Research · Tool profile
Anki
Spaced-repetition flashcards with recall-based scheduling and optional AnkiWeb sync.
Plan at a glance
Plans & sources ↓Desktop and AnkiWeb sync are free. AnkiDroid for Android is also free.
Limits to check
Check the provider’s plan limits and suitability for your work.
Written assessment: 20 October 2026. Selected price observations: 19 October. A small native study task is documented below.
Research scope & testing evidence
Student tasks, free access and costs
Spaced-repetition flashcards with recall-based scheduling and optional AnkiWeb sync.
What’s free: Desktop and AnkiWeb sync are free. AnkiDroid for Android is also free.
When you pay: Official AnkiMobile for iOS: £24.99 GBP, one-time purchase in the UK App Store.
| Plan | Amount | Billing basis |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop / AnkiWeb sync / AnkiDroid | Free | Free access · Individual user |
| AnkiMobile iOS | GBP 24.99 | One-time purchase · App purchase |
The iOS app is a separate purchase. Make and check your own cards; this source check does not measure learning outcomes.
Price scope: selected official observations read 19 October. The separately dated workflow tests only the steps in its linked record.
Recall practice, after the reading
Anki is useful once you can turn a checked piece of material into a question with a defensible answer. It is a different stage of study from finding sources or constructing an essay argument. A deck of unverified AI summaries would simply make uncertain material easier to repeat.
Start with a small set of questions you can answer from the original reading. Put the source and page in the answer, and split questions that demand several unrelated facts. If a prompt can only be answered by memorising the exact wording, consider whether it tests what your course actually asks you to explain.
What was actually run
The 20 October worked example imported a UTF-8 tab-separated file into native Anki 26.09.3 on macOS. The preview showed the expected front/back mapping; all three notes were added to a separate example deck. Opening the first card and revealing its answer preserved the question, explanation and source-page reference.
That checks a very small import and display path. It does not test multi-device sync, mobile apps, media, advanced note types, accessibility across devices, scheduling over time or a student's memory. No cards were rated as evidence of successful recall and no improvement in grades is claimed.
Check the device cost before choosing
The free desktop application is enough to try this example. The official iPhone/iPad app is a separate purchase; AnkiDroid is a different Android application. Use the dated device-specific prices below instead of assuming that every app with a similar name has the same developer or cost.
Assessment scope: written on 20 October from official documentation and the three-note import/display check. This is a fit assessment for a stated task, without a numerical product score.
Compare requirements
Written assessment updated . No numerical quality score or comparative winner.
Edited by Clinton Feyisitan · Evidence policy · Suggest a correction