Anki expert review + alternatives to master Italian

Intro

Hey everyone! In today’s video, I’m reviewing one of the most popular tools language learners use around the world — Anki. If you’re studying Italian, you’ve probably heard people say, “You have to use Anki!” So, I finally gave it a proper try, and in this video, I’ll share what it actually does, how it works, and what I liked — and didn’t like — about using it for Italian.

What Anki Is

So, what exactly is Anki? In simple terms, it’s a flashcard app that helps you remember vocabulary using something called spaced repetition. Basically, Anki shows you a flashcard — for example, “la mela” — and you try to recall the meaning. If you remember it easily, Anki will wait longer before showing it again. But if you struggle, it’ll bring it back sooner. The idea is to review words just before you forget them, which makes them stick in your long-term memory. Anki is available for computers and mobile devices — it’s free on desktop and Android, but if you’re on iPhone, the app costs around $25.

How It Works

When you open Anki, you’ll see “decks,” which are basically groups of flashcards. You can create your own deck — for example, “Italian Food Vocabulary” — and add cards like pane → bread, formaggio → cheese, and prosciutto → ham. Or you can download shared decks made by other learners. Each card has a front and a back — the front is the question and the back is the answer — and it can be about anything: an Italian word, a translation, an example sentence, or even an audio clip. When you study, you flip the card and tell Anki how well you remembered it by pressing Again, Hard, Good, or Easy. Behind the scenes, Anki’s algorithm uses that feedback to schedule when you’ll see the word again — maybe in a few minutes, a day, or a week.

My Experience

At first, I have to admit — it took me a bit of time to get used to. The interface feels pretty old-school, and there are lots of settings that can be confusing if you’re new. But once I got my decks set up, it became a really efficient way to memorize Italian words I come across every day. I especially like that I can add audio and images to each card. It’s a small detail, but combining words, sounds, and visuals makes everything much easier to remember. I also love how fast the review sessions are. I can review 50 or 60 cards in less than 15 minutes — it’s perfect for short breaks or commuting.

Pros & Cons

On the bright side, Anki has a lot going for it. It’s incredibly powerful, completely customizable, and it truly delivers results. Once you get into the rhythm of using it, it’s one of the most effective ways to build and retain your Italian vocabulary. I also love that it’s free, and there’s a massive community creating add-ons and shared decks — so you’ll never run out of content or ideas to improve your setup. But on the flip side, Anki can be a little intimidating at first. The interface looks outdated, the setup takes time, and figuring out all the settings can feel like learning a mini software course on its own. It also doesn’t actually teach you Italian — it’s more of a memorization system than a full learning platform. And if you’re using an iPhone, you’ll need to pay for the mobile app, which isn’t ideal when you’re just getting started.

Final Thoughts

So, is Anki worth it? If you’re already learning Italian and want to expand your vocabulary faster, absolutely — it’s a fantastic tool once you know how to use it. But if you’re a total beginner looking for more structure or conversation practice, it might feel too technical at first.