Comparison

Guru vs Lorebyte

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

Head to head
About

Guru

This app helps students import existing flashcard decks, review them using an AI-powered spaced repetition system, and even generate new cards from PDFs and notes. It includes a study lock feature to minimize distractions during review sessions.

Highlights
  • Import existing flashcard decks
  • AI-powered spaced repetition (FSRS)
  • Generate flashcards from PDFs and notes
  • Study Lock to block distracting apps
  • Controller support for reviews
  • Organized deck management
Features
Read full description

Guru imports your Anki decks (.apkg and .colpkg) with cards, media, sub-decks and scheduling state intact, then reviews them on iPhone and iPad with the FSRS scheduler, online or offline. Open a deck straight from Files, AirDrop, Safari downloads or the share sheet. Importing and daily review are free for up to 5 decks. Pro unlocks card editing, cross-device sync, Study Lock and unlimited decks: US$4.99/month after a 3-day free trial, US$39.99/year, or US$24.99 once for Lifetime (includes 5,000 AI credits). Requires iOS 17 or later. ■ Import your decks ・.apkg and .colpkg packages, including large shared decks with tens of thousands of cards ・Cards, cloze deletions, images, audio, sub-decks and scheduling state come through ・Browse the deck tree before you start reviewing ■ Review with FSRS ・Study cards when they are due, with Again, Hard, Good and Easy ratings ・One card per note per day, so cloze siblings don't stack up ・Cram Mode before exams without rebuilding your deck ■ Turn material into cards ・Create draft cards from PDFs, notes and lectures with AI credits ・Review and edit generated cards before studying ・Image occlusion cards for diagrams and anatomy ■ Stay focused ・Study Lock (optional) shields selected distracting apps until today's review is done ・Review with touch, gestures, or a paired game controller ・Built for fast daily sessions on iPhone and iPad ■ Export and sync ・Every deck exports back to a standard .apkg ・Pro syncs decks, cards and review progress with the GuruOwl web app ■ Pro access Choose a monthly or yearly subscription, or the one-time Lifetime unlock. AI card generation uses credits. Subscriptions can be cancelled any time in App Store settings. Guru is an independent app and is not affiliated with Anki, AnkiMobile or AnkiWeb. ■ Legal Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://guruowl.com/app/privacy

About

Lorebyte

Features
Read full description

Lorebyte is a flashcard app built on FSRS spaced repetition — designed for language learning and certification study. Review at the optimal moment, right before you forget. ◆ Science-based spaced repetition (FSRS) - The modern FSRS algorithm picks what to review next - Just rate each card: Again / Hard / Good / Easy - Done for the day? Keep going in Practice mode without affecting your schedule ◆ AI-generated flashcards - Paste text or import a PDF/photo, and AI drafts flashcards for you - Runs fully on-device via Apple Intelligence on supported devices — nothing leaves your device - Or bring your own API key (OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, and more) for cloud-powered generation - Review and edit every generated card before saving ◆ Create cards fast from your materials - Import from PDFs, photos, and screenshots (English/Japanese OCR) - Bulk import from CSV and plain text with automatic format detection - Optional Japanese translation aid for English study text (on-device) ◆ One study flow across iPhone, iPad, and Mac - Decks, cards, and history sync automatically via iCloud - No account sign-up required; works fully offline - Build and organize on Mac or iPad, review anywhere on iPhone ◆ Built to keep you going - Daily goals and up to three study reminders per day - Streaks with recovery, so a missed day doesn't reset your progress - Organize decks with icons and colors; view stats per deck - Automatic leech detection and flagged-cards-only review ◆ Privacy first - No ads, no tracking, no third-party analytics - Your study data stays on your device or in your own iCloud ◆ Pricing - Try every feature free for 7 days - Then unlock with a single one-time purchase (in-app). No subscription, ever - Moving to a new device? Use Restore Purchases For vocabulary, certification prep, and lecture notes — make remembering a daily habit.

Screenshots

Guru4 screens
Lorebyte4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Guru at every 3 days against Lorebyte's weekly. 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. Guru sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Lorebyte sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Guru ships an update every 3 days, Lorebyte weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Guru versus Lorebyte: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGuruLorebyte
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size113 MB8 MB
Age rating9+4+
Developer剑 肖Kiyotaka Tani

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Guru

Subscriptions3
  • Flashcard Guru Pro Weekly3 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Flashcard Guru Pro Monthly3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Flashcard Guru Pro Yearly$39.991 Year
One-time2
  • 500 AI Credits$4.99
  • Lifetime Pro$24.99
1 purchases

Lorebyte

One-time1
  • Lorebyte Full Unlock$6.99

Questions

Is Guru free?
Guru is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lorebyte free?
Lorebyte is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Guru or Lorebyte have ads?
Neither Guru nor Lorebyte shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Guru or Lorebyte?
Guru ships an update every 3 days, and Lorebyte weekly. Most recently, Guru was updated on October 24, 2026 and Lorebyte on October 6, 2026.

Other comparisons