AnkiMobile costs $24.99 on the App Store. That is a one-time purchase, not a subscription, and Anki defenders will remind you of this constantly. But the price is not really the problem. The problem is that AnkiMobile feels like a desktop app that was ported to iOS as an afterthought. The interface has not changed meaningfully in years, and basic iOS features that users expect - widgets on the home screen, Shortcuts automation, Focus mode integration - are either missing or buried under layers of settings.
If you have been using Anki on desktop for years, AnkiMobile makes sense because your decks sync and your workflow transfers. If you are coming to flashcard apps fresh on iPhone, there is no reason to start here. The learning curve is steep, the interface is dated, and you are paying $24.99 before you know whether spaced repetition even works for you.
There are apps built specifically for how people actually use iPhones. They handle lock screen widgets, respect iOS design conventions, and do not require you to read documentation before creating your first card.
AnkiMobile was designed to extend the desktop experience, not to be a native iOS app. That shows in every interaction. Creating cards on mobile is clunky. Formatting requires knowing Anki's markup syntax. There are no home screen widgets in the modern iOS sense. The app does not integrate with Shortcuts, so you cannot build study reminders or automation flows that fit your existing iPhone habits. For students who do everything on their phone, this friction adds up. The app works, but it never feels like it belongs on iOS.
Superfluo and Mochi both offer cleaner mobile experiences, though they have their own trade-offs around deck import and algorithm depth. Gridually takes a different approach: instead of replicating the Anki card stack on a phone screen, it uses a spatial grid format that works naturally with touch. You tap cells, flip them, and the layout gives you an immediate sense of what you know and what you are still missing. It also has a proper iOS widget so your study streak and pending cards show up without opening the app. For iPhone users who want something that feels designed for their device, it is worth a look.
AnkiMobile is a reasonable choice if you are already inside the Anki ecosystem and need mobile access to your existing decks. For anyone starting fresh on iPhone, the price and the dated interface are hard to justify when native iOS alternatives exist. Try a few free options before committing $24.99 to something that may not fit how you use your phone. Gridually's spatial encoding is based on memory research from the University of Chicago, University of Bonn, and Macquarie University.
Gridually offers a free iOS experience with spatial memory grids. Quizlet has the most polished iPhone app but is increasingly paywalled. AnkiMobile costs $24.99 but is a one-time purchase with the most powerful spaced repetition. Brainscape has a clean iOS app with certified content.
No. AnkiMobile for iOS costs $24.99. It is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. The desktop and Android versions are free. The iOS price funds development of the open-source project. Gridually and Quizlet both offer free iPhone apps.
AnkiMobile has full offline support after the initial $24.99 purchase. Gridually supports offline study. Quizlet requires Plus ($7.99/month) for offline access. For free offline flashcards on iPhone, Gridually is the strongest option.