The best Anki deck for Step 1 in 2026 is the AnKing Step Deck, and it isn’t close: it’s the only comprehensive Step deck still updated every day. This guide covers what it costs now, the best free alternative, the anatomy decks worth adding, and how to set up Anki for the USMLE.
The Best Anki Decks for Step 1
| 1. AnKing Step Deck – Best Overall 2. Brosencephalon – Best Free Deck 3. Anatomy decks – AnatoKing, Dorian, UMich Cadaver |
What separates these decks in 2026 is upkeep. Most of the Step 1 decks you’ll see recommended on Reddit, including Zanki, Lightyear and Dope, stopped updating years ago, before Step 1 went pass/fail and before the current First Aid editions. AnKing is the one that kept going.
1. AnKing Step Deck
Best Overall
- Cards: 30,000+ (AnkiHub’s figure), covering Step 1, 2 and 3
- Updated: daily, through AnkiHub
- Tagged by: First Aid, Boards & Beyond, Sketchy, Costanzo Physiology, NBMEs, and UWorld and AMBOSS question IDs
- Cost: $6/month, $66/year, or $450 lifetime (AnkiHub Core)
- Get it: AnKing Step Deck on AnkiHub
The AnKing deck began in 2019 as an overhaul of Zanki and Lolnotacop, the two decks most students used at the time, with images from the Pepper decks and the gaps in pharm and micro filled in. It now lives on AnkiHub, a service that plugs into Anki and pushes approved corrections to every subscriber, so your deck stays current without re-downloading it and losing your progress.
The tagging is the reason to use it for Step 1. Finish a UWorld or AMBOSS block, paste the question IDs you missed into AnKing’s search add-on, and it unsuspends just the cards tied to those questions. You can also study by First Aid chapter, Boards & Beyond video or Sketchy lesson, so the deck follows whatever resources you’re already using.
The catch is cost. Free public releases ended, and AnkiHub’s Core plan, which includes the Step Deck, is $6 a month or $66 a year, and lifetime access is $450. Its free plan doesn’t include the Step Deck. AnkiHub’s $10-a-month Premium plan adds AI search and First Aid Forward and Boards & Beyond content inside Anki, which you only need if you already pay for those.
Use it if you want one deck for Step 1 and beyond that won’t go stale. Skip it if you can’t justify a subscription; Brosencephalon is free.
Using a prep course? See our Med School Bootcamp review and our picks for the best USMLE Step 1 prep courses.
2. Brosencephalon
Best Free Deck
- Version: 1.5 of the pre-clinical collection, curated by r/medicalschool
- Sources: First Aid and Pathoma
- Cost: free
- Get it: Brosencephalon flashcards
Bros is the deck the others were built from: Zanki started from it, and AnKing started from Zanki. Armeet Sidhu made it as a medical student in 2014, and the r/medicalschool community has since fixed errors, cut weak cards and filled gaps to reach the current version 1.5.
It’s smaller than AnKing and has no images, which were removed for copyright reasons, so it works best for reinforcing First Aid and Pathoma once you’ve learned the material. It isn’t actively maintained the way AnKing is, so treat older facts with some caution.
Use it if you want a solid free deck. Skip it if you want daily updates and question-bank tagging; that’s AnKing.
Older Decks You’ll See Recommended
Zanki (2017) was the standard Step 1 deck before AnKing absorbed it. Our Zanki guide covers what happened to it.
Lightyear (2018–2019) was built around Boards & Beyond, with a tag for every video. It’s no longer updated, and the download link that used to circulate is dead. AnKing now tags its cards by Boards & Beyond video too.
Dope (2018–2020) was built on Bros and was popular for anatomy and neuroanatomy. It’s no longer maintained, and we couldn’t find a reliable download for the full deck.
Best Anki Decks for Anatomy
Step 1 tests anatomy clinically, but first-year anatomy lab tests it structure by structure. These decks help with that, and all three use Image Occlusion, which is now built into Anki.
AnatoKing
AnatoKing covers gross anatomy in depth: structures, origins, insertions, actions and innervations, built from Rohen’s Color Atlas of Anatomy and similar atlases. It’s now distributed through AnkiHub alongside the Step Deck.
Dorian’s Anatomy
A short deck focused on clinical anatomy, based on St. Matthew’s University’s 100 most important gross anatomy concepts. You can get through it quickly, which makes it a good Step 1 review rather than a lab deck.
UMich Cadaver
Built from the University of Michigan’s cadaver images, this deck is the best free option for anatomy lab practicals, and pre-meds use it too.
How to Use Anki for Step 1
Download Anki for free from apps.ankiweb.net. It runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, AnkiDroid is free on Android, and AnkiMobile for iPhone and iPad is $24.99. Anki now has hierarchical tags and Image Occlusion built in, so the add-ons older guides call essential aren’t needed.
Then subscribe to the Step Deck through the AnkiHub add-on, or import a free deck like Bros with File > Import. AnKing’s own video is the best walkthrough:
How to Study Each Day
Suspend the whole deck, then unsuspend cards as you cover each topic in class or miss it in a question bank. Start with 50–100 new cards a day. Every new card brings reviews for weeks afterward, and falling behind on reviews is the most common way Anki stops working.
Since 14 May 2026, Step 1 has been fourteen 30-minute blocks of up to 20 questions each, in one 8-hour session, and it’s scored pass/fail. That makes question-bank stamina matter as much as recall, so pair Anki with a qbank rather than replacing one. Details are on the USMLE’s Step 1 page.
Related: Best USMLE Step 1 books
Best Anki Deck for Step 1 FAQ
Is Zanki good for Step 1?
Zanki was the standard Step 1 deck around 2017–2019, but it hasn’t been maintained in years. The AnKing Step Deck absorbed it and has been updated ever since, so use AnKing instead.
Which is better, AnKing or Zanki?
AnKing. It started as an overhaul of Zanki and Lolnotacop, fixed their errors, filled the pharm and micro gaps, and is still updated every day. Zanki is frozen.
Is the AnKing deck free?
Not anymore. The AnKing Step Deck is only distributed through AnkiHub, and the plan that includes it costs $6 a month, $66 a year, or $450 for lifetime access. Brosencephalon is the best free alternative.
Is Step 1 still scored?
No. Step 1 has been reported as pass/fail since January 2022. You still need to pass, and your Step 2 CK score now carries more weight with residency programs.
How long is Step 1 now?
Still one 8-hour session, but since 14 May 2026 it’s divided into fourteen 30-minute blocks of up to 20 questions each, with at least 55 minutes of break time.
How many new Anki cards should I do a day?
Start with 50–100 new cards a day and adjust. Each new card generates reviews for weeks afterward, so your daily reviews will climb into the hundreds; cut new cards before you fall behind on reviews.
Should I make my own Anki cards?
Start with a premade deck rather than building one from scratch, since making 30,000 good cards yourself isn’t a good use of your time. Do add your own cards for things your deck misses or that you keep getting wrong in your question bank.
The Bottom Line
Use the AnKing Step Deck if you can afford AnkiHub. It’s the only comprehensive Step deck still being corrected, and its UWorld and AMBOSS tags turn your question-bank misses into cards to review. If you can’t, Brosencephalon is a good free deck, and you can add AnatoKing, Dorian or UMich for anatomy. Either way, Anki supplements your main resources, such as First Aid, a question bank and a course like Kaplan; it doesn’t replace them.