# Plain Flashcards vs Smart Flashcards!

The clearest difference is price: Plain Flashcards at Free against Smart Flashcards!'s $0.99. Plain Flashcards also leads on rating (4.4 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (313 vs 18). Smart Flashcards!'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 18.0). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Plain Flashcards is free to download; Smart Flashcards! costs $0.99 up front. Plain Flashcards sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Smart Flashcards! asks for nothing beyond the download.

Plain Flashcards holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Plain Flashcards has 313 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Plain Flashcards's written reviews are positive against 61% of Smart Flashcards!'s.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Plain Flashcards | Smart Flashcards! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.4 (313 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-flashcards-ai-and-study/id971833934/reviews)** | [4.0 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-flashcards/id1331139168/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **313** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | **73.4% of reviews** | 61.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 38 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Going Merry LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1820776999) | [Noah Iarrobino](https://appshunter.io/developer/1262164232) |

## What reviewers say

### Plain Flashcards

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-flashcards-ai-and-study/id971833934)

Create flashcards from text, PDFs, or images using AI. Supports spaced repetition, translation, and pronunciation for over 20 languages. Syncs across devices and offers customizable study sessions.

**Highlights:** AI flashcard generation from text, PDF, or image, Spaced repetition system (SRS), Translation and pronunciation for 20+ languages, iCloud sync across devices, Customizable study sessions and reminders, Import and export card data

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plain Flashcards Plus - Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Plain Flashcards Plus - Annual | $17.99 | per year |
| Say Thanks | $1.99 | one-time |
| Support the Mission | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 💰 Completely free, no ads or subscriptions
- 🖼️ Ability to add photos to cards
- 🌐 Built-in translation function
- 🚀 Efficient for studying and saving time

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔀 Cards automatically shuffle and cannot be turned off
- 🗂️ Cannot move or rename sets of cards easily
- 🔄 Editing order is inconsistent
- 🖱️ Swiping to move cards can be finicky
- 🔍 No search function within decks

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot turn off shuffle feature
- Cards automatically shuffle and cannot be turned off
- Cannot rename or move sets of cards and have them stay in order
- Editing order is inconsistent
- Swiping to move cards is finicky

**Requested features**

- Option to turn off shuffle
- Ability to move multiple cards at once
- Search function within decks
- Folders for organizing decks
- Ability to merge decks


### Smart Flashcards!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-flashcards/id1331139168)

Create and study custom flashcard decks offline without an account. Features a clean interface and a smart sorting algorithm to prioritize cards for efficient learning. Perfect for students and anyone looking to memorize information.

**Highlights:** Create custom flashcard decks, Offline functionality, No account required, Smart sorting algorithm, Clean user interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Plain Flashcards free?

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

### Is Smart Flashcards! free?

Smart Flashcards! costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Plain Flashcards or Smart Flashcards!?

Plain Flashcards is rated higher. Plain Flashcards averages 4.4 out of 5 from 313 ratings, while Smart Flashcards! averages 4.0 from 18 ratings.

### Do Plain Flashcards or Smart Flashcards! have ads?

Neither Plain Flashcards nor Smart Flashcards! shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Plain Flashcards or Smart Flashcards!?

Plain Flashcards ships an update weekly, and Smart Flashcards! weekly. Most recently, Plain Flashcards was updated on October 26, 2026 and Smart Flashcards! on September 30, 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.*