Knowt vs AceNotes: Two Free Quizlet Alternatives, Compared

Both apps aim at the same student. Both let you make flashcards. Both are genuinely free in a way Quizlet stopped being years ago. The difference is in the AI capability and the input formats.

What's free on each

• Knowt: flashcards, learn mode, test mode, match game, AI features. Free with ads. Pro tier removes ads and adds power features.
• AceNotes: flashcards, learn mode, test mode, match game, AI tutor, lecture recording, PDF ingestion, YouTube ingestion, photo-of-notes, podcast mode, 500-set library. Free, no ads.

AI features

Knowt has decent AI for note-to-flashcard conversion. It works well on text input. It's more limited on audio (lectures) and photos. AceNotes was built audio-first — the lecture recording and live transcription are the marquee features.

Input formats

Output formats

Knowt outputs flashcards, quizzes, and notes. AceNotes adds two outputs Knowt doesn't have: an audio podcast version of your notes (two AI hosts, natural voices) and an AI tutor that's contextually aware of your specific notes for follow-up questions.

Ads vs no ads

Knowt is ad-supported on the free tier. The ads are not aggressive but they're there. AceNotes is ad-free across all tiers.

When Knowt makes sense

• You're web-first and don't want an iOS app.
• Your workflow is text-first (typing your notes vs recording lectures).
• You don't need podcast mode or photo ingestion.

The verdict

Knowt is a great free Quizlet replacement if you live on the web and your inputs are text. AceNotes is a great free Quizlet replacement plus an AI study app if your inputs are audio, PDF, video, or photos. Most students will be better served by AceNotes; specifically because lectures and slide decks are the bottleneck for actual studying, not flashcard creation.