Is Anki Free on iPhone? AnkiMobile Pricing Explained (2026)
The short answer: no. AnkiMobile, the official Anki app for iPhone, costs $24.99 as a one-time purchase from the App Store. There is no free version, no trial, and no subscription option — you pay once or you don't use it on iOS.
This surprises a lot of people who are used to Anki being free on desktop and Android. Here's why it costs money, what you get for it, and whether it's actually worth it.
Why Does AnkiMobile Cost $24.99?
Anki the desktop app is free and open source, maintained by Damien Elmes. The iOS app, AnkiMobile, is his primary source of income — the revenue funds ongoing development of both the iOS app and Anki desktop.
This is worth understanding before assuming it's a cash grab. Elmes has built and maintained Anki for nearly two decades. The $24.99 price tag is essentially a donation model that keeps the whole project alive.
That said, it's still $24.99 for a flashcard app, and it's a decision you'll want to make carefully.
What You Get for $24.99
- Full sync with AnkiWeb (your decks available across desktop, Android, and iOS)
- Offline study — works without an internet connection
- Deck management — create, edit, delete, and reorganise decks from your phone
- All card types supported, including cloze and image occlusion
- Audio playback for cards with audio files
- Night mode and basic customisation options
- Apple Watch support — study a small queue from your wrist (limited functionality)
What You Don't Get Even After Paying
This is where it gets honest. $24.99 buys you access, but the experience has real shortcomings:
- Dated interface — AnkiMobile's UI hasn't meaningfully modernised in years. It functions, but it feels like a 2015 app.
- Manual sync — syncing with AnkiWeb isn't automatic. You tap sync before and after each session or risk conflicts.
- No background sync — if you add cards on desktop, you must manually trigger sync before they appear on iOS.
- Limited deck sharing — you can browse shared decks on AnkiWeb from the browser, but the in-app experience for this is clunky.
- Complex setup for new users — AnkiMobile assumes you already understand Anki's model. For beginners, the learning curve is steep.
Is It Worth It?
For power Anki users: probably yes. If you have years of card history, a complex collection of note types, or depend on community add-ons (add-ons only exist on desktop, but your synced decks work fine on mobile), AnkiMobile is the only way to access that collection on iPhone.
For beginners and language learners: questionable. You're paying $24.99 for an app that will frustrate you before it helps you. Most beginners don't need Anki's full power — they need a clean, simple way to build vocabulary and review it daily. For that, there are free alternatives.
If you mainly use Android: the official AnkiDroid app is free and open source. The same caveat around UX applies, but at least you're not paying for it.
Free Alternatives to AnkiMobile on iPhone
If the $24.99 price is the issue — or if you just want a better mobile experience — here's what's worth trying:
| App | Price | Algorithm | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repetrax | Free | SM-2 | Language learners, Anki importers |
| Mochi | Freemium | SM-2 | Note-takers, markdown users |
| Quizlet | Freemium | Proprietary | Students, collaborative decks |
Repetrax is web-based, which means it works on iPhone through Safari without a native app install. It uses the same SM-2 algorithm as Anki and supports importing .apkg files — so if you have an existing Anki collection, you can bring it over without starting from scratch. It's currently free during early access.
The Bottom Line
AnkiMobile is not free on iPhone. It costs $24.99 and that money goes directly to funding Anki's ongoing development. Whether it's worth it depends on how invested you are in the Anki ecosystem. If you're just getting started with flashcard-based learning, there are free web-based options that will serve you better in the short term.