Does importing an .apkg file keep my Anki schedule?

Yes, if two boxes are ticked: "Include scheduling information" when exporting from Anki, and "Import scheduling data" when importing into StudyTab. Each card then keeps its state, interval, ease and due date, so nothing resets to new.

Do I need to tick "Support older Anki versions" when exporting?

No. StudyTab reads both the compressed format current Anki versions export by default and the older format that box produces, including images and audio. Only reach for it if an import fails with a format error.

Does my full Anki review history come across?

The schedule does — each card’s due date, interval and ease. The per-review log (every past answer) stays in Anki, so FSRS personalises from the reviews you do after importing.

Can I go back to Anki after importing?

Yes. Importing copies your decks and leaves the originals in Anki untouched. StudyTab does not export back to .apkg yet, so keep Anki as your backup while you try it with one deck.

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

The biggest thing stopping Anki users from trying anything else isn't features — it's fear of losing their decks. Years of cards, and a schedule that knows exactly which ones are due tomorrow, feel impossible to walk away from. You don't have to walk away from either. A standard .apkg file carries your cards and each card's scheduling state, and importing only copies your decks — the originals stay in Anki. Here's exactly how to do it, what comes across, and what doesn't.

What's inside an .apkg file

An .apkg is a zip archive holding a small database plus your media. Depending on the boxes you tick when exporting, it contains:

Your notes and cards — every field, the note type, and which card of a note is which (so a cloze note with three blanks becomes three cards).
Media — the images and audio your cards reference, if you include them.
Scheduling state — for each card: whether it's new, learning or in review, its current interval, its ease, and its next due date.

That last part is what people are most afraid of losing, and it's what lets a new app pick up the schedule instead of starting every card from zero.

Step 1 — Export from Anki (tick two boxes)

In Anki desktop: File → Export, then:

Export format: "Anki Deck Package (*.apkg)".
Include: pick the deck you want to move. Start with one deck, not your whole collection.
Tick "Include scheduling information". Without it, every card arrives as new.
Tick "Include media" if your cards have images or audio.

Leave "Support older Anki versions" as it is — StudyTab reads both Anki's current compressed format and the older one.

Step 2 — Import into StudyTab

Upload the .apkg in the import dialog and tick "Import scheduling data" (it's off by default, so imports start fresh unless you ask). Your cards arrive as a deck, with images, rich formatting and cloze blanks intact. With scheduling on, each card keeps its due date, interval and ease — so what was due tomorrow in Anki is due tomorrow here.

Step 3 — Review as normal

Due cards show up on schedule. From here StudyTab schedules with FSRS (or SM-2 if you prefer, per deck). FSRS builds its model of your memory from the reviews you do in StudyTab, so it gets more personal with every session.

What carries over — and what doesn't

Carries over	Stays behind
Cards, fields and formatting	Your per-review log (every past answer and timestamp)
Cloze notes, one card per blank	Anki add-ons and their behaviour
Images and audio (with "Include media")	Custom card-template styling (cards use StudyTab's layout)
Each card's state, interval, ease and due date (with scheduling on)	Deck option presets (you pick FSRS or SM-2 per deck instead)
Reversed notes, one card each way	Extra templates on custom note types (you get the note's first card)

The review log is the only real loss, and it matters less than it sounds: the schedule comes across, so nothing resets. What changes is that FSRS personalises from your new reviews rather than your old ones.

If the import looks wrong

The import stops with a format error. The file may come from another app or a damaged export. Re-export from Anki desktop and try again; if it still fails, export with "Support older Anki versions" ticked.
Every card came in as new. One of the two scheduling boxes was unticked — "Include scheduling information" in Anki, or "Import scheduling data" in StudyTab. Delete the imported deck and import again with both on.
Images are missing. Re-export with "Include media" ticked.
The file is too big. Export one deck at a time rather than your whole collection. The import dialog shows your plan's upload limit.

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.

Going back is easy — because you never left

Importing copies your decks; it doesn't touch Anki. Your originals, with their full review history, are still exactly where you left them. StudyTab doesn't export back to .apkg yet, so the safe way to try it is the obvious one: move one deck, study it for a week or two, and keep Anki as your backup until you're sure.

Bottom line

Tick two boxes in Anki's export ("Include scheduling information" and "Include media"), switch on "Import scheduling data" in StudyTab, and your cards arrive with their schedule intact — due dates, intervals and all. Start with one deck, and add AI-generated cards on top of the ones you already have.

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