150 years of memory science
You’ll forget
most of this.
Unless you time it right.
Retentive isn’t flashcards. Your notes stay where they are — it just tells you the exact moment to review, so a memory sticks for months instead of days.
✦ Free tier, no account✦ One-time Pro unlock✦ Data never leaves your phone
The illusion of learning
This sentence is your memory, one day later. Ebbinghaus measured it: two-thirds gone overnight, ~3% by exam season.
The fix
Review at the right moment, and the curve bends.
Each well-timed review interrupts the decay and resets it shallower. A few minutes on the right days beats hours of cramming — the memory holds for months.
That sawtooth shape? It’s our logo. It’s the whole product.
After 4+ well-timed reviews, retention holds at 85%+ — increasingly permanent.
How it works
Three steps. No flashcards.
NEW ITEM
Cardiac arrhythmias — ch. 12 notes
MedicineCardiology
1. Add what you’re learning
A line per thing — a chapter, a concept, a problem set. No rewriting anything into cards.
2. Review when it tells you
You get a notification the day a review matters. Open the app, and what’s due, overdue, or new is waiting — hit Study and go back to your own notes.
memory strength↗ holding
Each review resets the fade — shallower every time.
3. Watch it stick
Reviews spread out as memories strengthen — from days apart to months apart, until it’s just yours.
Want the full walkthrough on your platform? See it on iPhone → · See it on desktop →
Who it’s for
Anything worth remembering.
Exams & coursework
Walk into every exam already knowing the material. Spread the semester’s load across the semester — finals week becomes a light skim, not an all-nighter.
Languages
Grammar patterns, vocab themes, kanji sets — reviewed on the schedule your memory actually needs, not the one your guilt invents.
Med school & certifications
High-volume, high-stakes material that has to survive past the test date. Keep hundreds of topics warm with minutes a day.
Interview prep
Algorithms and system-design patterns decay fast. Retentive keeps the ones you’ve solved from quietly un-solving themselves.
Stop forgetting on purpose.
Pick your platform. Both are free to start.
iPhoneOut now
Private by design.
Yours forever.
Yours forever.
Runs locally on your phone.
Web & desktop
The big-screen view.
Richer stats, dashboards, and streaks on a screen built for planning. 30 days free — no card needed.
Retentive is built by one developer, in the open.
Something not working? Trial ran out mid-semester? Email me — I read everything, and I’ll extend it.
Something not working? Trial ran out mid-semester? Email me — I read everything, and I’ll extend it.