Is repeat.cards free?

Today, the core is free: unlimited decks and cards, FSRS spaced repetition, statistics, deck import, audio playback. No card limits. AI features (mnemonics, audio, example sentences, images) work today through your own OpenAI or Google AI key — you pay the model provider directly. A paid plan that includes AI without any setup is in the works.

What is FSRS, and why does it matter?

FSRS (Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler) is an open-source algorithm that predicts the moment you are about to forget a flashcard and schedules the review for exactly that point. Compared to older spaced-repetition algorithms it needs roughly 20% fewer reviews for the same retention rate, based on published efficiency studies. In repeat.cards, FSRS runs by default and tracks the front and back of every card independently.

How does spaced repetition help me remember vocabulary?

Every time you successfully recall a word, the time until you would forget it grows. Spaced repetition exploits that: it shows you each card just before you would forget it, so you spend less time on words you already know and more on the ones in danger. Across thousands of cards, that is the difference between an hour a day of drilling and 10 to 15 focused minutes.

Can I import an existing flashcard deck?

Yes. Export your Anki collection as a .colpkg file (Anki Collection Package), upload it, and map your fields in the preview. It creates a new deck with your audio and images, and converts each card's Anki review history into FSRS scheduling — so cards you already know are not reset to new.

Which languages does repeat.cards support?

More than 100 languages. Where pronunciation differs by region, you can pick the variant you actually want — American or British English, Spanish from Spain or Mexico, European or Brazilian Portuguese, French from France or Quebec, Simplified or Traditional Chinese, and so on.

Do I need an OpenAI or Google API key?

Not for spaced-repetition study — that is free without any key. You only need a key today if you want to use the AI features (mnemonics, audio, example sentences, images). You plug it in once in your account settings and pay the model provider directly. A paid plan that includes AI without any key setup is in the works for users who would rather not deal with API keys.

Can I use repeat.cards on my phone?

Yes. The web app is responsive and works in any modern mobile browser — Safari on iOS, Chrome on Android. You can add it to your home screen for one-tap access. Native mobile apps are in the works; we will announce them when they are ready.

Who is repeat.cards for?

Self-directed adult language learners — typically B1 and beyond — who already know what they want to learn and need a tool to remember it. We are not a course; we don't teach grammar. We are the tool you use to make the words you've collected stick.

Step-by-step guide · Free · Keeps your progress

Import your Anki deck online, without starting over.

Move your Anki cards into repeat.cards in about a minute. Your audio, images, and review history come with them — so cards you already know aren't reset to new.

Written by Ivan Orlov, founder of repeat.cards · Last updated: 2026-05-31

To import an Anki deck into repeat.cards, export your collection from Anki as a .colpkg file (Anki Collection Package), then open Decks → Import in repeat.cards, upload the file, and map which fields are the word and the translation. Your cards, audio, images, and review history come across. It is free and takes about a minute.

The repeat.cards Anki importer open on the dashboard, ready to upload a .colpkg collection backup — Decks → Import Anki opens the importer right in your browser — no software to install.

How to import an Anki deck into repeat.cards

The whole flow runs in your browser — nothing to install. Follow these six steps:

Export your collection from Anki as a .colpkg file. In Anki on desktop, open File → Export. Set the export format to "Anki Collection Package" (.colpkg) and keep media included. This is the full collection backup — unlike a single-deck .apkg export, it contains your review history and scheduling.
Sign in to repeat.cards and open the importer. Create a free repeat.cards account or sign in, go to your Decks, and choose Import Anki Deck. No software to install — it all runs in the browser.
Upload your .colpkg file. Click to select or drag and drop your .colpkg collection backup (files up to 1 GB are supported). repeat.cards reads the collection and shows a preview of the decks and fields it found.
Choose the deck and languages. If your collection contains more than one deck, pick the one you want (one deck per import). Give the new deck a name, then set the language you are learning and your native language.
Map the fields. Tell repeat.cards which field holds the word and which holds the translation, using the live preview to confirm. Optionally map an example sentence, plural form, and verb-conjugation fields — there are one-click presets for Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, and English.
Import. Click Import. repeat.cards creates the new deck, brings across the audio and images, and converts each card's Anki schedule into FSRS state. When it finishes you will see how many cards and media files were imported.

What gets imported?

repeat.cards brings over the content and the progress of your cards, but not Anki’s presentation layer (note types and templates), because it renders cards its own way.

An imported deck in repeat.cards showing cards with translations, example sentences, and verb conjugations — After import: your words become repeat.cards cards — example sentences, plurals, and conjugations included.

What transfers when you import an Anki collection
From your Anki collection	Imported?
Cards (word + translation fields)	Yes — you choose which fields map where
Audio files	Yes (when media is included in the export)
Images	Yes (when media is included in the export)
Review history & schedule	Yes — converted into FSRS state per side
Example, plural & conjugation fields	Yes — optional field mapping, with presets
Custom note types	Mapped to the fields you select; the rest are ignored
Card templates & HTML/CSS styling	No — repeat.cards uses its own card layout
Cloze-deletion behaviour	No — the text imports, but interactive cloze isn't recreated

What if my deck has custom note types?

That is fine — repeat.cards does not use note types at all. When you import, you see every field your notes contain and simply pick which one is the word and which is the translation. If a note type has extra fields (an example sentence, a plural, conjugations), you can map those too, or leave them out. Anything you don’t map is skipped, so even complex multi-field note types import cleanly.

Why .colpkg instead of .apkg?

Anki can export two ways. A .apkg file is a single deck and, critically, does not include your learning progress. A .colpkg file is a full collection package that does carry the review history and schedule for every card. repeat.cards uses .colpkg specifically so it can preserve your progress — if it accepted .apkg, every imported card would have to start over as new.

Troubleshooting common import errors

“It won’t accept my .apkg file.” Re-export from Anki as an Anki Collection Package (.colpkg) instead. The .apkg format is rejected on purpose because it lacks your scheduling data.
Audio or images are missing. Make sure media was included when you exported — use the Collection Package export rather than a plain-text notes export.
The wrong fields imported as word/translation. Run the import again and re-map the Word and Translation fields using the preview, which shows sample values for each field.
My file is over 1 GB. Trim unused media in Anki, or export a smaller subset of your collection, then import again.
I have several decks in one collection. That’s expected — pick the deck you want in the configure step and repeat the import for each additional deck.

Anki import FAQ

Why does repeat.cards need a .colpkg file and not .apkg?

A .apkg file is a single-deck export that does not include your learning progress. A .colpkg file is a full collection backup that contains every card's review history and schedule. repeat.cards uses .colpkg so it can preserve your progress instead of resetting your cards to new.

Will my Anki review history transfer?

Yes. repeat.cards reads each card's Anki interval, last review, and state and converts it into the equivalent FSRS scheduling state, separately for the front and back of every card. Cards you already know are not reset; only cards that were new in Anki start fresh.

Do my audio and images come across?

Yes, as long as you include media when you export the collection package from Anki (it is included by default). Audio files and images referenced by your cards are imported and attached to the matching cards in repeat.cards.

What happens to custom note types and card templates?

repeat.cards does not use Anki note types or templates. During import you map whichever fields hold the word and translation (plus optional example, plural, and conjugation fields); fields you don't map are ignored. Card styling and HTML/CSS templates are not carried over — repeat.cards renders cards its own way.

How big a collection can I import?

Collection backups up to 1 GB are supported, which covers very large collections including their media. If your file is larger, export a single deck's collection or remove unused media in Anki first, then export again.

Can I import more than one deck at a time?

Each import creates one deck. If your collection holds several decks, pick the one you want during the configure step and run the import again for each additional deck you'd like to bring over.

Move your Anki cards in about a minute.

Export your .colpkg collection, upload it, and keep every bit of progress you've earned. Free today.

Keeps audio, images & review history · FSRS by default

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repeat.cards as an Anki alternative

How repeat.cards compares to Anki feature by feature — FSRS, AI-built cards, and language fields with no setup.

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How repeat.cards works

FSRS timing plus AI-built cards, for language learners at any level.