Comparison

Truly Simple Flashcards vs Deste

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

Head to head
About

Truly Simple Flashcards

This app uses spaced repetition with a modern algorithm to help you memorize information. Create custom flashcards with text formatting, audio, and images. Import existing decks and sync across Apple devices.

Highlights
  • FSRS spaced repetition algorithm
  • Customizable flashcards with formatting
  • Audio and image support
  • Anki and CSV import
  • Cross-device iCloud sync
  • Deck grouping
Read full description

Truly Simple Flashcards is a clean, no-subscription spaced-repetition app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Whether you're a student cramming for exams, a language learner building vocabulary, a professional studying for boards, or an Anki refugee looking for a modern alternative, this app does the core job exceptionally well and stops there. Make decks, add cards, and study. The app decides when to show each card again using FSRS, which is the same modern spaced-repetition algorithm power users trust. By asking you to grade how hard a card was to recall, the schedule adapts, so you spend your time on the cards you're about to forget. Format your cards with bold, italics, and colors, keep related decks together in groups, and add audio when hearing something matters as much as reading it. Bring in your existing decks from Anki or a spreadsheet, export your decks to use elsewhere, study seamlessly across all your Apple devices, and own your software forever. Features: • Smart scheduling: Uses the proven FSRS algorithm to adapt to your memory, with an adjustable "target retention" rate per deck. • Two card types: Create classic front-and-back cards, or use fill-in-the-blank (cloze) cards to memorize words in context. Images are fully supported on either side of the card. • Formatting and color-coding: Make words bold, italic, or underlined, and color-code your cards with five text colors and four highlights. Colors stay readable in light and dark mode. • Audio on your cards: Attach audio to the front, the back, or both. Add an existing audio file, or record it right in the app. • Deck groups: Keep related decks together, like every topic in a unit. Groups fold away when you don't need them and show what's due inside. • Simple imports: Bring your existing decks with you. Import Anki files (.apkg / .colpkg, including the newest formats) or CSV/TSV spreadsheets. Anki subdecks arrive as groups, with their formatting intact. • Two-way study: Turn on two-way review to test your recall back-to-front, which is especially effective for learning vocabulary words. • Paced learning: Set a daily limit for new cards so a huge imported deck doesn't overwhelm your study session. • Study ahead: Caught up for the day and want more? Study tomorrow's cards early. • Undo a grade: Tapped the wrong button? Undo brings the card back so you can answer it again. • Flip-through mode: Review a deck casually without affecting your spaced-repetition schedule. • Reliable device sync: Your decks sync privately and securely through your own personal iCloud account across your Mac, iPad, and iPhone. • Genuinely accessible: Built natively for Apple devices with full VoiceOver support, Dynamic Type for comfortable reading, light/dark modes, and calm, minimal motion. • Pay once, keep forever: Use one deck for free with unlimited cards. Unlock unlimited decks with a one-time, lifetime in-app purchase. No subscriptions, no ads, no hidden fees or data-harvesting.

About

Deste

Read full description

Deste is a simple and powerful flashcard app designed to help you learn more effectively. Create your own decks, review cards with spaced repetition, and build a consistent study habit. Track your daily progress, maintain your study streak, and explore ready-made decks from the marketplace. Features: • Study anywhere with full support for iPhone, iPad, and Mac • Create and organize custom flashcard decks • Study using spaced repetition • Add images and annotations to your cards • Track cards reviewed, daily progress, and study streaks • Use Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets to keep your progress visible • Discover, download, and share ready-made decks • Sync your decks across iPhone, iPad, and Mac • Clean, native interface designed for focused studying • Available in 17 languages Supported languages include English, Turkish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Polish, Romanian, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese. Whether you are learning a language, preparing for an exam, studying programming, or memorizing important information, Deste helps you remember more with less effort. Privacy Policy: https://gist.github.com/ramazanberkozbek/af055b2714b3f03e7b8534d7a0c46a82 Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Truly Simple Flashcards3 screens
Deste4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Deste at every 4 days against Truly Simple Flashcards's every 6 weeks. Deste also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). 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. Truly Simple Flashcards sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Deste sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Truly Simple Flashcards ships an update every 6 weeks, Deste every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Truly Simple Flashcards versus Deste: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTruly Simple FlashcardsDeste
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperColin WrightRamazan Ozbek

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Truly Simple Flashcards

One-time1
  • Pro$4.99
2 purchases

Deste

Subscriptions1
  • Deste Pro Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
One-time1
  • Deste Pro Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is Truly Simple Flashcards free?
Truly Simple Flashcards is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Deste free?
Deste is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Truly Simple Flashcards or Deste have ads?
Neither Truly Simple Flashcards nor Deste shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Truly Simple Flashcards or Deste?
Truly Simple Flashcards ships an update every 6 weeks, and Deste every 4 days. Most recently, Truly Simple Flashcards was updated on October 31, 2026 and Deste on October 31, 2026.

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