CompareUpdated July 2026
Eightball vs Gizmo
Gizmo is the leading gamified flashcard app — hearts, streaks, and leaderboards that make daily review a habit for 13M+ users, according to TechCrunch (April 2026). Eightball is a verification-first study system: AI answers cite the exact page or timestamp in your own files, practice tests grade free-response with letter grades, and Canvas syncs your course daily.
| Feature | Eightball | Gizmo |
|---|---|---|
| AI answers that cite your materials | Answers cite the exact page, slide, or timestamp in your files | Answers draw on uploads but rarely link back to specific pages or timestamps |
| AI flashcard generation | Generated from your uploaded course files | From PDFs, PowerPoint, YouTube, notes, and photos; imports Quizlet and Anki decks |
| Practice tests with AI grading | Free-response graded with letter grades and per-question feedback | Multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank quizzes; graded free-response isn't offered |
| Lecture recording and transcription | Transcript plus AI notes and a timestamped transcript chat | In-app recording; the transcript feeds flashcard generation |
| Canvas LMS integration | Daily auto-sync of your course files | Not an advertised feature |
| Gamification and multiplayer | Not a focus | Hearts, streaks, XP, leagues, and Gizmo Live quiz battles |
| Native mobile apps | Web app that works in mobile browsers | iOS and Android; 4.8 stars on the US App Store (July 2026) |
| Community content library | Public university course hubs | 1,000,000+ public decks, per its App Store listing |
| Free tier | Free to start, with every feature in the trial — no hearts or mid-session lockouts | 15 hearts; wrong answers cost one, with a 10-minute wait at zero |
What does Eightball do that Gizmo doesn't?
Gizmo optimizes the drilling; Eightball optimizes the trust. Upload your slides, notes, and readings — or connect Canvas — and your flashcards, practice tests, and AI answers stay tied to your actual course, with citations you can check.
AI chat with page-level citations
Ask anything about your class and answers cite the exact page, slide, or lecture timestamp they came from. Reviews of Gizmo note its AI tutor rarely links answers back to sources, so verifying a fact means searching your files yourself.
Learn morePractice tests with real grading
Exam-style tests with multiple choice, true/false, and free-response questions — AI-graded with a letter grade and per-question feedback. Gizmo's quizzes are multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank flashcard drills.
Learn moreLecture notes, not just cards
Record a lecture and get a live transcript, organized AI notes, and a chat that answers with timestamps into the recording. Gizmo transcribes audio too, but the transcript feeds flashcards rather than a structured notes document.
Learn moreCanvas sync keeps decks current
Connect Canvas once and Eightball pulls new course files every day, so flashcards and tests keep up with what your professor posts. Gizmo doesn't advertise any LMS integration.
Learn moreWhat's the real difference between Gizmo and Eightball?
Gizmo is engineered for motivation. Its homepage tagline is "Get addicted to learning" (gizmo.ai, July 2026), and the product backs it up: hearts that drop on wrong answers, streaks, XP, leagues, school leaderboards, and Gizmo Live multiplayer quiz battles. TechCrunch (April 2026) credits that loop for its growth to 13M+ users across 120+ countries.
Eightball is engineered for verification. Its AI reads your uploaded course materials and cites the exact page, slide, or lecture timestamp behind its answers; its practice tests include free-response questions graded with letter grades and per-question feedback; and Canvas sync keeps the source files current. If Gizmo's question is "did you show up today?", Eightball's is "can you prove you've mastered this — and check where every answer came from?"
When is Gizmo the better choice?
Gizmo has real momentum — 13M+ users across 120+ countries and a $22M Series A, according to TechCrunch (April 2026) — and for some students it is genuinely the better tool.
- Your problem is motivation, not verification. If getting yourself to study is the hard part, Gizmo's hearts, streaks, XP, leagues, and Gizmo Live battles are purpose-built to make daily spaced repetition a habit — users report streaks of 365+ days. Eightball has nothing comparable.
- You study on your phone. Gizmo ships polished native iOS and Android apps — rated 4.8 stars across 12,000+ ratings on the US App Store (July 2026) — including photo scanning of handwritten notes. Eightball is a web app.
- You want zero-effort content, or you're coming from Quizlet or Anki. Gizmo claims 1,000,000+ public decks in its App Store listing and imports Quizlet and Anki decks directly, so you can start studying without uploading anything.
How much do Eightball and Gizmo cost?
Gizmo's free plan gives you 15 hearts — each wrong answer costs one, and at zero you wait 10 minutes, per its help center — and third-party reviews (March 2026) report roughly 10 AI-generated quizzes a day. Gizmo Unlimited removes those limits: the US App Store lists in-app purchases from $6.99 to $154.99 (July 2026), which reviews from March 2026 break down as $13.99 per week or $155.22 per year, with a student discount of $6.99 per week or $77.22 per year.
Eightball is free to start — try AI chat, flashcards, and practice tests from your own materials — with paid plans for unlimited studying. See current plans and pricing.
How do I switch from Gizmo to Eightball?
There are no decks to migrate. Eightball doesn't import decks the way Gizmo imports Quizlet and Anki — it rebuilds your study material from the course files themselves, so everything it generates matches what your class actually covers.
- Create your account free. Signing up takes under a minute.
- Add your course. Upload slides, notes, and readings, or connect Canvas and let Eightball sync new files automatically every day.
- Study what it builds. Flashcards, AI-graded practice tests, and a chat tutor grounded in your class — answers carry citations you can check against the source.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gizmo free?
Partly. The free plan gives you 15 hearts — every wrong answer in Memorise mode costs one, and when they run out you wait 10 minutes before quizzing again, per Gizmo's help center. Third-party reviews (March 2026) additionally report around 10 AI-generated quizzes per day on the free plan. Gizmo Unlimited removes the limits.
How much does Gizmo Unlimited cost?
The US App Store lists Gizmo Unlimited in-app purchases from $6.99 to $154.99 (July 2026). Third-party reviews (March 2026) break that down as $13.99 per week or $155.22 per year, with a student discount of $6.99 per week or $77.22 per year.
What are hearts in Gizmo?
A lives system, per Gizmo's help center: you start with 15 hearts, lose one for each wrong answer in Memorise mode, and wait 10 minutes when they run out — unless you upgrade to Gizmo Unlimited. Eightball doesn't use a hearts system.
Does Gizmo cite sources or page numbers in its answers?
Citations aren't part of Gizmo's product: third-party comparisons consistently note that it rarely links answers or cards back to specific pages or timestamps, so tracing a fact means searching your files manually. Eightball's answers cite the exact page, slide, or lecture timestamp they used.
Can Gizmo make flashcards from PDFs, YouTube, Quizlet, or Anki?
Yes. Gizmo generates flashcards from PDFs, PowerPoint, pasted notes, YouTube videos, webpages, and photos of handwritten notes, and imports existing Quizlet and Anki decks, per its site and App Store listing. Eightball generates flashcards from your uploaded course files and Canvas-synced materials instead.
Can Gizmo record lectures?
Yes — hands-on reviews confirm in-app voice recording with automatic transcription that feeds flashcard generation. It doesn't produce a structured AI notes document or a timestamped transcript chat; Eightball's lecture capture does both.
Does Gizmo have practice tests or essay grading?
Gizmo's documented quiz formats are multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank flashcard drills; exam-style tests with AI-graded free-response, letter grades, or written feedback aren't advertised features. That kind of graded exam simulation is core to Eightball's practice tests.
Does Gizmo integrate with Canvas?
No LMS integration appears anywhere on Gizmo's site or help center. Eightball connects to Canvas and auto-syncs your course files daily, so new slides and readings flow into your flashcards, tests, and chat automatically.
Who makes Gizmo and how big is it?
Gizmo is built by SAVE ALL LTD, a UK company founded in 2021 by Cambridge alumni (TechCrunch, 2023). According to TechCrunch (April 2026), it has 13M+ users across 120+ countries and raised a $22M Series A led by Shine Capital.
Which is better for exam prep, Gizmo or Eightball?
Gizmo is better at making daily memorization stick — its streaks and leaderboards reward showing up. Eightball is better at simulating the exam: practice tests are generated from your actual course scope, free-response answers get AI grading with letter grades, and citations let you verify every explanation against your materials.
Study material you can verify
Upload your course files and get cited AI chat, flashcards, and AI-graded practice tests — free to start.
Get started free