# Vaia vs Etch

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Etch at none against Vaia's 17. Vaia's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Vaia sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Etch asks for nothing beyond the download.

Vaia ships an update weekly, Etch every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Vaia | Etch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vaia-flashcards-and-study-guide/id1439949520/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 81.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 240 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [StudySmarter GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1439949519) | [Maeva Liebling](https://appshunter.io/developer/884251257) |

## What reviewers say

### Vaia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vaia-flashcards-and-study-guide/id1439949520)

This app helps students improve grades and reduce study stress with AI-powered personalized study plans, flashcards, and practice exams. It transforms uploaded notes into comprehensive study materials, making learning efficient and engaging for any subject.

**Highlights:** AI-generated study plans, Personalized flashcards, Practice exams, Upload notes for study materials, Spaced repetition learning, Shared study materials

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Plan | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Plan (1 month) | $5.49 | per month |
| Premium Plan (1 month) | $6.49 | per month |
| Premium Plan (1 month) | $6.99 | per month |
| Premium Plan (1 week) | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Plan (1 month) | $8.99 | per month |
| Premium Plan (1 month) | $12.99 | per month |
| Premium Plan (1 year) | $17.99 | per year |
| Premium Plan (1 month) | $19.99 | per month |
| Premium Plan (1 year) | $31.99 | per year |
| Premium Plan (1 year) | $43.99 | per year |
| Premium Plan (1 year) | $59.99 | per year |
| Premium Plan (1 year) | $63.99 | per year |
| Premium Plan (1 year) | $89.99 | per year |
| Premium Plan (1 year) | $89.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient flashcard creation and study tools
- 🧠 AI-powered features for learning
- 📚 Vast library of shared study materials
- 🎨 Customizable and visually appealing interface
- 🤝 Collaboration and sharing with peers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔒 Limited offline access without premium subscription
- 🤖 Inconsistent performance of AI-generated content
- 🗂️ Difficulty organizing and navigating large study sets
- 📱 Suboptimal mobile app experience compared to web

**Reported bugs**

- Flashcard review progress not saving correctly
- Inability to delete individual flashcards from a set
- Syncing issues between mobile app and web version
- Inconsistent behavior of AI-generated quiz questions

**Requested features**

- Add more language options
- Improve PDF and note-taking editor functionality
- Implement nested subsets within study sets
- Provide more customization options for colors and themes
- Integrate study timers and task management features


### Etch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/etch-quick-flashcards/id6792114225)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Vaia free?

Vaia is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Etch free?

Etch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Vaia or Etch have ads?

Neither Vaia nor Etch shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Vaia or Etch?

Vaia ships an update weekly, and Etch every 2 months. Most recently, Vaia was updated on October 14, 2026 and Etch on October 13, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*