AnkiMobile costs $24.99 on the App Store. Flashi is free. Both use SM-2 spaced repetition. If you are an iPhone user looking for a free Anki alternative, here is an honest comparison.
The core problem with Anki on iPhone
Anki is the most trusted spaced repetition flashcard system available. The desktop app (Windows, Mac, Linux) is free. AnkiDroid on Android is free. But AnkiMobile, the official Anki app for iPhone, costs $24.99 as a one-time purchase.
For many users, that one-time fee is reasonable given how much they use the app. For students on tight budgets, or anyone who wants to try spaced repetition before committing, $24.99 is a significant barrier. And for casual language learners who primarily want vocabulary review on their commute, the full Anki feature set is more than they need.
The most common question mined from forums and app store searches: "AnkiMobile costs $25, what is the free option for iPhone?"
The answer in 2026 is Flashi.
What Flashi has in common with Anki
SM-2 spaced repetition. The algorithm that made Anki famous. SM-2 schedules card reviews based on your recall performance: cards you know well appear less frequently, cards you struggle with appear more often, at increasing intervals. Over time, every card in your deck migrates into long-term memory with the minimum review time required.
Flashi uses SM-2. This is not a proprietary "smart" scheduler with no published logic. It is the same evidence-backed algorithm language learners and medical students have used in Anki for decades.
Offline study. Flashi works without internet after setup. You can review vocabulary on a plane, a commute, or anywhere without connectivity. Anki users expect this; Flashi delivers it.
No card limits. Anki imposes no card limits. Flashi does not either. Whether you have 50 cards or 5,000, the scheduling system handles the load.
What Flashi adds that Anki does not have
AI deck generation. Anki requires manual card entry. You type a front side, type a back side, save, repeat. For a 300-word vocabulary deck, this takes hours.
Flashi's AI generator takes a different approach: paste a vocabulary list, describe a topic, or enter a single word, and the app generates a formatted deck in seconds. For language learners who want to build decks from a chapter's worth of new vocabulary quickly, this eliminates the biggest time sink in flashcard study.
No account or setup required. Anki requires creating an AnkiWeb account for sync, installing add-ons for extra features, and navigating a deck management interface that has not changed much since 2009. Flashi opens to a create-deck screen. You can be reviewing your first vocabulary cards within two minutes of downloading.
How to import your Anki decks into Flashi
If you have been using Anki on desktop and want to move your existing decks to Flashi on iPhone, you do not need to start over. Flashi imports .apkg files, the native Anki export format.
The process:
- On your desktop, open Anki and export the deck you want to transfer (File > Export > select deck > .apkg format)
- Move the .apkg file to your iPhone (via AirDrop, iCloud Drive, or email)
- Open the file from Files or Mail; iOS will offer to open it in Flashi
- The deck appears in Flashi ready to study
Your cards transfer with their content. This means you can keep your existing vocabulary without retyping anything.
What Anki still does better
Being honest matters here.
Cross-platform sync. Anki works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iPhone. If you study across multiple devices including Android or desktop, Anki's AnkiWeb sync is more complete than anything Flashi currently offers.
Community deck library. Anki's shared deck database has thousands of community-built decks for every language, medical subject, and academic discipline. If you want a pre-built N2 JLPT deck or a USMLE Step 1 vocabulary set built by someone else, Anki's library is unmatched.
Advanced card types. Anki supports cloze deletion, image occlusion, audio, and complex note types built with HTML. Flashi uses standard front/back cards. For medical imaging study or listening-based language cards, Anki's richer card types are useful.
FSRS algorithm. Anki's desktop app supports FSRS, a newer algorithm considered more accurate than SM-2 for scheduling. Flashi uses SM-2. For most vocabulary learners the difference is marginal, but dedicated spaced repetition users may prefer FSRS.
Who should switch to Flashi
- iPhone users who want free spaced repetition with no upfront cost
- Language learners who want to build new vocabulary decks quickly with AI
- Anyone who tried Anki and gave up because setup felt too complicated
- Students who want daily vocabulary review without account management or add-ons
Who should stay with Anki (or pay for AnkiMobile)
- Users with large existing Anki decks who sync across multiple devices
- Medical or law students using advanced card types like image occlusion
- Anyone who needs the FSRS algorithm specifically
- Heavy users of Anki's shared community deck library
Getting started
Download Flashi free on iPhone. Create your first deck with the AI generator or import an existing .apkg file. No account. No one-time purchase. Same SM-2 algorithm Anki users rely on.
For more context on how Flashi compares to other alternatives, see flashi.app/anki-alternative and flashi.app/anki-vs-flashi.
Download free: https://apps.apple.com/app/flashi-ai-flashcards/id6755940544