Comparison
bleam vs Anki
Anki is the gold standard for spaced-repetition flashcards — if you're willing to build and maintain the deck. bleam does the same memory science automatically, from the words you actually meet while reading, so there's no deck to make. Here's how they line up.
| bleam | Anki | |
|---|---|---|
| Where cards come from | Created automatically from words you meet and engage with while reading. | You build them by hand, or import and prune a shared deck. |
| Context | Every word is anchored to the real sentence you saw it in, with a dictionary view. | Whatever context you put on the card yourself. |
| Scheduling algorithm | FSRS-6, the modern forgetting-curve scheduler, on by default. | SM-2 by default; FSRS available and excellent once configured. |
| Setup effort | Install, pick a language and level, read. No deck building. | Meaningful upfront and ongoing work to keep a deck good. |
| Where you study | Words come from real reading; reviews live in a simple dashboard. | A dedicated review session, desktop and mobile. |
| Price | Free 14-day trial, then $8/month. | Free on desktop and Android; the official iOS app is a one-time paid purchase. |
Which should you pick?
If you love total control over your cards and don't mind maintaining a deck, Anki is unbeatable. If you want the same proven scheduling without ever building a card — cards that come from the real things you read — bleam is the lower-friction path. They pair well: read with bleam, and power users can still keep an Anki deck for anything they want to drill deliberately.
Try bleam free for 14 days