RemNote has built a devoted following among students and researchers who want their notes and their memory system to be one thing rather than two. It is a thoughtful product that solves real workflow problems. But 'best flashcard app' is not quite the right frame for it - it is really a knowledge management tool with excellent flashcard features built in.
Gridually is the opposite: purely focused on the review and retention phase, with spatial encoding as its primary innovation. This comparison looks at both tools through the lens of memory effectiveness rather than workflow integration.
RemNote optimizes for workflow - it wants to be the tool you use from the moment information enters your brain to the moment you have retained it permanently. This is a worthy goal and RemNote pursues it intelligently. Gridually optimizes for retention - it wants the review sessions you do to produce the strongest possible long-term memory with the least review time. These are different optimization targets. Learners who have a note-taking system they are happy with and want to maximize review effectiveness should consider Gridually for the retention phase even if they use a different tool for capture. The two tools are not competing for the same job.
RemNote structures knowledge hierarchically: items exist within documents, within folders, within workspaces. This hierarchy gives context but the context is positional in a linear sense - you know something is 'under' something else. Gridually gives context that is spatial in a two-dimensional sense: you know something is in the top-left quadrant, near the other items that relate to it. Spatial memory is one of the most robust forms of human memory - it is the basis for the method of loci used by memory champions. Gridually automates the spatial scaffolding that memory champions build manually, making this mnemonic technique available without deliberate practice.
RemNote is the better unified knowledge management and review system for learners who want one tool to handle their entire study workflow. Gridually is the better pure retention tool for learners who want spatial memory encoding integrated into active recall sessions. For maximum retention effectiveness, serious learners often benefit from using a note-taking tool and a dedicated retention tool rather than expecting one tool to do both jobs perfectly. Gridually's spatial encoding is based on memory research from the University of Chicago, University of Bonn, and Macquarie University.
RemNote is the better choice if you want your lecture notes and study cards in one place and are willing to invest in learning its system. Gridually is better for the review phase specifically, particularly for subjects where spatial relationships between concepts aid recall.
Gridually does not currently offer PDF annotation. It focuses on the review and retention phase rather than the note-taking and capture phase. The two tools can be complementary: RemNote for capture and organization, Gridually for active recall practice.
RemNote has a free tier with limitations on the number of documents and some advanced features. Its paid tier is priced higher than most flashcard apps because it is a full knowledge management system. Gridually's free tier is more generous for pure review and retention work.