Comparison

Space vs Retrieve

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Space

This flashcard app uses spaced repetition to help you remember information effortlessly. It offers AI-powered card creation from various sources, offline access, and community-shared decks. Track your progress and sync across devices for a seamless learning experience.

Highlights
  • Spaced repetition algorithm
  • AI flashcard generation
  • Offline access
  • Community decks
  • Cross-device sync
  • Rich card formatting
  • Progress tracking
Features
Read full description

Forgetting what you study? You're not alone. Space is the flashcard app that makes remembering effortless. Beautiful design. Zero setup. Just open and learn. Join 160,000+ learners who created over 6.9 million flashcards with Space. --- WHY LEARNERS CHOOSE SPACE SIMPLE & BEAUTIFUL No confusing settings. No cluttered interface. Just you and your cards. Open the app and start learning in seconds. REMEMBER FOREVER Our spaced repetition algorithm learns your memory patterns and shows cards right before you forget. Study less, remember more. The same science trusted by medical students worldwide. WORKS OFFLINE No Wi-Fi? No problem. Learn anywhere with full offline support. Your progress syncs automatically when you reconnect. AI CREATES CARDS FOR YOU Paste a URL, upload a PDF or EPUB, or snap a photo of your notes. Space transforms any source into perfect flashcards in seconds. MASTER ANY LANGUAGE Japanese (JLPT N5-N1), Spanish, German, Korean, Chinese, and 50+ more. Over 600,000 language cards from our community. BUILT FOR MED STUDENTS Anatomy, pathology, pharmacology, biochemistry. Trusted by medical and nursing students preparing for USMLE, NCLEX, and board exams. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS Streaks, daily goals, and detailed statistics keep you motivated. Take rest days without breaking your streak. 10,000+ COMMUNITY DECKS Browse JLPT vocabulary, anatomy atlases, history timelines, and more. Start learning instantly. IMPORT FROM ANYWHERE Anki (with your learning progress intact), CSV, Excel, Google Sheets. Switch to Space in minutes, not hours. RICH CARD FORMATS Images, math formulas, drawings, code blocks, and GIFs. Create cards as detailed as your subject demands. SYNC ACROSS ALL DEVICES Start on iPhone, continue on iPad, finish on Mac. Your progress follows you everywhere. STUDY TOGETHER Share decks with classmates. Learn together, succeed together. --- HOW SPACE WORKS 1. Create or find flashcards - Build your own deck, generate with AI, or browse 10,000+ community decks 2. Study with spaced repetition - Our algorithm schedules reviews at the perfect time for your memory 3. Remember forever - Watch your knowledge grow as you study less and retain more --- WHAT'S INCLUDED FOR FREE - Unlimited flashcards and decks - Spaced repetition algorithm - Full offline support - Sync across all your devices - Streaks and daily goals - Rich formatting (images, math, code, drawings) - Text-to-speech in 40+ languages - Dark mode - Import from Anki, CSV, Excel, Google Sheets - 10,000+ community decks - Collaboration and sharing - 7 free AI generations per month --- SPACE PRO Unlock unlimited AI: - Generate flashcards from any URL, PDF, or EPUB - Space Explain: AI explanations while you learn - Unlimited photo-to-flashcard - Priority support --- WHAT LEARNERS SAY "Helped me crush USMLE Step 1 - the spaced repetition scheduling is perfect" "Finally an Anki alternative with a beautiful UI" "Might just be the best app for classes" "Absolutely vital to me becoming a doctor" --- LOOKING FOR AN ANKI ALTERNATIVE? Space gives you the power of spaced repetition without the complexity. No manual scheduling. No confusing add-ons. No ugly interface. Import your Anki decks with your learning progress intact and start studying with a beautiful, modern app. --- PERFECT FOR - Pre-med & med students (MCAT, USMLE, NCLEX prep) - Language learners (JLPT, DELE, HSK prep) - University & grad students (GRE, bar exam, CPA) - AP & SAT test prep - Anyone preparing for exams --- Don't let forgetting hold you back. Download Space. Questions? support@getspace.app

About

Retrieve

Features
Read full description

Retrieve is a flashcard app that tells you what to study each day. It schedules every card so you see it right before you'd forget it, which is the fastest way to actually remember things. Pay once. No subscription, no ads, no account. HOW IT WORKS Make a deck and add cards. Each day, Retrieve shows you the cards that are due. Flip a card, tap how well you knew it (Again, Hard, Good or Easy), and Retrieve picks the next date for it. There's nothing to set up. GET YOUR CARDS IN • Type cards one at a time, including fill-in-the-blank cards • Paste a list of terms and definitions. Retrieve works out the format. • Import a CSV or TSV spreadsheet • Import .apkg deck files, with their images and tags • Turn a photo of a diagram, map or textbook page into cards that each hide one label STUDY WITHOUT GETTING BURIED • New cards are capped at 20 per deck per day (you can change it), so a big deck doesn't flood you • Each deck shows how many cards are due today • The grade buttons show when you'll see the card again • Cards you miss come back later in the same session • Optional daily reminder at a time you pick • Study by tag, or review ahead when you want extra practice FIND AND TRACK • Search every card in every deck from the main screen • See your day streak, total reviews and cards learned YOUR CARDS STAY WITH YOU No account, no sign-in, no analytics. Export any deck as a CSV whenever you want. PRICE Free for one deck of up to 150 cards. A one-time $9.99 purchase gives you unlimited decks and cards. No subscription.

Screenshots

Space4 screens
Retrieve4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Retrieve at every 2 days against Space's weekly. Space's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Space sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Retrieve sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Space ships an update weekly, Retrieve every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Space versus Retrieve: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpaceRetrieve
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (34 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews77.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings34 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better26.5
Further details — not scored
Size143 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTill FriebeBlackhook Group LLC

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Space

Subscriptions2
  • Space Pro7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Space Pro Annual$44.991 Year
One-time4
  • 1€ Donation$0.99
  • 3€ Donation$2.99
  • Premium Deck$3.99
Show 1 more
  • 10€ Donation$8.99
1 purchases

Retrieve

One-time1
  • Unlock Retrieve$9.99

Questions

Is Space free?
Space is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Retrieve free?
Retrieve is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Space or Retrieve have ads?
Neither Space nor Retrieve shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Space or Retrieve?
Space ships an update weekly, and Retrieve every 2 days. Most recently, Space was updated on November 3, 2026 and Retrieve on October 31, 2026.

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