Loxie vs Blinkist: Remembering vs Consuming
One helps you learn about more books. The other helps you learn AND remember them.
Matthew Metzger
Former Fortune 200 VP of Learning
What If You Could Consume AND Retain?
Blinkist pioneered the book summary space. Fifteen-minute summaries, massive library, audio for your commute. It's a great way to learn about more books in less time.
But there's a catch: you'll forget those summaries just as fast as you'd forget the full book.
Loxie takes a different approach. It offers similar learning content – video overviews, podcast-style deep dives, written summaries – but adds what Blinkist doesn't: retention tools that help you actually remember what you've learned.
This comparison breaks down what each app does, how they differ, and which one makes sense for your goals.
What Blinkist Does
Core function: Provides 15-minute summaries of popular nonfiction books in text and audio format.
How it works: Browse the library (7,000+ titles), pick a book, and read or listen to the summary. Each "Blink" distills a book into its key ideas – roughly what you'd get from reading the chapter headings and conclusion.
Strengths:
Massive library covering most popular nonfiction
Great for previewing books before buying
Audio format works well for commutes
Quick exposure to many ideas
Limitations:
Summaries strip out nuance, stories, and context
One-time consumption – you'll forget the summary like you'd forget the book
No retention features whatsoever
Solves for time, not memory
Pricing: Premium $99.99/year ($8.33/month).*
What Loxie Does
Core function: Combines book learning content with retention tools. Offers 8-10 minute video overviews, 30-45 minute podcast-style deep dives, and written summaries – plus spaced repetition drills to help you remember.
How it works: Browse the catalogue and explore a book through free learning content. Want a quick overview? Watch the video. Want depth? Listen to the podcast. Then add the book to your shelf, and Loxie serves daily questions designed to lock the ideas into long-term memory.
Strengths:
Free learning content rivals Blinkist (videos, podcasts, text)
Multiple formats: quick overviews AND deep dives
Active recall builds lasting memory, not just exposure
Retention drills require no flashcard creation
Limitations:
Catalogue is curated (hundreds of titles) vs Blinkist's thousands
Less useful for quick previews of obscure titles
Retention requires ongoing practice (a few minutes daily)
Pricing: All learning content is free. Retention drills have a free tier. Pro ($59.99/year or $7.99/month)* for unlimited drills and advanced features.
Blinkist Stops at Consumption. Loxie Keeps Going.
Blinkist gives you a 15-minute summary and moves on. That's the whole product – consume the ideas and hope some stick.
Loxie starts with similar content (video overviews, podcast deep dives, written summaries) but doesn't stop there. After you've consumed, Loxie helps you retain through daily practice using active recall and spaced repetition.
Here's why that matters: the forgetting curve doesn't care how long the content is. Whether you spend 15 minutes with a Blinkist summary or 45 minutes with a Loxie podcast, without active reinforcement you'll forget most of it within weeks.
The difference is what happens next. Blinkist has no "next." Loxie does.
Active recall – being asked questions rather than passively reviewing – is proven to dramatically improve retention. One study found retrieval practice led to 80% retention after a week, compared to 36% for passive review. Loxie applies this automatically; Blinkist doesn't apply it at all.
When to Use Each App
Use Blinkist if:
You need access to 7,000+ titles, including obscure ones
You only want quick previews to decide what's worth reading
You're okay forgetting most of what you consume
You want a single format (15-minute summaries)
Use Loxie if:
You want free learning content (videos, podcasts, overviews)
You want format options: quick 8-10 min videos OR deep 30-45 min podcasts
You want to actually remember what you learn
You'd rather deeply retain 20 books than superficially consume 200
You're willing to invest a few minutes daily in retention
Use both if:
You want Blinkist's massive library for breadth
You want Loxie's retention tools for the books that matter most
Loxie doesn't have a specific title you need
Side-by-Side Comparison
Feature | Blinkist | Loxie |
|---|---|---|
Core purpose | Consume book ideas | Consume AND remember book ideas |
Video content | None | 8-10 min overviews (free) |
Audio content | 15-min summaries | 30-45 min podcast deep dives (free) |
Text content | Written summaries | Written overviews (free) |
Library size | 7,000+ titles | Hundreds (curated, growing) |
Retention tools | None | Active recall + spaced repetition |
Free tier | 1 summary/day | All learning content + basic drills |
Paid price | ~$99.99/year | $59.99/year (Pro) |
You'll remember | Very little | Significantly more |
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Blinkist if you need access to a massive library and don't care about retention. It's the best option for quick previews of obscure titles or rapid exposure to many ideas. Just know that consumption without retention is mostly entertainment.
Choose Loxie if you want both consumption and retention. The free learning content (video overviews, podcast deep dives, written summaries) rivals Blinkist for exposure – and the retention drills help you actually remember. It's fewer titles, but you'll retain what you learn.
Choose both if you want Blinkist's breadth for exploration and Loxie's depth for retention. Use Blinkist to discover; use Loxie to remember.
The honest take: Blinkist built a successful business on consumption. But consumption without retention is a treadmill – you keep consuming, keep forgetting, keep consuming. Loxie breaks that cycle by adding the piece Blinkist left out.
For less money (Loxie Pro is ~$40 cheaper per year) and with free learning content, Loxie offers what Blinkist does plus what Blinkist doesn't. Unless you need access to thousands of obscure titles, Loxie is the better value.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Loxie's free content compare to Blinkist? Loxie offers 8-10 minute video overviews (similar length to Blinkist summaries), 30-45 minute podcast-style deep dives (more depth than Blinkist offers), and written summaries. All completely free. Blinkist charges ~$100/year for access to their summaries.
Is Blinkist's library bigger than Loxie's? Yes, significantly. Blinkist has 7,000+ titles; Loxie has hundreds. Loxie's catalogue is curated and growing – check the current catalogue to see what's available. If breadth matters more than retention, Blinkist wins on library size.
Which is cheaper? Loxie. All learning content (videos, podcasts, overviews) is free. Retention drills have a free tier. Loxie Pro ($59.99/year) costs about $40 less per year than Blinkist Premium (~$99.99/year).
Will I remember more from Blinkist or Loxie? Loxie, by a wide margin. Blinkist has no retention features – you consume and forget. Loxie's active recall drills are proven to dramatically improve long-term memory compared to one-time consumption.
Can I use Blinkist to discover books, then Loxie to retain them? Yes, if the book is in both libraries. Use Blinkist to explore broadly, then add key titles to Loxie for retention. You get Blinkist's discovery and Loxie's memory.
Why doesn't Blinkist add retention features? Their business model is built on consumption. More summaries consumed = more perceived value = continued subscriptions. Retention features would require a fundamentally different product and approach – which is what Loxie built from the ground up.
What if I've already paid for Blinkist? You can use both. Blinkist for titles Loxie doesn't have; Loxie for retention on the books that matter most. Or try Loxie's free content and see if it meets your needs – you might not need Blinkist at all.
*App prices change frequently and may vary by region or promotional offers. We've included approximate pricing to help you compare, but always check the official app or website for current rates before subscribing.
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