# Cogni vs BackLay

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BackLay at none against Cogni's 9. Cogni's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 4 weeks). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cogni sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. BackLay asks for nothing beyond the download.

Cogni ships an update every 10 days, BackLay every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cogni | BackLay |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cogni-ai-flashcards-and-notes/id6737768905/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 35.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 68 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [COGNIFLY LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1808620132) | [FBP EDUCACAO LTDA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1868705071) |

## What reviewers say

### Cogni

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cogni-ai-flashcards-and-notes/id6737768905)

Create and study flashcards to master new materials efficiently. Utilize an enhanced spaced repetition algorithm to optimize study sessions for exams, languages, or complex subjects. Millions trust this method to achieve their learning goals.

**Highlights:** Create and review custom flashcards, Spaced repetition algorithm, Pre-made deck library, AI-enhanced recall, Progress tracking, Offline access

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium Annual | $24.99 | per year |
| Premium Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Annual | $49.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $69.99 | one-time |
| Premium Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for memorizing and growing recall skills
- 🚀 Lifesaver for challenging, memory-heavy subjects like med school
- 👍 Sleek and user-friendly interface, no distractions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Locked up referring to an upgrade page, couldn't continue using the app
- 🐛 Not easy to use, inaccurate for Spanish language
- 🐛 Desktop flashcards deck won't sync with mobile, forcing duplicate work

**Reported bugs**

- App no longer available after paying for annual subscription
- Occasional crashes

**Requested features**

- Integrate ChatGPT or Claude for automatic card creation
- Add sub-decks for larger decks that need more review
- Improve algorithm for hard/again ratings to better target struggling cards
- Add subsections for decks to study different sections separately


### BackLay

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backlay/id6757756458)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cogni free?

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

### Is BackLay free?

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

### Do Cogni or BackLay have ads?

BackLay shows ads; Cogni does not.

### Which is updated more often, Cogni or BackLay?

Cogni ships an update every 10 days, and BackLay every 4 weeks. Most recently, Cogni was updated on October 27, 2026 and BackLay on October 25, 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.*