choice - Funktion und Prüfungssimulation helfen mir echt weiter."- TU Dresden
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- HTW Dresden
- Fachhochschule Dresden
- Universität Leipzig
- HTWK Leipzig
- Freie Universität Berlin
- IU Internationale Hochschule
- FernUniversität in Hagen
What is the best Anki alternative in 2026?
Quanta is a modern Anki alternative with FSRS-6 and no manual activation, AI card generation from PDFs and source metadata for source-backed generation. In the open comparison, FSRS-6 reaches a log-loss of 0.3460 (srs-benchmark (formerly fsrs-benchmark), open-spaced-repetition, retrieved 5 September 2026); that table carries no row for SM-2, and Anki supports FSRS as well. Anki stays strong on open source, offline use and plugins. Free forever: 1 topic, no more than 100 cards in total, FSRS, and exactly one AI generation run over the account lifetime. The regular generator offers 40–100 cards from text, a link, or up to 10 files; the guided onboarding entry offers 10–50 from text or files. The onboarding run counts as that one lifetime run; Starter has no monthly AI quota. Further AI flashcard generations require Essential.
0.3460
log-loss of FSRS-6, lower is better
srs-benchmark (formerly fsrs-benchmark), open-spaced-repetition, retrieved 5 September 2026. That table carries no row for SM-2.
12.6%
improvement over the state of the art
Ye et al. 2022, ACM SIGKDD, on 220 million behaviour logs
about 80%
of the vocabulary pairs recalled after one week with repeated retrieval
versus 36% and 33% when pairs were dropped from further testing (Karpicke & Roediger 2008)
€0
Quanta Starter, free forever
Anki iOS app: $24.99 one-time
Why switch from Anki to Quanta?
Anki is a strong app. These criteria show where Quanta takes a different path and where Anki stays ahead.
FSRS runs without manual activation
FSRS-6 schedules reviews from stability, difficulty and retrievability. Anki supports FSRS and the legacy SM-2 scheduler; FSRS is enabled in the deck options. In Quanta, FSRS-6 runs without manual activation and individualized intervals begin after the first rating.
Verdict: If you want FSRS without manual activation, Quanta is the direct choice. If you already run Anki with FSRS enabled, you have the same scheduler core.
Cards are generated from your material
In Anki you create cards by hand, import decks or extend the core with add-ons. Quanta generates cards with AI from a PDF, a photo or a topic. Source-backed generation records source metadata; if no suitable source is found, no flashcards are created. Anki has no built-in AI generator in the core product (as of June 2026).
Verdict: Quanta saves you the manual card writing. If you prefer to phrase cards yourself, Anki keeps you in full control.
Exam simulation, not just recall
Anki is primarily a flashcard system with self-grading. Quanta’s AI tutor can ask diagnostic follow-up and counter-questions as well as provide explanations; the exam simulation conducts an oral-exam style dialogue. That is a different mode of study from the classic flashcard.
Verdict: For oral or concept-heavy exams, Quanta adds to the flashcard. For pure fact drilling, Anki’s model is enough.
A Readiness Score shows where you stand
Anki shows due cards, but no exam forecast. Quanta’s Readiness Score estimates, from your FSRS retention data, how prepared you are for a given date. It is an estimate, not a guarantee of passing.
Verdict: If you have a fixed exam date, Quanta gives you an orientation that Anki does not provide.
Migrate your existing Anki decks
Export a supported Anki deck as .apkg and upload it to Quanta; supported question-and-answer content is carried over. CSV and TSV files, for example from Quizlet, take the same route. File import is available from Essential. FSRS-6 starts with default parameters and adapts as more ratings arrive.
Verdict: Supported card content can be carried over. Your Anki FSRS history is not transferred, so FSRS-6 adapts from new ratings in Quanta.
Quanta vs Anki, head to head
A factual table, feature by feature. Algorithm data: srs-benchmark (formerly fsrs-benchmark), open-spaced-repetition, retrieved 5 September 2026.
| Criterion | Quanta | Anki |
|---|---|---|
| Source metadata for source-backed AI generation | Yes | Not in core product |
| Supported schedulers | FSRS-6 | FSRS + legacy SM-2 |
| FSRS without manual activation | Yes | Enabled in deck options |
| Log-loss in the open srs-benchmark | FSRS-6: 0.3460 | Legacy SM-2: no row in the comparison |
| AI card generation from PDF | Yes | No |
| AI tutor (Socratic method) | Yes | No |
| LaTeX formulas | Native | Via MathJax/plugin |
| SMILES structure formulas (chemistry) | Yes | No |
| Readiness Score | Yes | No |
| Exam simulation | Yes | No |
| iOS app price | €0 | $24.99 one-time |
| Anki import (.apkg) | Yes, from Essential | Yes |
| CSV / TSV import | Yes, from Essential | Yes |
| Plugin ecosystem | No | Yes |
| Full offline mode | Partial (PWA cache) | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
Log-loss data: srs-benchmark (formerly fsrs-benchmark), open-spaced-repetition, retrieved 5 September 2026. FSRS paper: Ye et al. 2022, ACM SIGKDD, doi:10.1145/3534678.3539081. Prices and feature status as of June 2026. FSRS in the app comparison
Pros and cons, honestly
No app is the best choice for everything. Here are the strengths and weaknesses of both tools, including our own.
Quanta
Strengths
- FSRS-6 without manual activation; individualized intervals begin after the first rating
- Source metadata for source-backed AI generation; no-source cards are marked unverified
- AI card generation from PDF, photo and topic
- Native LaTeX and SMILES, plus a Readiness Score and exam simulation
- Starter is free forever, including on iPhone (PWA, no App Store fee)
Trade-offs
- No plugin ecosystem, the feature set is limited to what is native
- Full offline mode is only partial (PWA cache), Anki is more mature here
- Not open source, unlike Anki
- Younger than Anki, so a smaller community of shared decks
Anki
Strengths
- A huge plugin ecosystem for almost any use case
- Fully offline on desktop and Android
- Open source, with a free desktop and Android app
- A very large community with ready-made decks for many subjects
- FSRS has been built in since v23.10 (2023) and is available alongside the legacy scheduler
Trade-offs
- FSRS is enabled in the deck options; Quanta removes that setup step
- No built-in AI card generator (as of June 2026)
- No built-in source log for AI generation, no readiness forecast
- The iOS app (AnkiMobile) costs $24.99 one-time
The science behind FSRS-6 and SM-2
Anki supports FSRS and the legacy SM-2 scheduler; Quanta runs FSRS-6 without manual activation. In the open comparison run by the open-spaced-repetition community, FSRS-6 reaches a log-loss of 0.3460 on 349,923,850 reviews from 9,999 collections (retrieved on 5 September 2026); log-loss measures prediction error, lower is better, and that table carries no row for SM-2. The peer-reviewed paper behind it, Ye et al. 2022, reports 220 million behaviour logs and a 12.6% improvement over the state of the art. Both are results of those datasets, not a blanket product effect. None of this is a comparison against Anki running FSRS or against the Quanta app.
Sources: Ye et al. 2022, ACM SIGKDD, doi:10.1145/3534678.3539081 · srs-benchmark (formerly fsrs-benchmark), open-spaced-repetition, retrieved 5 September 2026
Frequently asked questions
What is a modern Anki alternative in 2026?
For STEM students who want AI generation, LaTeX and FSRS without manual activation, Quanta is a modern alternative to Anki. In the open comparison, FSRS-6 reaches a log-loss of 0.3460 (srs-benchmark (formerly fsrs-benchmark), open-spaced-repetition, retrieved 5 September 2026); Anki itself supports FSRS and legacy SM-2. Quanta adds AI card generation from PDF, native LaTeX and SMILES, a Readiness Score and exam simulation. Free forever: 1 topic, no more than 100 cards in total, FSRS, and exactly one AI generation run over the account lifetime. The regular generator offers 40–100 cards from text, a link, or up to 10 files; the guided onboarding entry offers 10–50 from text or files. The onboarding run counts as that one lifetime run; Starter has no monthly AI quota. Further generations require Essential. For a huge plugin ecosystem and full offline mode, Anki stays strong.
How do FSRS and the legacy SM-2 benchmark differ?
SM-2 was developed in 1987 by Piotr Wozniak. FSRS (Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler) goes back to Ye et al. 2022 (ACM SIGKDD, doi:10.1145/3534678.3539081); the paper reports 220 million behaviour logs and a 12.6% improvement over the state of the art. FSRS models stability, difficulty and current retrievability per flashcard. In the open comparison, FSRS-6 reaches a log-loss of 0.3460 (srs-benchmark (formerly fsrs-benchmark), open-spaced-repetition, retrieved 5 September 2026); that table carries no row for SM-2. Anki supports both schedulers today.
Can I migrate my Anki cards to Quanta?
Yes. Quanta has a native Anki import: export a supported deck as .apkg and upload it to Quanta; supported question-and-answer content is carried over. LaTeX formulas in supported syntax are recognised. FSRS-6 starts with default parameters and adapts as more ratings arrive; your previous Anki FSRS history is not transferred. CSV and TSV files, for example from Quizlet, take the same route. File import is available from Essential.
Do I lose my Anki study history when switching to Quanta?
The question and answer of supported cards are carried over on import. The FSRS study history from Anki is not transferred; FSRS-6 in Quanta starts with default parameters and adapts as new ratings arrive. If you already had FSRS enabled in Anki, the fine-tuned parameters are not imported. There is no guaranteed number of study days for adaptation.
Does Quanta work for medical students too?
Yes. Quanta specialises in STEM and can process material from biochemistry, anatomy, pharmacology, physiology and histology. With source-backed generation, Quanta Verified shows the source metadata used; without a suitable source no flashcards are created. Medical content should be checked like any other study material.
How much does Quanta cost compared to Anki?
Quanta Starter: Free forever: 1 topic, no more than 100 cards in total, FSRS, and exactly one AI generation run over the account lifetime. The regular generator offers 40–100 cards from text, a link, or up to 10 files; the guided onboarding entry offers 10–50 from text or files. The onboarding run counts as that one lifetime run; Starter has no monthly AI quota. Further generations require Quanta Essential, which includes up to 300 AI cards per month. Quanta Performance from €15.00/month on the annual plan: up to 1,000 AI cards per month and 100 exam simulations. Anki Desktop and AnkiDroid are free; AnkiMobile on iOS costs $24.99 one-time. Quanta runs on iPhone as a PWA with a free Starter tier (as of July 2026).
Does Quanta support LaTeX formulas like Anki?
Yes. Quanta renders LaTeX as a live preview on all platforms (web, iOS, Android). Anki supports MathJax, where input is the classic text format without a dedicated live formula editor by default. In Quanta, inline $E=mc^2$ and block $$\int_0^\infty e^{-x^2}dx$$ work visually right away. On top of that, Quanta renders SMILES structure formulas for chemistry automatically as a 2D structure image, which Anki has no feature for by default (as of June 2026).
What Anki got right, and where I wanted to go further
“Anki made spaced repetition accessible to millions, the plugin ecosystem is huge and the community has decks for almost every subject. I do not want to talk that down. Anki supports both FSRS and its legacy scheduler; FSRS is enabled in the deck options. In Quanta, FSRS-6 runs without manual activation and individualized intervals begin after the first rating. On top of that come AI card generation with a workflow-specific Bloom mix across levels 1 to 6 and a source log for source-backed AI cards; no-source cards are marked unverified.”
Verdict: Anki or Quanta?
Choose Anki if you need open source, full offline mode and a huge plugin ecosystem, which remains Anki’s strength. Choose Quanta if you want FSRS-6 without manual activation, AI card generation from PDFs, source metadata for source-backed generation and a readiness estimate for your exam date, especially in STEM with LaTeX and chemistry formulas. Both support modern spaced repetition; the difference lies in workflow, AI and source transparency. As of June 2026.
Keep comparing
Compare the current plans
Review the free Starter plan and paid options in one dated comparison before choosing a workflow.
Try Quanta for free
Free forever: 1 topic, no more than 100 cards in total, FSRS, and exactly one AI generation run over the account lifetime. The regular generator offers 40–100 cards from text, a link, or up to 10 files; the guided onboarding entry offers 10–50 from text or files. The onboarding run counts as that one lifetime run; Starter has no monthly AI quota. Anki import via .apkg from Essential.
AM
Amos Matzke·Founder & Managing Director, Full-Stack Architect · former MINT-EC student·June 2026