I am writing to express my deep concern and disappointment regarding the significant pricing discrepancy between the iOS and Android versions of your Anki app. As a potential user interested in using Anki for language learning with the Refold method, I find this pricing strategy both perplexing and unfair.
Key points of concern:
Pricing Discrepancy: The iOS version is priced at £25 (approximately $33), while the Android version is completely free. This vast difference in pricing for essentially the same product is difficult to justify.
Regional Price Variation: The UK price (£25) appears to be even higher than the US price, coming in at about $7 more. This further exacerbates the feeling of unfair treatment for UK-based iOS users.
Unequal Support Burden: While I understand the need to support the project financially, it seems unjust that only iOS users are being asked to shoulder this burden. Android users are getting a “free ride” while iOS users are expected to pay a substantial amount.
Excessive Price Point: A price of $33 (or £25) for a mobile app is significantly higher than the average app price. If the cost were just a few pounds, it would be much more palatable. However, the current price point feels like a “kick in the teeth” to potential iOS users.
Impact on User Perception: This pricing strategy is negatively impacting my perception of Anki as a whole. It creates an impression of unfairness and may deter many iOS users from adopting your software, potentially limiting its reach and effectiveness in the language learning community.
I want to emphasise that I am not opposed to paying for quality software, and I appreciate the need to fund ongoing development. However, the current pricing model seems fundamentally flawed and unfair.
I kindly request that you reconsider your pricing strategy to address these concerns. Some potential solutions could include:
Implementing a consistent pricing model across both platforms
Offering a more reasonably priced iOS version
Providing a freemium model with basic features available for free and advanced features as paid add-ons
I believe addressing these issues would not only be fairer to your user base but would also likely lead to increased adoption and positive word-of-mouth for your product.
For an unlocked pro or premium set of features you pay a higher annual price in all relevant flashcard applications out there compared to Anki’s one-time payment.
I think your missing my point or have not read what i typed exactly. I am 100% happy to pay for such good software. Asking for $33 is a high price for an app but its a decision on a person by person basis. But when you see it is free for Android users it looks wrong on every level. Whatever explanation is given from a sales or marketing perspective its sends the wrong message IMHO
IOS users you pay for everything but Android you can have everything for 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.
HI
Yes i did read it fully and understand your position.This is one of the rare negative sides of open source. From an IOS user perspective it still looks wrong we are paying for you to develop Anki and happy to do so but Andriod fork your work and give it for free.
I know you have no control of this but i would suggest it has stopped many IOS users buying the app who would have otherwise done so if Andrioid users were contributing.
But thank you for your time and effort and explanation. Just as a last query what does the app provided that Ankiweb does not give?
As ferophila said, the reason for this is that the developers are different, AnkiDroid is technically not the official Anki and they are a third party volunteer organization, they work by volunteering and donations.
AnkiMobile is the official Anki, they are developing Anki as a business, so the official Anki cannot receive donations.
So the reason the apps are priced unfairly is that they are apps of different organizations in the first place, they developed them independently, with the same functionality but different development, so the prices are different.
Basically this price difference almost doesn’t matter, because Anki for desktop is free, e.g. if you are an iphone user and a student and AnkiMobile is too expensive, there are some workarounds.
iOS users who don’t use AnkiMobile basically use free AnkiWeb. Try making cards on your laptop and review them on AnkiWeb(Anki for PC is all free, including Mac).
Use Apple’s Family Sharing ( up to 6 people). When you buy AnkiMobile, your brothers and family members can use AnkiMobile for free.
Get a used Android device from your friend. AnkiDroid is free, it is developed by volunteers.
I think the price is fair. I have an iPhone and an Android. Here in Brazil, for example, an Android phone with 8GB of memory, 128GB of internal storage, a 50MP camera, and a 5000mAh battery costs around $200, while an iPhone with the same configuration costs $1,000, or 5 times the price for the same performance. Someone who can afford to buy a phone just to show off, which does the same things as a simpler phone, can certainly pay for an app without complaining and will still pay with a smile.
So someone who pays $1,000 for a phone would, in theory, certainly pay $25 to use an app, unless the phone was given to them as a gift by their parents, but then they will complain about paying for an app for a phone they didn’t even buy. I’m not saying that’s the case, but it happens a lot in Brazil.
I can understand if this is different in some countries, but in most of the world this is how it works. I’m sure I’ve been told even by Americans that Android users are poorer.
Android is cheaper everywhere. China’s companies can produce Android devices 10 times cheaper than an iPhone. iPhone is also not something you will usually buy in a developing nation.
If we look at the data, the largest userbase of AnkiDroid is in Brazil. Next up is India. Both countries are of the Global South and iPhone is a luxury there. I believe AnkiDroid gives millions access to something they wouldn’t have otherwise.
Compared to similar paid learning apps AnkiMobile is the cheapest, AnkiMobile is ranked 8th and 10th among the most downloaded paid apps in the U.S. in 2023. Typical learning apps are monthly subscriptions so they are more expensive in the long run, AnkiMobile is a one time price.
AnkiWeb is a very stripped down version of Anki. You can create basic cards and study them. Modify your daily limits settings. You can delete or modify your decks (collection of flashcards). But apart from that, everything else is in the apps.
Most settings, statistics, card browser, styling your cards, are done from app. There’s only one thing you can’t do in the app, which is publicly share a deck in AnkiWeb.
Not sure what this has to do with my situation.
I live in UK and Android with same spec are same price as IOS devices if not more.
But is been explained and i closed the post.
Not sure where Brazil comes into my query !
But thank you
HI
I have just purchased the app a few hours ago my other half who is on my family plan is being asked to pay again for it ?
I thought it was allowed on family plan ?
I think it uses tabs? Don’t know how bad that is in iOS but would be nice to have in AnkiDroid too. There was also somebody else saying hamburger menu is hard to reach on phones nowadays.
Also, you can’t access that menu from the statistics screen and the new reviewer. So now you go back to main screen to access the menu.