I had been using Anki as my reviewing tool from 2017.
Anki is a very powerful and effective tool, it’s also one of the best tools for learning a language. There is also no alternative of Anki as a tool for creating your own database.
But I gradually felt its disadvantages. It’s a software. I always need to use it on computer or on smartphone. To form a habit, I need to open it everyday.
But currently I’m practising digital minimalism. I tried to replace most of unnecessary softwares which should open computer or phone with some simple devices such as MP3 player and voice recorder. Some requirements such as task management, I can just open a notebook to meet them. It achieved some good results. Because a lot of my activities can be finished without using computer and smartphone, there are few possibilities that I will be distracted by temptations online.
As for Anki, I now think that it’s not a necessity for learning and reviewing, though maybe its algorithm and features can provide a lot of conveniences. In my opinion, we can learn anything just by reading books. So, we can surely gain a language just by reading.
Now I find that tools or softwares can raise complexity. Features can also bring troubles. We can also reviewing words offline, what’s more important is enough repetitions instead of a good algorithm.
Because I don’t need to open my computer and use Anki, now I can finish most of my personal tasks without a computer or phone. It’s very enjoyable to be offline.