Observation:
The iPhone app is expensive and there is no way to try before buying.
It’s also kinda unfair that the Android app is free and the iPhone app is paid but that’s a separate issue. There’s no way I would pay for that app (especially with the current reviews and screenshots) without trying it first.
AnkiMobile is not a standalone app - it is intended to be used in conjunction with the online synchronization service and open source computer version that I’ve made available for free for the last 10 years. Working on these three platforms is a full time job, and AnkiMobile is my way of putting food on the table and supporting future development.
Because there are so many $1 apps out there, some people are surprised by the price. But when you factor in the computer version, synchronization service, and free updates, AnkiMobile’s price is quite competitive. At the time of writing (2013-10-04), SuperMemo’s computer+iPhone version will set you back $60, and MentalCase’s combo will cost you $29.95.
Whether you find AnkiMobile’s price to be a good deal will ultimately depend on your needs. If you’re an existing Anki user that has invested many hours studying on the computer, AnkiMobile provides an easy way to do your studies anywhere while taking advantage of the advanced scheduling and formatting features that Anki provides. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something inexpensive and simple and don’t mind being restricted to your Apple device, there are cheaper alternatives out there that you may want to consider.
One other thing to note is that once purchased, you can use AnkiMobile on up to 5 of your iOS devices, provided they use the same Apple ID. AnkiMobile also supports family sharing, for families that have that set up.
Some frequently asked questions:
“You’d make more money if you priced it cheaper.”
I have experimented with different price points in the past, and reducing the price resulted in a net decrease in income. Games like Angry Birds are able to make a profit because they appeal to a wide audience. Spaced repetition flashcard apps are quite a niche market in comparison. For this reason, neither a price change nor a sale is likely in the foreseeable future.
“It’s too expensive in my country.”
I appreciate that costs of living are different in different countries, but I’m afraid it’s not practical to vary the price depending on where you live. The costs of building and supporting Anki are fixed, and they don’t vary based on the country a person using Anki lives in.
As for why the price might not be exactly the same as $25 USD, please note that Apple sets the price in each country based on the local taxes and costs of doing business there. Please also bear in mind that the price in the US is the price before state sales taxes are applied, so the difference may not be as as much as you think.
“As a student, I think it’s too expensive.”
Please compare it to the price of the average textbook and then consider how many hours of use you get out of each. If you don’t use Anki enough to justify the price, then you’re welcome to use AnkiWeb instead or look into cheaper alternatives.
“Can I get a free copy for personal use, or for writing a review?”
Sorry, I do not offer promo codes, as preparing them takes time away from development.
“You should just rely on donations.”
Unfortunately that would not be enough to live on. No matter how much people appreciate a product or service, if they’re given the option of not paying, most people will choose not to.
“You should charge for AnkiWeb instead.”
Apple’s app store provides a safe and friction-free way of making purchases. Purchasing a subscription from a website requires considerably more effort, and many people are wary of making purchases online.
“Why is the Android version free?”
The Android version is developed by a different group of people, who based it off the computer version I wrote. Because they have day jobs and can only work on it in their free time, AnkiMobile is better supported: no questions or bug reports go unanswered, the app is more polished, and most bugs get fixed quickly.
Here’s is a guide on how to use anki for free, it comes with big caveats such as only online and no advanced editing, since its mostly used for reviews
If you have questions about AnkiMobile, you found the right place to ask them!
You can also search on the r/Anki subreddit, where at least once a week someone puts up another “Is AnkiMoble really worth it?”-type post. There you’ll find testimonials from folks who overwhelmingly respond that yes, it is. Try searching a phrase like best money i ever spent – which seems to come up often. 
My usual suggestion to folks is to get used to the features of the app in desktop Anki. Then you can start using AnkiWeb for reviews when you’re on-the-go. And every time you get frustrated by something you don’t want to wait until you get back to your computer to change, set aside $1. You’ll have the purchase price saved up in no time!
In this case you have to complain to Apple, because to maintain an app there, the developer has to pay US$99 per year, while in the Playstore you pay a one-time fee of US$25.
I think it would be easier for students to purchase AnkiMobile if they could pay in installments by subscription.
e.g.
1st month: Free
25 months: $1/month (total $25)
After 26 months: free (lifetime)
I think dae once said one-time purchases on App Store are much less of a hassle which is why it’s preferred. I can imagine the legwork in setting up and maintaining a subs system.
I agree with @NameLessGO here. I don’t like paying $25 more than anybody else, especially in a world of $1.99 apps. But I think the question is will it help you learn? If you put any value on your own time, and having the full featured app on your iOS device would benefit you, I would think it would be worth it to you. Especially since you can use it online or on android for free. Regarding people buying it based on App Store reviews, they are not always the most accurate. We all know we only write reviews for things we absolutely love or (even more so) really hate. A much better approach is to Google it or even ask ChatGPT. Here for example is what ChatGPT said (and I wholeheartedly agree):
If you’re serious about vocabulary and are okay with setting it up, Anki is one of the best tools available . If you don’t want to pay, use the free desktop or Android version . If you need it on iOS and plan to use it long-term, the price is worth it .
Oh, one more thing: the developers are very responsive. Recently somebody suggested a change from external to internal browser when following links, which the developer did. But for several of us (me included) this is a much worse option. We told them, and they quickly changed tit to external by default but with an option for internal. Compare this with how many free apps are abandonware.
About the price, so far the problem I hear most often is that the dollar is too expensive in their countries. In some countries $5 to $25 is equivalent to a month’s worth of food, so it’s impossible for a learner to pay $25 for an app in the first place.
In such countries iphones are often not popular (because too expensive, only wealthy have it) so only AnkiDroid is available. But recently used iphones are becoming easier to get, so the market share of iphones is increasing every year. Plus university students these days often have only an iphone or an ipad, they can’t use Anki for desktop because they don’t have a laptop. (In short, previously a student must have a laptop and can’t get an iphone so this problem was quite rare, but not recently.)
If users only use AnkiWeb they can’t download shared decks and add media files. Media files are important for learning, so in such a case Anki is not their choice at all. (e.g. They happened to get a used iphone cheap, don’t have a laptop, can’t replace the device with an Android for Anki. Or they are students and their parents have purchased the device so they can’t change it.)
For typical apps this problem is not important because they are not customers in the first place. But Anki is a project with many volunteers and the commercial importance is very low, so I think it’s beneficial to support in some way such learners who can’t afford to buy a laptop.
IMO there should be a free and stripped-down but VERY easy to use iOS app to get the beginners into the Anki ecosystem instead of the copycat freemium apps. Maybe ankiweb wrapped as an app? Or make AnkiMobile freemium. The most important part is easy to use. Anki has neglected good UI/UX and marketing for a long time.
Sad state in TW app store. AnkiMobile not even in the first page. Put yourself in a new user’s shoes, which would you download? The two free ones shown on top with appealing screenshots or scroll down a bit to a paid app with old screenshots that doesn’t show how the user is going to use the app?
Not saying it’s right, but Anki is being taken advantage of by copycats simply because there’s an advantage to exploit. I sincerely hope anki can have much much better UI/UX.
I like this idea. There are a ton of apps that have a free version of the app and a paid version.
A problem might arise in deciding what features should be kept for AnkiMobile. If that is considered, then it’ll certainly be a great idea.
AnkiMobile Lite, basically a wrapped ankiweb progressive web app (PWA) with a link* to redirect the user to AnkiMobile in case they want more
*Links that shows the features comparison (feature showcase) between the like and regular AnkiMobile
AnkiMobile Lite, basically a wrapped ankiweb progressive web app (PWA) with a link* to redirect the user to AnkiMobile in case they want more
Exactly. Might be able to use Capacitor to wrap the web app. And when the user is ready for the more complex and advanced features they just tap to switch to AnkiMobile.
AnkiMobile has a relatively small number of ratings but a large number of downloads. It was ranked as the fifth most downloaded paid app in US 2024 Apple store, so Anki new users are already increasing every year.
IMO it is risky for Anki to introduce freemium. Typical learning apps increase sales by limiting the number of review cards to 200 or making it possible to export decks and advanced features for a fee. But Anki is open source so Anki users do not like such a system.
The reason that knock-off app shows up first is that they are paying for that space. It doesn’t matter how much better AnkiMobile looks (to your eyes), or how much less it costs, or even if there’s a waste-of-space, disappointing-to-users wrapped AnkiWeb version offered – it’s unlikely that Anki will start paying for ad-space.
You might be surprised to find how much variation there is in that search result – certainly country to country, but also when you access the store in different ways (website, on-device, signed-in or not, etc.). On the US App Store website, for instance, you get a much different result – anki - Apple .
The App Store will always do what it wants to do, and promote (to you) what it thinks you should see. I’m not sure that’s a rabbit-hole worth going down.
I just checked again today, and AnkiMobile shows as the #1 Education (paid) app for both iPhone and iPad in the US. It’s possible that simply being the superior app is enough.
