The Best Vocabulary Apps for the SAT, GRE, & IELTS in 2025

Let's be honest, studying vocabulary for a major exam like the SAT, GRE, or IELTS can feel like a real chore. You have lists of hundreds of words, and it's tough to know if you're actually making progress. You download an app, flip through some digital flashcards, and hope for the best. But is that really a winning strategy?

In 2025, a great study app has to do more than just throw words at you. It should feel like a smart study partner, one that understands how memory works, respects your time, and actively helps you learn. We decided to cut through the noise, so we downloaded the most popular apps out there and judged them on what really matters for a high score: the quality of the words, the science behind the learning, and an experience that actually makes you want to study.

The Usual Suspects: Good Ideas with Big Flaws

You've probably seen these names before. They are popular for a reason, but when you look closely, you'll find that each one has a weakness that could be holding you back.

Magoosh Vocabulary Builder

What it does well: Magoosh is a big name in test prep, and their content is solid. Their app gives you high-quality word lists made by experts for exams like the GRE and SAT. The definitions are clear, the example sentences are useful, and they even sort words by difficulty. That part is great.

Where it falls short: The problem is that the learning method is just too simple. You basically just do multiple-choice quizzes. While it feels like you're learning, you are only practicing how to *recognize* a definition from a list. You are not practicing how to *remember* it on your own. On test day, there are no multiple-choice options for your brain. You need to be able to recall the meaning of a word cold. Magoosh is a good dictionary, but it's not a great teacher.

Quizlet

What it does well: The best thing about Quizlet is that you can find a flashcard deck for anything. Its library of user-made content is enormous. If you have a specific list of words from a class or a textbook, the ability to make your own decks is a huge advantage.

Where it falls short: That freedom is also its biggest problem. Because anyone can make a deck, the quality is all over the place. You might find a great list, or you could end up studying a deck full of typos, wrong definitions, or simple examples that won't prepare you for the real exam. When you're studying for a high-stakes test, you can't afford to guess about the quality of your materials. On top of that, its study tools are not truly adaptive and don't use learning science to help you focus on your weaknesses.

Anki

What it does well: Anki is the undisputed champion of one thing: Spaced Repetition. This is a science-backed method that shows you flashcards right before you're about to forget them. If you want to burn words into your long-term memory, Anki is incredibly powerful. For dedicated students who are willing to put in the time, it can deliver amazing results.

Where it falls short: The trade-off is that Anki is famously difficult to use. The design is old, the setup is confusing, and making good-looking, effective flashcards can be a real chore. It’s like being handed a professional race car engine and being told to build the rest of the car yourself. If you're a busy student who just wants to study words, not learn a complicated piece of software, Anki can be more trouble than it's worth.

The Winner: The App That Gets It All Right

After dealing with the compromises of the other apps, we found one that was clearly built to solve these problems. It manages to combine professional content, powerful learning science, and a great user experience all in one package.

Quizly Prep

Why it's the best choice for 2025: Quizly Prep feels like it was designed by students who were tired of the flaws in other apps. It takes all the best features and puts them together in a way that just works.

• It starts with professional content. Like Magoosh, you get word lists for the SAT, GRE, and IELTS that are made by experts. You never have to worry if your study material is accurate or relevant. It’s all ready for you from day one.
• It uses smarter science. The learning system in Quizly Prep is built on both Spaced Repetition (what makes Anki great) and Active Recall. Instead of just showing you a word, it makes you try to remember the definition on your own before you see the answer. This simple act of pulling information from your memory is what builds strong, reliable knowledge.
• It’s powerful, but easy to use. The app is clean, modern, and simple to navigate. Like Quizlet, you can make your own study decks. But the best feature is "Review Mistakes." The app automatically gathers every word you get wrong and puts them into a special deck for you. It helps you focus on your weak spots without any extra work.

The Side-by-Side Verdict

When you put it all together, the choice is pretty clear. You shouldn't have to choose between good content, effective science, and an app that's easy to use.

Feature	Magoosh	Quizlet	Anki	Quizly Prep
Expert-Curated Content	✔️	❌	❌	✔️
Smart Adaptive Algorithm	❌	❌	✔️	✔️
User-Friendly Interface	✔️	✔️	❌	✔️
Create Custom Decks	❌	✔️	✔️	✔️
Automated Mistake Review	❌	❌	❌	✔️