Tired of Anki? Here's How to Switch to Wordrop in 5 Minutes

I used Anki for almost two years.

Meticulously organized decks. A full plugin stack. A review streak I maintained every single day.

Then one day I realized: I was spending more time maintaining Anki than actually learning vocabulary.

If you're at that point — where Anki feels "right in theory" but exhausting in practice — this post is for you.

I'll show you how to switch to Wordrop in 5 minutes. No data lost. No starting from scratch. And more importantly — you'll actually learn vocabulary every day, instead of just reviewing cards.

Anki vs Wordrop: Before and After

Here's the real picture before you decide:

Bottom line: Anki is powerful if you have the discipline to sit down and review every day. Wordrop is the better choice if you want vocabulary to sink in while you work — without adding another item to your to-do list.

Why Anki Users Quit Anki

According to a 2024 r/Anki community survey, 67% of users quit Anki within 3 months — not because the method doesn't work, but because:

• Review debt piles up → feels like an obligation you can never clear
• You have to open the app intentionally → easy to skip
• High upfront setup cost → psychological barrier to starting again

Wordrop solves exactly these three problems: no review debt, no need to open an app, setup done in 3 minutes.

How to Switch From Anki to Wordrop in 5 Minutes

Step 1: Export your vocabulary from Anki (1 minute)

• Open Anki
• Select the deck you want to move
• Go to File → Export
• Choose format: "Packaged Deck (.apkg)"
• Uncheck "Include HTML and media references"
• Click Export

You'll get an .apkg file.

Step 2: Download and install Wordrop (1 minute)

• Go to wordrop.studio
• Download the free beta for Mac
• Drag it to Applications and open it

Wordrop will appear in your menu bar — a small icon in the top corner of your screen.

> Requirements: macOS 13 or later. No account needed to get started.

Step 3: Import your Anki vocabulary into Wordrop (2 minutes)

• Click the Wordrop icon in your menu bar
• Go to Word Library > "Import Words"
• Drag and drop the .apkg file you just exported
• Wordrop automatically detects the format and previews your word list
• Confirm the import

Step 4: Adjust display frequency (1 minute)

Go to Settings and customize to your preference.

Step 5 (optional): Keep Anki running in parallel

You don't need to delete Anki.

Many users run both: Anki for grammar and complex example sentences, Wordrop for everyday vocabulary you need to retain fast.

A combination that works:

• Wordrop: 50–200 of your most practical words
• Anki: Sentences, grammar patterns, IELTS/TOEIC-specific cards

What You'll Notice After Switching

First week:

Vocabulary surfaces exactly when you're working — no app to open, nothing to remember. The key difference from Anki: you're no longer "studying vocabulary" as a separate task.

After 30 days:

• Wordrop auto-adjusts frequency based on your responses (SM-2 algorithm)
• Words you know well appear less often
• Words you forget get shown more frequently

No review debt. Just vocabulary slowly absorbed, every single day.

FAQ

I have 5,000 Anki cards — can I import all of them?

Yes — the smart algorithm selects words based on your proficiency level, so you won't get overwhelmed by too many words at once.

Can I sync data across multiple Macs?

Yes — you can export a .packs file and import it on any other Mac.

Does Wordrop support languages other than English?

Wordrop supports any language pair — you can import English–Vietnamese, Japanese–English, or any combination you need.

Wrap Up

If you're using Anki and feeling burned out on maintenance — Wordrop isn't here to replace Anki. It solves a different problem: learning vocabulary without meaning to.

For Mac users working 8–10 hours a day, Wordrop might be the only way vocabulary actually sticks — not because you're more disciplined, but because it doesn't require any discipline at all.

→ Join the Beta

Already using Anki and want a deeper comparison? Read: Wordrop vs Anki: The Honest Take

Looking for more Anki alternatives? See: The Best Anki Alternatives for Mac

References

• Wozniak, P. (1999). _Optimization of Learning_. SuperMemo World — original research behind the SM-2 algorithm
• r/Anki community survey (2024) — Why users quit Anki within 3 months
• Kornell, N. & Bjork, R.A. (2008). _Learning concepts and categories: Is spacing the enemy of induction?_. Psychological Science, 19(6), 585–592

_Last updated: June 2026_