How to Import Your Anki Decks (and Keep Your Progress)

The biggest thing stopping Anki users from trying anything else isn't features — it's fear of losing their decks. Years of cards and review history feel impossible to walk away from. The good news: you don't have to. Standard .apkg files import cleanly, and the move is reversible. Here's exactly how it works.

What's actually in an .apkg file

When you export a deck from Anki, the .apkg file contains your cards (fronts, backs, fields), the note types, and the scheduling state — when each card is next due and how it's been performing. That last part is what people are most afraid of losing, and it's precisely what a good importer preserves.

Importing into StudyTab, step by step

1. Export from Anki. In Anki: select the deck → Export → choose "Anki Deck Package (.apkg)". Leave "include scheduling information" ticked so your history comes along.
2. Import into StudyTab. Upload the .apkg — your cards arrive as a deck, with their review history intact, so the schedule continues rather than resetting to zero.
3. Review as normal. Due cards show up on schedule. Because StudyTab schedules with FSRS (the same modern algorithm class Anki's FSRS uses), your spaced-repetition timing carries the same logic forward.

Why people switch (and why you might)

If Anki already does everything you need, there's no reason to move — it's a brilliant, free tool. People usually switch for what Anki doesn't do without add-ons and manual effort:

• AI card generation from PDFs, videos, web pages and handwritten photos — instead of typing every card.
• Exam-grade card types out of the box: MCQ, cloze with LaTeX, picture quizzes.
• Linked notes and a knowledge graph that flags your weak spots.
• A grounded AI tutor that answers from your own material.

There's a full, honest breakdown on the Anki alternative page — including where Anki still wins.

No lock-in, either direction

The reason importing is safe is the same reason switching is safe: you can export again. Your cards aren't held hostage. That cuts both ways — bring decks in to try something new, and take them out if it's not for you. A tool that won't let your data leave is a tool to be suspicious of.

Bottom line

Don't let years of Anki history trap you in a "maybe later." Standard .apkg import carries your cards and your scheduling across, the move is fully reversible, and you can finally stop hand-typing cards. Try it on one deck and see how it feels — your progress comes with you.

Bring a deck over and add AI on top: import free into StudyTab.