Retain review
A broad AI study app for learners who want exam plans and Anki compatibility.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Retain is an AI-powered flashcard app for students, university learners, and self-directed learners preparing for exams. It can generate flashcards from PDFs, images, videos, presentations, and handwritten notes, then organize study around an exam date and target grade. Alongside adaptive spaced-repetition reviews, it includes daily study goals, progress tracking, mock exams, summaries, AI-generated podcasts, and shared decks. Retain is available on the web, iOS, and Android, with a free plan and paid Retain Ultra subscriptions.
Retain’s standout strength is the range of study inputs and review formats it brings together. Learners can import Anki decks, synchronize learning progress across devices, and work with cloze, image-occlusion, and custom Anki flashcard types. The product also connects with YouTube, while its support for PDFs, presentations, videos, images, and handwritten notes gives it a wider capture scope than a flashcard tool limited to typed prompts. That breadth makes it suitable for learners assembling material from multiple course sources.
The main trade-off is focus. Retain is designed around structured exam preparation, so learners who only want a lightweight flashcard generator may find the study plans, mock exams, summaries, podcasts, and progress features unnecessary. Its free plan provides a way to access the app, while Retain Ultra is described around AI-powered study features. Pick Retain if you want generated cards, adaptive repetition, exam-oriented planning, and an Anki-compatible workflow across devices. Choose a narrower alternative if your priority is only quick card creation or a simpler review experience.
Retain pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Generates cards from PDFs, images, videos, and handwritten notes
- Builds study plans around exam dates and target grades
- Combines adaptive reviews, mock exams, summaries, and podcasts
- Where it doesn't
- Its exam-planning focus may not suit casual, open-ended study
- The broad feature set may be more than flashcard-only learners need
- Advanced card types require familiarity with Anki-style workflows
Retain fact sheet, pricing and score →
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