# Plain Flashcards vs Deck

The clearest difference is update cadence: Plain Flashcards at weekly against Deck's every 3 months. Plain Flashcards also leads on rating (4.4 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (281 vs 4). Deck's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 73%) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Plain Flashcards sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Deck sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 3 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

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 281 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 73% of Plain Flashcards's written reviews are positive against 100% of Deck's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Plain Flashcards ships an update weekly, Deck every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Plain Flashcards | Deck |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (281 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-flashcards-ai-and-study/id971833934/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deck-flashcard-app/id1545176753/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **281** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 73.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 38 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Going Merry LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1820776999) | [Haaris Iqubal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1545176755) |

## 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


### Deck

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deck-flashcard-app/id1545176753)

Learn intuitively with a flashcard app that rebuilds remembering habits using a smart algorithm. Add text, equations, photos, GIFs, or sketches to cards and manage them with tags and reminders. Track progress and utilize practice or test modes.

**Highlights:** Add text, equations, photos, GIFs, sketches, Create and manage decks with tags, Intuitive suggestion-based learning, Progress tracking and test modes, Import decks from cloud services, iCloud sync across Apple devices, Dark mode and adjustable text size

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscribe - 3 Month Family | $1.99 | per 3 months |
| Subscribe - Yearly Family | $6.49 | per year |
| Buy - Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Plain Flashcards free?

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

### Is Deck free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Plain Flashcards or Deck?

Plain Flashcards is rated higher. Plain Flashcards averages 4.4 out of 5 from 281 ratings, while Deck averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Plain Flashcards or Deck have ads?

Neither Plain Flashcards nor Deck shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Plain Flashcards or Deck?

Plain Flashcards ships an update weekly, and Deck every 3 months. Most recently, Plain Flashcards was updated on October 11, 2026 and Deck on October 9, 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.*