Comparison

Brainscape vs Flashcards with Cram

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Brainscape

This app uses AI and spaced repetition to help you learn faster and remember longer. Create your own multimedia flashcards or access a vast marketplace of expert-curated content for various subjects and exams. It's designed for serious learners who want to optimize their study time.

Highlights
  • AI-powered flashcard maker
  • Spaced repetition algorithm
  • Expert-curated flashcard marketplace
  • Create multimedia flashcards
  • Collaborative content creation
  • Active recall and self-assessment
Features
Read full description

Learn faster and remember longer with Brainscape, the AI flashcard app that combines scientifically proven spaced repetition and active recall. Create flashcards instantly from notes, PDFs, images, and text, or study millions of expert-created flashcards for exams, languages, certifications, and more. Whether you're switching from Anki or another flashcard app, Brainscape helps you study more efficiently. Brainscape’s intelligent study system is designed around proven cognitive science principles that help you learn faster and remember longer. By combining active recall, metacognition, and spaced repetition, Brainscape helps serious learners spend less time studying and retain more of what they learn. How Brainscape works. Study any subject using smart flashcards designed to maximize retention: - Actively recall answers instead of passively rereading notes - Rate your confidence from 1–5 after each card - Let Brainscape automatically optimize review timing using spaced repetition - Focus more time on difficult concepts and less on material you've already mastered This unique combination of active recall, self-assessment (metacognition), and spaced repetition is designed to help you learn more efficiently. Where do all of Brainscape’s awesome flashcards come from? Three places: 1. Exper-created flashcards: Study professionally designed collections covering: - Foreign languages - MBE (Bar Exam) - NCLEX - MCAT - AP courses - Series 7 - GRE - And many more 2. Community-created flashcards: Search millions of flashcards created by students, teachers, professionals, and organizations around the world. 3. Create your own flashcards: Instantly create multimedia flashcards from: - Notes - PDFs - Images - Documents - Text input Add images, audio, and collaborate with classmates or colleagues. Why learners all over the world use Brainscape - AI-powered flashcard creation - Scientifically designed spaced repetition - Active recall learning techniques - Progress tracking and study insights - Millions of existing flashcards ready to study - Available across web and mobile devices How much does it cost? Creating and sharing great text flashcards is FREE. (Woohoo! And sorry, we do have to charge for image creation for security reasons.) And for unlimited access to ALL of Brainscape's user-generated and premium, expert-curated content, as well as optional features, like bookmarks and card reversibility--or to me your content private, you can upgrade to Pro for $19.99 (monthly), $59.99 (every 6 months), or $95.99 (annually). Alternatively, you can unlock a LIFETIME of learning with Brainscape for a one-time cost of only $199.99 American dolla billz. The fine print: The 3 recurring subscriptions (monthly, semiannual, and annual) will renew automatically within 24 hours before the end of the current period, unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the period. You can cancel auto-renewal any time by going to Account Settings, and the cancellation will apply after the active subscription period is complete. Go ahead and learn more about our Terms and Privacy Policy at brainscape.com/terms. What’s on the horizon? It’s our vision to empower everyone, everywhere to rise to the challenge of personalized forever-learning. And for this reason, we love hearing from our user community: it’s through your feedback that we can continue to innovate our platform to be more convenient, efficient, and even fun and social to use!

About

Flashcards with Cram

This mobile application allows users to access and study flashcards from their account, including created, favorited, and frequently studied sets. It offers offline access and multiple study modes like Card, Memorize, Cram, and Games to enhance learning and improve grades.

Highlights
  • Syncs with Cram account
  • Access 80,000,000+ flashcards
  • Offline study mode
  • Card mode
  • Memorize mode
  • Cram mode with spaced repetition
  • Games mode
Features
Read full description

Cram: Free Flashcards for Every Exam Cram gives you the tools to master any subject through a study system that focuses on simplicity and efficiency. Whether you’re preparing for a mid-term or the AP exams, Cram helps you walk into the room with confidence. Effortless & Free Creation Forget complicated setups. Our Free Flashcard Maker allows you to build custom decks in seconds. Manually enter your terms, add hints, and even upload images to help visual concepts stick—all without a premium subscription. Your cards are yours to create, edit, and keep. Millions of Ready-Made Decks Don’t start from scratch if you don’t have to. Gain instant access to a massive library of over 7 million flashcard sets created by students and educators worldwide. From comprehensive AP Biology and AP US History reviews to nursing certifications and world languages, if it’s on the test, it’s on Cram. Study Anywhere, Anytime Your study materials are always within reach. Your library stays perfectly in sync across your mobile device and your desktop, so you can pick up exactly where you left off, whether you're at your desk or on the move. Join millions of students who study smarter. Download Cram and start building your way to better grades today.

Screenshots

Brainscape4 screens
Flashcards with Cram4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Brainscape at 4.8 against Flashcards with Cram's 4.2. Brainscape also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 55%) and ratings volume (22K vs 1.2K). Flashcards with Cram's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Brainscape sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Flashcards with Cram asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Brainscape holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brainscape has 22K ratings behind it against 1.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Brainscape's written reviews are positive against 55% of Flashcards with Cram's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Brainscape ships an update every 3 weeks, Flashcards with Cram monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Brainscape versus Flashcards with Cram: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrainscapeFlashcards with Cram
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (22K ratings) — better4.2 (1.2K ratings)
Positive reviews82.2% of reviews — better55.3% of reviews
Number of ratings22K — better1.2K
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB38 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrainscapeCram, LLC.

Customer experience

Brainscape

All ratings21,531 ratings
Positive95.3%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews943 reviews
Positive82.2%
Neutral4.8%
Negative13.0%

Flashcards with Cram

All ratings1,238 ratings
Positive80.9%
Neutral5.3%
Negative13.8%
Written reviews295 reviews
Positive55.3%
Neutral10.2%
Negative34.6%

User reviews

Brainscape

From 22K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Amazing flashcard app
  • 👍 Great for studying and learning
  • 👍 Helpful for passing exams and tests
  • 👍 Convenient to use on mobile devices
  • 👍 Effective spaced repetition algorithm

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🐛 Buggy app with crashes and syncing issues
  • 🔒 Limited functionality in free version
  • 👎 Difficult to edit and organize cards
  • 👎 Inaccuracies in some pre-made decks

Flashcards with Cram

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Great study tool
  • 🚀 Convenient for studying on the go
  • 👍 Helpful for learning languages
  • 👍 Useful for memorizing information

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitchy, with cards disappearing or duplicating
  • 🐛 Sync issues between web and app versions
  • 🐛 Frequent log-outs and login problems
  • 🐛 Buggy and crashes often
  • 🐛 Outdated and not well-maintained

Bugs and requests

Brainscape

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes when switching between cards
  • Syncing issues causing data loss
  • Difficulty importing and organizing custom cards
  • Inconsistent performance on different devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow more customization of cards (e.g., adding images, audio)
  • Improve search and browsing functionality
  • Provide more detailed progress tracking and statistics
  • Offer family/group subscription plans
  • Add support for more languages

Flashcards with Cram

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Cards randomly disappearing or duplicating
  • Sync issues between web and app versions
  • Frequent log-outs and login problems
  • Crashes and freezes
  • Text formatting issues when adding cards

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to create folders for organizing flashcards
  • Improve sync between web and app versions
  • Add more customization options for flashcards
  • Implement a quiz/testing mode like on the website
  • Develop an iPad-specific app version

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Brainscape

Subscriptions3
  • Brainscape Pro$19.991 Month
  • Brainscape Pro$59.996 Months
  • Brainscape Pro$95.991 Year
One-time1
  • Brainscape Pro Lifetime$199.99
None

Flashcards with Cram

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Brainscape free?
Brainscape is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Flashcards with Cram free?
Flashcards with Cram is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Brainscape or Flashcards with Cram?
Brainscape is rated higher. Brainscape averages 4.8 out of 5 from 22K ratings, while Flashcards with Cram averages 4.2 from 1.2K ratings.
Do Brainscape or Flashcards with Cram have ads?
Neither Brainscape nor Flashcards with Cram shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Brainscape or Flashcards with Cram?
Brainscape ships an update every 3 weeks, and Flashcards with Cram monthly. Most recently, Brainscape was updated on October 19, 2026 and Flashcards with Cram on October 15, 2026.

Other comparisons