NovisNovis vs Brainscape
Brainscape is known for expert-made decks for exams like the MCAT and NCLEX, and for its Confidence-Based Repetition, where you rate each card from 1 to 5. Novis is for the material your own course tests you on: your professor's slides, readings and notes.
Pick Brainscape if
- You want premade, expert-checked decks for a standard exam.
- You want a free tier with no ads.
- You need an Android app, or offline study on your phone.
Pick Novis if
- Your exams follow your own lectures, so premade decks miss what your professor stresses.
- You want FSRS scheduling that plans around your exam date.
- You want to import Anki decks directly, or export without a paid plan.
Side by side
| Feature | Novis | Brainscape |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free account with 100 AI credits to start. Student $8.99/mo, Pro $19.99/mo, Power $34.99/mo. | Free to make and study your own cards, no ads. Pro is $7.99/mo billed yearly on the web. |
| Premade decks | None. Decks come from your own material. | Expert-certified decks for exams like the MCAT and NCLEX (full library on Pro). |
| Scheduler | FSRS (version 6), with an exam-date cap. | Confidence-Based Repetition: you rate each card 1 to 5. |
| Making cards | Generated from your PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, notes or images, each linked to its source. | AI cards from notes, files or photos (limited on the free tier). |
| Importing | Anki .apkg directly, pasted Quizlet or CSV text, Obsidian or Markdown folders. | No direct Anki or Quizlet deck import; bring cards in as CSV or text. |
| Exporting | Anki .apkg, CSV, Markdown, Notion CSV, printable sheet, on every plan. | Spreadsheet export on Pro only. |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, iPhone and iPad. No Android or Mac app yet. | Web, iPhone, iPad and Android; offline study on mobile after downloading decks. |
Facts about Brainscape were checked against its own website, help pages and app store listings on October 2, 2026. Prices and features change; see the sources at the end of the page.
Switching from Brainscape
- In Brainscape (Pro), export your own decks as a spreadsheet and save it as CSV.
- In Novis, open Import and paste the CSV text. Each row becomes a card.
- Upload your lecture files so new cards are made from what your course covers.
Questions
Does Novis have premade MCAT decks like Brainscape?
No. Novis builds decks from your own material. If you want expert premade decks, Brainscape is the better pick.
What is Confidence-Based Repetition?
Brainscape's own spaced repetition method: you rate how well you know each card from 1 to 5 and low-rated cards come back sooner. Novis uses FSRS, which schedules each card from your review grades and caps reviews at your exam date.
Can I move my Brainscape cards to Novis?
Yes. Export them as a spreadsheet (a Brainscape Pro feature), save as CSV, and paste into Novis's importer.
Try it on your own lecture material
Upload a PDF or a slide deck, check the cards Novis makes, and let the schedule plan around your exam. Novis opens October 20.