KnowFi: understand practice questions with your notes
KnowFi lives in the Mac menu bar. A shortcut captures the practice question on screen, and the answer appears with reasoning from your own PDF, text and Markdown files. For single choice, multiple choice and open questions.
Good for: the practice phase with past papers, problem sets and study quizzes. Less good for: learners without their own notes or without a Mac.
ChatGPT: the all-rounder
A versatile assistant with its own Mac app. Explains topics in conversation, answers follow-up questions and can work with uploaded files.
Good for: clarifying questions in dialogue, going deeper. Less good for: quick practice without copying and switching windows. More in KnowFi vs. ChatGPT.
| KnowFi | ChatGPT | NotebookLM | Anki | Quizlet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest phase | Practising and understanding | Explaining in dialogue | Working through material | Retaining facts | Drilling facts |
| On the Mac | Menu bar app | App and browser | Browser | App | Browser |
| Your own material | Local PDF, text, Markdown | Upload per chat | Sources in a notebook | Cards you write | Own or shared sets |
| Capturing a question | Shortcut from the screen | Typing or upload | Typing | Not intended | Not intended |
| Reasoning | Yes, from your notes | Yes, general | Yes, with source references | Only what's on the card | Partly |
As of November 2026. Details about other providers without guarantee; please check features and prices with each provider.
NotebookLM: working through sources
Google's tool for working with your own sources. Answers with references to your documents and creates summaries, study guides and audio overviews. Runs in the browser.
Good for: understanding and structuring new material. Less good for: answering questions right while you practise. More in KnowFi vs. NotebookLM.
Anki: flashcards with a review schedule
Open-source flashcard app that shows cards on a review schedule. Runs natively on the Mac and on many other devices.
Good for: retaining facts, terms and vocabulary long term. Less good for: explaining connections, since you write the cards yourself. More in KnowFi vs. Anki.
Quizlet: study sets and practice tests
Online platform for flashcards and practice tests, in the browser and as a phone app, with many study sets shared by other users.
Good for: quickly finding existing study sets and practising playfully. Less good for: explanations that match your own notes.
Our recommendation
Combine by phase: work through material with NotebookLM or ChatGPT, retain it with Anki or Quizlet, practise and understand with KnowFi. How to spread the phases over the weeks before an exam is covered in the guide Study plan for exam season.
Updated 11 November 2026