Side by side
| Panic Bank | Anki | |
|---|---|---|
| Who writes the content | AI, from the lecture PDF you upload | You, or a community deck someone else made |
| Format | Clinical SBA questions, flashcards and full notes from the same lecture | Flashcards (front/back, cloze) in any format you build |
| Matches your own curriculum | Yes — written from your lectures | Only if you make the cards, or a deck happens to match |
| Scheduling | Questions on SM-2, flashcards on FSRS; nothing to set up | SM-2-derived scheduler, with FSRS as an option |
| Explanations | Every option explained; the Teller answers follow-ups (paid plans and trial) | Whatever is written on the card |
| OSCE and spotting | Built in: OSCE voice patient (paid), spotting decks | Image cards if you make them; no OSCE practice |
| Customisation | Limited — it is opinionated | Enormous: add-ons, templates, filtered decks |
| Export | None | Full import/export, shareable decks |
| Price | Free to start; paid plans for unlimited review | Free on desktop, web and Android; the iOS app is a one-off purchase |
When Anki is the better choice
- Making cards is part of how you learn.
- Your exam has a mature community deck (for example, USMLE Step 1 with AnKing).
- You want total control over formatting and scheduling, or need to export and share decks.
When Panic Bank is the better choice
- Your exams are set by your own faculty from its lecture slides, so a premade deck does not match.
- You have a pile of unread PDFs and no evenings left to turn them into cards.
- You want exam-format SBA practice, not only front/back recall.
- You also need OSCE practice and spotting in one app.
Can you use both?
Yes. Keep Anki for the decks you trust and use Panic Bank for the lectures you have not got to. Panic Bank cannot export to Anki, so the two schedules stay separate.
Frequently asked questions
Does Panic Bank use spaced repetition like Anki?
Yes, with nothing to set up. Questions are scheduled on SM-2 — the algorithm Anki started with — and flashcards on FSRS, the newer scheduler Anki also offers. There is no export to Anki, so treat it as its own system.
Is Panic Bank an Anki alternative?
For medical students, it replaces making flashcards: you upload a lecture PDF and AI writes SBA questions, flashcards and notes from it, scheduled with spaced repetition. It is less customisable than Anki and has no deck export.
Is Panic Bank free?
It is free to start and does not ask for a card. New accounts get a 3-day trial of the Core plan, and the free tier keeps a daily review allowance after that. Paid plans unlock unlimited review, the Teller (Ask-AI), the mock exam and OSCE practice.