Cullen IELTS 8+ vs Flashy
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cullen IELTS 8+
Enhance your C1-C2 level vocabulary for IELTS Band 8+ with this app. It offers topic-based exercises to improve writing and speaking accuracy, speed reading, spelling, and listening comprehension. Designed by an expert, it helps you master high-level words and synonyms.
- C1-C2 level vocabulary enhancement
- Topic-based learning (25 topics)
- 10 different exercise types
- Improve speed reading and spelling
- Increase writing and speaking accuracy
- Learn useful synonyms
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Can’t remember high-level words when you need to use them in the test? This app will increase your C1-C2 level vocabulary – the high-level words you need to use and understand to score Band 8 and above in IELTS. This app will increase your C1-C2 vocabulary and help you score Bands 8+ in IELTS. You will increase your writing and speaking accuracy and learn useful synonyms so you can answer reading and listening questions more quickly. This app will also help people preparing for Cambridge Advanced or Proficiency tests. Start by picking one of 25 topics, all related to the IELTS test. The first time you complete a topic, you must do the exercises in order – you can’t skip ahead! This is because you build your active vocabulary through repetition - it’s like having an IELTS teacher in your pocket. You will complete 10 different exercises to improve: speed reading, spelling, listening, and accurate use in a sentence. Once you have completed and unlocked all of the exercises in a topic, you can review them in any order, at any time. Repeat the topics to try to improve your accuracy, spelling, and to increase your speed-reading time. If you find the words too difficult, try IELTS Vocab 7+. This app was written and designed by Pauline Cullen, the author of • The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS • Cambridge Vocabulary for IELTS • Cambridge Vocabulary for IELTS Advanced • Common Mistakes at IELTS Intermediate The app was constructed and produced by the amazing people at PEEK Creative, Cambridge, UK. I brought them the individual parts and a picture in my head and they assembled it, gave it an engine and made it work better than I ever imagined. Reviews for IELTS Band 7+ ‘’Pauline, I am so impressed with the app, I wish I had known about it earlier as my test is on Saturday, however, it is a fantastic rather creative notion - it's not boring and it’s easy to follow. Moreover, it is really working for me, I began to remember and use all the academic vocabulary that I am familiar with but usually I do not remember to use them. I would like to thank you and appreciate your great effort, Mitch’’ ‘Dear Pauline, I have had this app on my iPhone for less than a day. I immediately recognised your system of teaching, which is in all your books. That is that a word could be learnt in different ways at once. How it is spelt, how does it sound, its meaning, usage in a sentence and its synonyms. This is very helpful indeed. This is what I like about your teaching method and why I bought your app. With many thanks and best wishes, Zhenia. Reviews for The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS: ‘All books from this author are excellent.’ ‘Worked like a charm for me. My test was exactly what this book showed it would be.’ ‘Very happy...Best book for preparation to sit IELTS and get a high band’ ‘This book is very helpful for IELTS exam I passed very well after using it, having failed the exam previously.’ ‘This is one of the best IELTS course books I've come across. …Highly recommended.’
Flashy
This app uses a modern spaced repetition algorithm to help you memorize information efficiently. It offers a free tier with limited cards and a one-time purchase for unlimited access, with no subscriptions or ads. Study vocabulary, exam facts, and more with offline functionality and image support.
- FSRS spaced repetition algorithm
- One-time purchase for unlimited cards
- Offline functionality
- Image support on cards
- Import Anki and CSV decks
- Tagging for organization
- Four-grade review system
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Flashy is the flashcard app that respects your time, your money, and your privacy. Free to download with every feature working. One tiny one-time unlock for unlimited cards — no subscription, no account, no ads. Built on FSRS, a modern spaced-repetition algorithm, Flashy schedules each card for the moment right before you'd forget it. Study a few minutes a day and remember what matters — vocabulary, exam facts, formulas, anything. WHY FLASHY • Honest pricing — free for your first deck and 20 cards, then a single $4.99 purchase unlocks unlimited everything, forever. No subscriptions, no "premium" upsells, no ads. Ever. • Every feature is free — FSRS, imports, images, tags: nothing is locked behind the unlock, only how much you can store. • AI cards on your device — paste your notes and Flashy's built-in AI turns them into flashcards, free and offline. No cloud, no subscription. • Smarter reviews — FSRS spaced repetition plans your reviews so you study less and remember more. • Private by default — your cards live on your device. No account, no sign-up, no ads, no tracking. The only data Flashy sends to us is an anonymous crash report when something breaks. • Works anywhere — fully offline, from airplanes to subways to mountaintops. • Backed up to your iCloud — your decks are copied to your own iCloud automatically and can be restored on a new iPhone. We never see them. EVERYTHING YOU NEED • AI card generation — paste notes or a textbook passage and get a full deck in seconds (on supported iPhones) • Beautiful decks — pick a name, color, and icon for every subject • Fast card entry — "Save + Add Another" keeps you in the flow • Images on cards — add photos to the front or back of any card • Tags — organize cards within a deck and study one topic at a time • Four-grade reviews — Again, Hard, Good, Easy, each with a live preview of when the card comes back • Session summaries — finish with a grade breakdown (and confetti, obviously) • Built-in rating guide — learn how spaced repetition works while you use it • Dark mode — automatic and gorgeous SWITCHING IS EASY Moving from another flashcard app? Import Anki decks (.apkg and .colpkg — images included), CSV spreadsheets, and Anki text exports, or simply copy your set from Quizlet's export screen and paste it in. Your cards come along in seconds. WHO IT'S FOR Students prepping for exams. Language learners drilling vocabulary. Med students memorizing anatomy. Trivia fans, certification chasers, lifelong learners — anyone who wants serious spaced repetition without the complexity, or simple flashcards without the subscription. Try it free. Unlock it once. Study forever.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Flashy at 100% against Cullen IELTS 8+'s 30%. Flashy also leads on price (Free vs $2.99) and rating (5.0 vs 3.6). Cullen IELTS 8+'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (5 vs 1). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Flashy is free to download; Cullen IELTS 8+ costs $2.99 up front. Flashy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Cullen IELTS 8+ asks for nothing beyond the download.
Flashy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cullen IELTS 8+ has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Cullen IELTS 8+'s written reviews are positive against 100% of Flashy's.
Cullen IELTS 8+ ships an update every 25 months, Flashy every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cullen IELTS 8+ | Flashy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.6 (5 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 30.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 25 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 8.2 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 29 MB | 93 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cullen Education Ltd (Apps) | Argon Labs LLC |
Customer experience
Cullen IELTS 8+
Flashy
In-app purchases
Cullen IELTS 8+
No in-app purchases
Flashy
- Flashy Unlimited$4.99
Questions
Is Cullen IELTS 8+ free?
Is Flashy free?
Which has better reviews, Cullen IELTS 8+ or Flashy?
Do Cullen IELTS 8+ or Flashy have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cullen IELTS 8+ or Flashy?
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