Given the increased focus on remote learning and the use of technology in teaching, Quizlet emerged as one of the leading digital learning platforms that allow teachers and learners alike to customize their study sessions, but what alternatives are there?
With hundreds of options on the market, ten of the best and versatile Quizlet alternatives are:
- Kahoot!
- Brainscape
- Course Hero
- Quizizz
- StudyStack
- McGraw-Hill Connect
- Sap Litmos
- NextThought
- Claned
- Acadly
Each of the aforementioned digital learning services provides different features, benefits, and costs; therefore, while this is not a definitive, objective list, it does provide an array of options that should suit any classroom’s needs!
1. Kahoot!
Kahoot is a learning platform centered on gamification via advanced educational technologies for use in schools, educational facilities, and company training programs.
Kahoot’s usability and customization allow users to create or find quizzes online on thousands of topics in a matter of minutes, be it for solo learning experiences or fun group activities.
As a favored service with Fortune 500 companies in over 200 countries globally, Kahoot remains one of the most recognizable, popular, and highly rated alternatives to Quizlet.
Pros:
- Easier to set up than Quizlet
- Improved tools and usability than Quizlet
- Easier administration than Quizlet
Cons:
- The scoring system can be off-putting to less competitive students or students lagging behind their peers
- The reliance on very fast, stable internet connections to remain competitive
Pricing Structure (as per individual plans):
- Kahoot! Starter: $10.00 per month
- Kahoot! 360 Standard: $17.00 per month
- Kahoot! 360 Presenter: $39.00 per month
- Kahoot! 360 Pro: $59.00
2. Brainscape
Brainscape is a platform for students, teachers, and trainers to create, search, and share digital flashcards on a variety of topics and areas of study.
Brainscape includes adaptive software developed in collaboration with a qualified educational team that optimizes the way people study, allowing students to focus on their low confidence areas.
Generally speaking, Brainscape follows a simple four-step formula:
- An instructor invites users to an online chatroom/classroom
- The instructor creates of downloads digital flashcards and organizes them into a deck for students to access on a web browser or mobile app
- Students study and answer the flashcards in collaboration with Brainscape’s integrated adaptive learning software
- The instructor has access to the classroom’s data, allowing them to monitor the progress of the class as a whole and/or the progress of individual students
Pros:
- Has an indefinite free version
- Easier to set up than Quizlet
Cons:
- Paid versions are considered overpriced for the inclusion of simple features
- Digital flashcards are the only method of studying and teaching featured on the service
Pricing Structure:
- Year: $4.99 per month
- Semester: $6.99 per month
- Month: $9.99 per month
- Lifetime: $129.99 per month
3. Course Hero
Course Hero is an online learning platform that boasts over 20 million course-specific resources contributed by over 24 million students, teachers, and instructors globally.
Course Hero prides itself on variety, allowing users to access these course-specific resources in various forms, including but not limited to practice problems, study guides, videos, class notes, and step-by-step explanations for all subjects and levels!
In addition to a platform for accessing educational resources, entrepreneurial users can create and upload their own resources to turn a profit from others accessing their uploads!
Pros:
- Easy platform to use and navigate to access resources
- A large variety of subjects in various multimedia forms
- Opportunity to earn an income as a contributor of resources
Cons:
- Focuses almost exclusively on providing resources while not presenting them in intuitive ways to improve the study methods available to students
- More expensive than Quizlet
- The only language supported is English
Pricing Structure:
- Annual Plan: $9.95 per month
- Quarterly Plan: $19.95 per month
- Monthly Plan: $39.99 per month
4. Quizizz
Quizizz is a digital learning platform that uses gamification to make content that is engaging, interactive, and immersive for its users.
Approved in over 50% of schools in the United States of America, Quizizz is a trusted platform for teachers and trainers looking for a service that provides instant data and features while students engage with interactive quizzes and presentations.
Accessible via browsers and mobile devices, users can enjoy in-person and remote interaction with the service in whatever manner suits them best!
Pros:
- Has an indefinite free version
- Easier to set up than Quizlet
- Easier administration than Quizlet
- Language support in over seven languages
- Reputable customer service and troubleshooting
Cons:
- The scoring system can be off-putting to less competitive students or students lagging behind their peers
- Younger students may find the service difficult to navigate when compared to simpler flashcard-based services
Pricing Structure:
- Intro: Free
- Standard: $19.00 per month
- Premium: $48.00 per month
5. StudyStack
StudyStack is one of the simpler digital learning services on the market but makes up for this simplicity in being a wholly free-to-use service.
StudyStack focuses on the gamification of digital flashcards through decks that are easy to search, navigate, and customize, with the browser version of the service mirroring a search engine tool for maximum ease of use.
Pros:
- An indefinite free version
- Easier to use than Quizlet
- Reputable customer service and troubleshooting
Cons:
- The scoring system can be off-putting to less competitive students or students lagging behind their peers
- Digital flashcards are the only method of studying and teaching featured on the service
- Reviews indicate a large amount of false information featured on pre-loaded decks online
Pricing Structure:
- Full version: Free
6. McGraw-Hill Connect
McGraw-Hill Education Connect is a diverse toolkit of various learning resources for students, teachers, and instructors. Featuring adaptive learning software, as well as formative and summative assessments, McGraw-Hill Education Connect boasts various automated systems and customization.
McGraw-Hill Education Connect believes in the importance of teaching and personal assessment; consequently, it looks to reduce administrative hassles by including auto-grading technology, consolidated resources, automated reports, and SmartBook integration.
SmartBook is a method whereby course textbooks can be accessed on a digital platform, whereby, unlike typical e-books, the content can be catered to omit certain information and only highlight the content needed for specific courses!
Pros:
- Limited free trial
- SmartBook is a unique feature to streamline learning resources
- Teacher and instructor-focused, allowing for the streamlining of courses and subject material
Cons:
- Limited customization to assist in different study methods, such as gamification
- Pricing is both expensive and difficult to navigate
- Mixed reviews suggest the service is difficult to use and navigate
Pricing Structure:
- Approximately $80.00 to $155.00 per course
https://www.mheducation.com/highered/connect.html
7. SAP Litmos
SAP Litmos is an e-learning platform that primarily focuses on training for employees at enterprise and mid-sized businesses. It boasts easy-to-use learner management software for instructors and students alike.
Given its focus on business training, SAP Litmos looks to streamline third-party integration and automation into its platform while also including attractive features to improve the learning experience, such as gamification and video assessments.
Housing an extensive digital course library for over 30 million people globally, SAP Litmos has established itself as one of the leading learning platforms for employers across various business sectors.
Pros:
- Focuses corporate and enterprise software, with third-party integrations
- Automation software to streamline the administrative process of instructors
- Language support in over 35 languages
Cons:
- Little to no functionality for students and instructors outside of corporate environments
- Very expensive software designed for large classes
Pricing Structure:
- Plans are only available for classes in excess of 150 people at $6 per user per month on a yearly subscription (i.e., a minimum of $900 per month)
8. NextThought
NextThought prides itself on being a digital learning platform with the functionality and diversity of top competitors in the market while promoting usability and accessibility for its users.
While primarily a corporate learning platform, NextThought does have users in more traditional educational facilities such as schools or colleges/universities; this is due to the platform’s ease of course customization for instructors and teachers.
Key features of the platform include, but are not limited to:
- Course creation
- Integration with third-party software to allow for peer-to-peer and instructor-to-peer communication
- Tracking tools and reporting of customized progressed reports
- Data-driven improvements and suggestions on course material
Further to user customization and functionality, NextThought includes in-house support from expert content creators and developers, as well as the extension of expert networks in broader fields, all for the assistance of the platform’s users!
Pros:
- Comes with a free trial
- Highly customizable with in-house/third party course support
- Focuses on corporate and enterprise software, with third-party integrations
Cons:
- Very expensive software designed for large classes
- The only language supported is English
Pricing Structure:
- Starter: $119.00 per month per instructor
- Growth: $239.00 per month per instructor
- Enterprise: $299.00 per month per instructor
9. Claned
Claned focuses on creating an intuitive, collaborative learning platform where users can seamlessly and collectively engage with a variety of resources in various ways.
Claned’s key features which allow for streamlined communication include:
- Contextual commenting, whereby users can add highlighted questions and notes for other users and instructors to engage with
- Real-time learner tracking and learning analytics
- Built-in course templates for ease of presentation and customization
- White labeling that allows businesses and institutions to reflect their brand via fully customizable logos, visuals, custom URLs, and login pages
Pros:
- Comes with a free trial
- Highly customizable white labeling that allows for professional customization and branding
- Focuses on corporate and enterprise software, with third-party integrations
Cons:
- Limited third-party integration, which is considered very important for remote working and employee/student management
- The only language supported is English
Pricing Structure (converted from euros at the time of writing):
- Starter: $55.89 per user per year
10. Acadly
Acadly prides itself as an all-in-one classroom management tool and e-learning platform for teachers and students.
A trusted platform in over 10% of all universities/colleges in the United States of America, Acadly focuses on both in-person and remote interaction with course material with built-in reporting software to monitor the level of engagement of students in a class.
Acadly’s key features which allow for streamlined communication and integration include:
- Proprietary Mesh Network-based technology that automatically monitors student attendance with both real-time and on-demand attendance reports
- Real-time polls with gamification functionality, image support, and math-TeX support, as well as further administrative features such as anonymous polling, withholding of results, and establishing deadlines on answers
- Customized quizzes with gamification functionality, option-question sequence randomization, data-based reports, and exportation to third party data capturing software
- Contextual messaging and built-in commenting/highlighting functionality for users
- Individual student reports and analytics, including exportation to third party data capturing software
- Remote functionality for all features, both for students and teachers
Pros:
- An indefinite free version
- Seamless third-party integrations
Cons:
- Primarily focused on classroom management, meaning little to no functionality outside of academic institutions
- The only language supported is English
Pricing Structure (converted from euros at the time of writing):
- Acadly SRS for Instructors: Free
- Acadly Suit for Institutions: S.Q
Conclusion
Averaging more than 100 million hits every month, Quizlet is one of the most popular study apps in the world. It’s an easy-to-use, free program that helps you create flashcards for almost anything.
Quizlet’s main claim to fame is its massive database of pre-made flashcards created by other users. With no limit on how many flashcards you can create, you’ll find everything from simple definitions to complex equations and even recipes. You can create your own sets or download sets made by others directly to your phone or computer.
Digital learning platforms are an evolving space; subsequently, while Quizlet is one of the most popular options, teachers and learners should remain on the lookout for alternatives that may provide features that best suit their study and teaching needs!
With so many Quizlet alternatives available, you’re sure to find one you love. Reviewing the options in this article will help you decide whether Quizlet is right for you, but the only way to know for sure is to try a few of them out.
Just remember that no tool will ever be able to replace the value of human interaction and practice. You can spend all the time in the world memorizing flashcards on Quizlet, but if you don’t take the time to actually use them in conversation it won’t be much good.
That said, these Quizlet alternatives can be great tools to help you with your learning, as long as you don’t let them become a crutch.
Have fun learning!