APKG vs COLPKG: Which Export Do You Need?

Which export should you choose?

For APKG vs COLPKG, choose APKG for one deck or a small test. Choose COLPKG for a full-collection move only when the destination supports it and you can test a copy. The largest export isn't automatically the safest one: scope, scheduling, media, and the return path matter more.

Short answer

• Use APKG when you want a focused, easy-to-check transfer.
• Use COLPKG when you need a collection-level move and accept its wider impact.
• Check scheduling and media on representative cards instead of trusting the file extension.
• Keep the original collection and test the return path before switching.
• StudyDaily imports APKG and modern COLPKG files, then exports APKG and CSV at any time.

Start with the smallest complete export

The right export is the smallest file that contains what you intend to move. APKG fits a deck or a defined subset. COLPKG fits a full collection when the move includes collection-level data and the receiving app has a clear import path.

That distinction is practical, not cosmetic. A focused package gives you a small surface to inspect. A collection package gives you broader scope, but it also makes a mistake harder to isolate. A bigger file can be useful without being safer.

If you are moving one language deck, course deck, or revision subset, begin with APKG. If you are replacing a complete working collection, COLPKG may match the scope better. The format should follow the job, not your anxiety about choosing the “most complete” file.

For the full sequence from backup to final verification, follow the full migration path.

You can run the small APKG test in the browser first: open StudyDaily — there is nothing to install, and reviewing does not require an account.

What each format asks you to verify

An export is a container, not a guarantee that every layer of a collection will behave the same way after import. Separate the visible cards from their progress, media, card types, and collection settings.

APKG: focused scope and a cleaner first test

APKG is the sensible starting point when you want to move a limited set of cards. The smaller scope helps you compare known cards before you touch the rest of your collection. It also gives you a useful return file if the destination does not fit your workflow.

StudyDaily accepts APKG imports, and imported cards keep their formatting intact. That gives you a good base for checking the cards you actually study. It does not remove the need to open a card with an image, audio file, cloze, formula, or unusual styling.

Scheduling is another layer. When the import includes usable scheduling data, StudyDaily can carry over the card state, due date, interval, reps, lapses, suspended and buried state, FSRS memory, and the complete review history. That progress applies to cards created by the import, so test a known mature card rather than judging the result from a blank card.

COLPKG: collection scope and a wider test

COLPKG is the choice to investigate when you need to move a whole collection rather than a single deck. It can represent a broader transfer, but broad scope changes the test. You need to inspect more than card content and confirm that the destination's collection is the one you meant to replace or populate.

StudyDaily accepts modern COLPKG packages. An import can replace a collection, so work on a copy first. Keep the original collection untouched until you have opened representative cards, checked the progress you care about, and confirmed that the new collection has a usable export.

The important word is “test.” Acceptance of a COLPKG file tells you that the destination can read the package. It does not answer whether every setting, media reference, card type, or review state matches your needs. Those checks belong to your migration plan.

Compare the destination, not only the file

The format choice is only one part of the decision. StudyDaily's documented path looks like this:

I build StudyDaily around that exit path because a collection should remain useful outside the app that currently opens it. Import is the beginning of a migration test. Export is what makes the decision reversible.

What survives an APKG or COLPKG import?

The safe answer is specific: card content and documented import data can move, while every surrounding setting deserves a check. Do not turn a successful import screen into a claim that every part of a collection transferred unchanged.

StudyDaily's import of progress is designed for the cards created by the import. The progress option is selected by default and can be turned off when you want clean cards. That is useful for a deck you want to study from the beginning; it is the wrong setting for a collection whose review history you are trying to carry across.

Use see what an APKG keeps from scheduling for the scheduling-specific test. This article stays focused on the wider choice between a deck package and a collection package.

Test both choices before switching

You can answer most of the practical APKG vs COLPKG question in five minutes with a small, known sample. The test should protect your source collection, expose formatting or media problems, and prove that the destination gives you a way back out.

1. Keep the original collection untouched and make a separate backup copy.
2. Export a small deck as APKG.
3. Import that file into a test collection.
4. Compare a mature card, a learning card, and a card with media or an unusual type.
5. Record what happened to state, due date, interval, and review history.
6. If you need the full collection, test COLPKG on a separate copy.
7. Export the test collection as APKG or CSV and open the result.

The APKG test gives you a controlled baseline. The COLPKG test tells you whether the wider move is worth its larger blast radius. If the collection package produces a problem, the smaller test helps you identify whether the issue came from card content, scheduling, media, or collection scope.

Before testing either file, verify your backup before switching. After testing, compare what survives a migration against the fields you recorded. A backup you have never opened is only a hope with a filename.

One product boundary belongs in this decision: StudyDaily does not synchronize across devices. Each installation keeps its own collection, and the transfer route is APKG or CSV. That makes the open export part of the workflow, not an optional detail.

Questions people ask

Is APKG or COLPKG better for one deck?

APKG is the better starting point for one deck because the scope is focused and easier to compare. Export a small real sample, import it into a test collection, and inspect cards you know well. Move to COLPKG when the task genuinely involves a complete collection. The goal is not to select the most elaborate file. The goal is to select a file you can test before changing the source.

Can a COLPKG replace a collection?

In StudyDaily, a modern COLPKG import can replace a collection. Treat that as a reason to work on a copy, not as a shortcut around verification. Keep the source collection, import the package into the test copy, inspect progress and representative cards, then export the result before deciding whether to perform the full move.

Does APKG keep scheduling and media?

StudyDaily can import scheduling data for cards created by an APKG import, including state, due date, interval, reps, lapses, FSRS memory, and review history. StudyDaily also imports APKG cards with their formatting intact. Check media on real cards, because an export choice alone is not a substitute for opening the images, audio, and card types you depend on.

Can you export from StudyDaily later?

Yes. StudyDaily exports APKG and CSV at any time. Use that return path during the test: import a small file, inspect it, then export the test collection and open the new file. That five-minute round trip tells you more about control than a promise that a large import completed.

Sources used for this guide

The official Anki export manual describes packaged deck exports, collection packages, media, and scheduling options. The official packaged-deck import manual explains how imported cards and progress options are handled. I checked both sources on 12 August 2026 while preparing this guide.

The practical choice

APKG vs COLPKG comes down to scope and testability. Pick APKG for a focused deck or your first controlled import. Pick COLPKG for a full-collection move only when the destination supports it, the source is backed up, and the replacement has been tested on a copy.

StudyDaily gives the migration a clear entry and exit: APKG and modern COLPKG imports, plus APKG and CSV exports at any time. Choose the smallest valid test, inspect what matters to your study routine, and keep the return file before you switch.

Anki is a registered trademark of its respective owner. StudyDaily is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Anki. Product names are used here only to describe compatibility and to compare features.