The Best Free Flashcard Apps for Students
A flashcard app does two jobs: it turns your notes, PDFs, and lectures into cards, and it schedules reviews so each card comes back right before you would forget it. Every pick below has a free tier you can use without a .edu email, and each covers a different use — practice tests, unlimited free sets, video-to-card conversion, Apple-only studying, equation cards, lecture recording, active-recall drills. Two things make this list different from most roundups: every price and limit here traces to a source we can point at, and where a number only exists in an app-store listing or a third-party report, we flag it instead of stating it as fact. Three of these apps were built by founders who were still in school.
None of these deals has been through our official-page check yet — each is marked Not yet verified below. Catalog last changed 2026-09-07 · how we verify.
| Tool | Student deal | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Quizlet | Free tier + Plus discount | Not yet verified |
| Knowt | Free tier + 15% student discount | Not yet verified |
| Thea | Free for students | Not yet verified |
| NotesXP | Free tier + affordable Pro | Not yet verified |
| Mindomax | Premium free until 2028 | Not yet verified |
| BrainDen | Free tier, no card needed | Not yet verified |
| FlashRecall | Free tier + paid Premium | Not yet verified |
Quizlet Best for practice tests before an exam
Its free tier includes practice tests alongside flashcards and basic study modes — true to its origin, since 15-year-old Andrew Sutherland built it to study for a quiz (TechCrunch) — with Plus (~$7.99/mo) adding ad-free use, offline access, and unlimited AI study modes.
Flashcard app with practice tests and AI study modes built from your notes; Plus adds ad-free, unlimited AI use.
- Free: flashcards, practice tests, and basic study modes
- Plus: ad-free, offline access, and unlimited AI-powered study modes
- New users typically get a free trial of Plus — length varies by promo
Knowt Best for unlimited free flashcard sets
The free Basic plan gives unlimited flashcards and notes plus millions of pre-made sets to browse with no credit card; verified students get 15% off paid plans, and the company was founded by two enrolled Rutgers students.
Flashcard maker with unlimited free sets, millions of pre-made ones to browse, and a Kai AI chat; 15% off for students.
- Free Basic plan: unlimited flashcards & notes, free study modes (Learn, matching, spaced repetition, practice tests), and browsing millions of pre-made sets — no credit card (AI features are usable but monthly-capped)
- Paid Ultra plan: $24.99/mo or $149.99/yr (~$12.49/mo effective) unlocks unlimited AI summaries, unlimited Kai chat, and auto-graded assessments
- Students get 15% off paid plans plus a 1-month free trial via verified programs (UNiDAYS / Student Beans)
Thea Best for turning lecture videos into cards
It converts handwritten notes, PDFs, lecture videos, or a pasted YouTube link into flashcards, quizzes, summaries, and practice tests, and its pricing page currently says students use it free — its founder began building it as a high-school junior.
Its founder began building it as a junior in high school.
Study app that turns lecture videos or a pasted YouTube link into flashcards and practice tests, free for students.
- Free tier: create a free account and use it for free — the pricing page explicitly says "Students, it's FREE!" (some sources describe this as free during beta, so it could change)
- Paid option: the iOS "Early Access" in-app subscription is ~$10/mo or ~$40/yr; there is no published web pricing table, so check their site
- Turns your own uploads — handwritten notes, PDFs, lecture videos, or a pasted YouTube link — into flashcards, quizzes, summaries, and tests using active recall
NotesXP Best for studying on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
It turns textbook photos, PDFs, and lecture recordings into notes, flashcards, quizzes, and mind maps on Apple devices only, with a free tier that needs no account, shows no ads, and syncs automatically over iCloud (Pro is $9/mo or $59/yr in-app).
Apple-only study app turning textbook photos and lecture recordings into notes and mind maps, free tier, Pro $9/mo.
- Free tier gives core features with no required account and no ads, and iCloud sync is automatic; the exact free-tier cap on study sets isn't published — check their site
- Pro unlocks unlimited study sets for $9/mo or $59/yr as an Apple App Store in-app purchase; the website doesn't list prices, so confirm in-app
- No time-limited free trial, and no verified student/education discount — pricing is only marketed as 'student-friendly'
Mindomax Best for equation-heavy courses
Its Premium plan — currently free for everyone until 2028 as a launch promo — includes a LaTeX editor for equation cards, card generation from PDFs, audio, and images, 450,000+ ready-made cards, and spaced-repetition scheduling across web, iOS, Android, and Mac.
Spaced-repetition flashcard app with an AI tutor and 450,000+ ready-made cards, Premium free for everyone until 2028.
- Free tier: one box with unlimited cards, spaced-repetition scheduling, progress analytics, CSV export, and a basic AI assistant (search results cite a 3 AI-requests/day cap; not stated on the live pricing page)
- Premium: unlimited boxes, 90 daily AI requests, 450,000+ ready-made cards, PDF/audio/image card generation, LaTeX editor, and AI tutor
- Premium is currently free until 2028 (launch promo). The App Store lists a $5.99/mo Premium in-app purchase as the regular price; the website shows only '$0 free until 2028'
BrainDen Best for the Feynman study method
It records lectures and turns PDFs, videos, audio, and photos into AI notes, flashcards, quizzes, and mind maps, then reviews them with spaced repetition and a Feynman study mode — free to start with no card, though the free plan includes only around 3 recordings.
Lecture recorder that generates AI notes, flashcards, and quizzes, with a Feynman study mode; free to start, no card.
- Free plan starts with no card: a small number of recordings (~3) plus AI notes, flashcards, quizzes, and mind maps
- Pro is $19.99/mo, $49.99 for 6 months, or $99.99/yr per the US App Store listing; web/subscription prices may differ, so check their site
- No time-limited free trial and no student/education discount were found; the free tier is the main student value
FlashRecall Best for active-recall drilling
It builds AI flashcards from notes, PDFs, photos, audio, and YouTube links and drills them with spaced repetition and active recall on iOS and the web, with an ongoing free tier it positions as the alternative to competitors' student discounts.
Flashcard app for iOS and web that drills AI-made cards by active recall, ongoing free tier, Premium adds offline use.
- Free tier lets you create and study flashcards with limits for light studying; Premium unlocks unlimited AI generation and study sessions, plus offline access and cross-device sync
- Premium pricing isn't published on the site or App Store; third-party snippets suggest roughly $14.99/mo, $79.99/yr, or a ~$9.99/week option — unconfirmed, so check their site
- No dedicated student or education discount found; the app positions its ongoing free tier as the alternative to paid competitors' discounts
The rest of the catalog
Those are the 7 picks for this list. The full catalog runs to 68 deals across coding, writing, research, studying, design, and productivity.