Comparison

AnkiMobile Flashcards vs Brainscape

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

Head to head
About

AnkiMobile Flashcards

This app is a powerful and intelligent flashcard companion for a popular desktop program. It offers smart scheduling algorithms, flexible study interfaces, and comprehensive statistics to aid learning. Sync your progress across devices and study offline with media-rich cards.

Highlights
  • Cloud synchronization across devices
  • SM2 and FSRS scheduling algorithms
  • Flexible and efficient study interface
  • Comprehensive study graphs and statistics
  • Support for large card decks
  • Offline study with media
  • Advanced card search functionality
Features
Read full description

AnkiMobile is a mobile companion to Anki®, a powerful, intelligent flashcard program that is free, multi-platform, and open-source. Sales of this app support the development of both the computer and mobile version, which is why the app is priced as a computer application. AnkiMobile was written by the lead developer of Anki and AnkiWeb, and it has been around since 2010. Beware other apps using "Anki" in their name that have sprung up recently - they are not compatible with the rest of the Anki ecosystem, and they offer far fewer features, despite charging expensive subscriptions. Some of AnkiMobile's features include: - A free cloud synchronization service that lets you keep your card content synchronized across multiple mobile and computer devices. This makes it easy to add content on a computer and then study it on your mobile, easily keep your study progress current between an iPhone and iPad, and so on. - The same SM2 and FSRS scheduling algorithms that the computer version of Anki uses, which remind you of material as you're about to forget it. - A flexible interface designed for smooth and efficient study. You can set up AnkiMobile to perform different actions when you tap or swipe on various parts of the screen, and control which actions appear on the tool buttons. - Comprehensive graphs and statistics about your studies. - Support for large card decks - even 100,000+ cards. - If your cards use images or audio clips, the media is stored on your device, so you can study without an internet connection. - A powerful search facility that allows you to find cards that match criteria such as 'tagged high priority, answered in the last ten days and not containing the following words', and automatically place them into a deck to study. - Support for displaying mathematical equations with MathJax, and rendering LaTeX created with the computer version. - Support for adding images drawn with the Apple Pencil to your cards. Please note that AnkiMobile is currently intended as a companion to the computer version of Anki, rather than a complete replacement for it. While AnkiMobile is able to display and schedule your cards in the same way the computer version does, certain changes like modifying note types need to be done with the computer software. Add-ons are not supported, so while you can study image occlusion cards created with the computer version, they can not be created within AnkiMobile. For this reason, please start with the computer version of Anki before you think about buying this app. The cloud synchronization service is optional, and data can also be imported/exported from the app via a USB cable or AirDrop. Like all apps, AnkiMobile can be purchased once and then used on multiple devices in a household using the same Apple ID. Family sharing is also supported (apart from in India). For information on bulk discounts for educational institutions, please see Apple's Volume Purchase Program. For more information on AnkiMobile, including a link to the online manual, please have a look at the support page: https://docs.ankimobile.net/support.html. If you have any questions or want to report an issue, please let us know on our support site and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

About

Brainscape

This app uses AI and spaced repetition to help you learn faster and remember longer. Create your own multimedia flashcards or access a vast marketplace of expert-curated content for various subjects and exams. It's designed for serious learners who want to optimize their study time.

Highlights
  • AI-powered flashcard maker
  • Spaced repetition algorithm
  • Expert-curated flashcard marketplace
  • Create multimedia flashcards
  • Collaborative content creation
  • Active recall and self-assessment
Features
Read full description

Learn faster and remember longer with Brainscape, the AI flashcard app that combines scientifically proven spaced repetition and active recall. Create flashcards instantly from notes, PDFs, images, and text, or study millions of expert-created flashcards for exams, languages, certifications, and more. Whether you're switching from Anki or another flashcard app, Brainscape helps you study more efficiently. Brainscape’s intelligent study system is designed around proven cognitive science principles that help you learn faster and remember longer. By combining active recall, metacognition, and spaced repetition, Brainscape helps serious learners spend less time studying and retain more of what they learn. How Brainscape works. Study any subject using smart flashcards designed to maximize retention: - Actively recall answers instead of passively rereading notes - Rate your confidence from 1–5 after each card - Let Brainscape automatically optimize review timing using spaced repetition - Focus more time on difficult concepts and less on material you've already mastered This unique combination of active recall, self-assessment (metacognition), and spaced repetition is designed to help you learn more efficiently. Where do all of Brainscape’s awesome flashcards come from? Three places: 1. Exper-created flashcards: Study professionally designed collections covering: - Foreign languages - MBE (Bar Exam) - NCLEX - MCAT - AP courses - Series 7 - GRE - And many more 2. Community-created flashcards: Search millions of flashcards created by students, teachers, professionals, and organizations around the world. 3. Create your own flashcards: Instantly create multimedia flashcards from: - Notes - PDFs - Images - Documents - Text input Add images, audio, and collaborate with classmates or colleagues. Why learners all over the world use Brainscape - AI-powered flashcard creation - Scientifically designed spaced repetition - Active recall learning techniques - Progress tracking and study insights - Millions of existing flashcards ready to study - Available across web and mobile devices How much does it cost? Creating and sharing great text flashcards is FREE. (Woohoo! And sorry, we do have to charge for image creation for security reasons.) And for unlimited access to ALL of Brainscape's user-generated and premium, expert-curated content, as well as optional features, like bookmarks and card reversibility--or to me your content private, you can upgrade to Pro for $19.99 (monthly), $59.99 (every 6 months), or $95.99 (annually). Alternatively, you can unlock a LIFETIME of learning with Brainscape for a one-time cost of only $199.99 American dolla billz. The fine print: The 3 recurring subscriptions (monthly, semiannual, and annual) will renew automatically within 24 hours before the end of the current period, unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the period. You can cancel auto-renewal any time by going to Account Settings, and the cancellation will apply after the active subscription period is complete. Go ahead and learn more about our Terms and Privacy Policy at brainscape.com/terms. What’s on the horizon? It’s our vision to empower everyone, everywhere to rise to the challenge of personalized forever-learning. And for this reason, we love hearing from our user community: it’s through your feedback that we can continue to innovate our platform to be more convenient, efficient, and even fun and social to use!

Screenshots

AnkiMobile Flashcards4 screens
Brainscape4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Brainscape at Free against AnkiMobile Flashcards's $24.99. Brainscape also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (82% vs 59%). AnkiMobile Flashcards's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and chart position (#1 vs #181). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Brainscape is free to download; AnkiMobile Flashcards costs $24.99 up front. Brainscape sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. AnkiMobile Flashcards asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Brainscape holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brainscape has 21K ratings behind it against 2.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of AnkiMobile Flashcards's written reviews are positive against 82% of Brainscape's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AnkiMobile Flashcards ships an update every 6 weeks, Brainscape every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
AnkiMobile Flashcards versus Brainscape: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAnkiMobile FlashcardsBrainscape
Price$24.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (2.3K ratings)4.8 (21K ratings) — better
Positive reviews58.7% of reviews82.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.3K21K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#1 — better#181
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.2 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAnki Software, LLCBrainscape

Customer experience

AnkiMobile Flashcards

All ratings2,311 ratings
Positive74.0%
Neutral5.1%
Negative20.9%
Written reviews1,560 reviews
Positive58.7%
Neutral12.9%
Negative28.4%

Brainscape

All ratings21,383 ratings
Positive95.3%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews926 reviews
Positive82.1%
Neutral4.9%
Negative13.1%

User reviews

AnkiMobile Flashcards

From 2.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💯 Excellent learning tool
  • 🤓 Powerful spaced repetition algorithm
  • 🌐 Seamless cross-device sync
  • 🎨 Customizable flashcards
  • 📚 Supports various media (text, images, audio, video)

Room to improve

  • 🤯 Steep learning curve
  • 🤖 Unintuitive interface
  • 🖼️ Issues with image syncing and display
  • 🔌 Syncing problems between devices
  • 🕰️ Slow performance and lag

Brainscape

From 21K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Amazing flashcard app
  • 👍 Great for studying and learning
  • 👍 Helpful for passing exams and tests
  • 👍 Convenient to use on mobile devices
  • 👍 Effective spaced repetition algorithm

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🐛 Buggy app with crashes and syncing issues
  • 🔒 Limited functionality in free version
  • 👎 Difficult to edit and organize cards
  • 👎 Inaccuracies in some pre-made decks

Bugs and requests

AnkiMobile Flashcards

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Cards disappearing after updates
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between apps
  • Inability to delete decks on mobile
  • Sync issues causing data loss
  • Compatibility problems with older iOS versions

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add dark mode option
  • Improve card browsing and management features
  • Integrate with Apple Pencil for better note-taking
  • Add support for more file formats (e.g., Opus audio)
  • Enhance mobile-specific features and UI
Show 1 more
  • Provide better onboarding and tutorials

Brainscape

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes when switching between cards
  • Syncing issues causing data loss
  • Difficulty importing and organizing custom cards
  • Inconsistent performance on different devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow more customization of cards (e.g., adding images, audio)
  • Improve search and browsing functionality
  • Provide more detailed progress tracking and statistics
  • Offer family/group subscription plans
  • Add support for more languages

In-app purchases

None

AnkiMobile Flashcards

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Brainscape

Subscriptions3
  • Brainscape Pro$19.991 Month
  • Brainscape Pro$59.996 Months
  • Brainscape Pro$95.991 Year
One-time1
  • Brainscape Pro Lifetime$199.99

Questions

Is AnkiMobile Flashcards free?
AnkiMobile Flashcards costs $24.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Brainscape free?
Brainscape is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, AnkiMobile Flashcards or Brainscape?
Brainscape is rated higher. AnkiMobile Flashcards averages 4.0 out of 5 from 2.3K ratings, while Brainscape averages 4.8 from 21K ratings.
Do AnkiMobile Flashcards or Brainscape have ads?
Neither AnkiMobile Flashcards nor Brainscape shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AnkiMobile Flashcards or Brainscape?
AnkiMobile Flashcards ships an update every 6 weeks, and Brainscape every 3 weeks. Most recently, AnkiMobile Flashcards was updated on September 23, 2026 and Brainscape on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, AnkiMobile Flashcards or Brainscape?
AnkiMobile Flashcards currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and Brainscape at #181. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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