FlashStacksLooking for an Anki alternative on iPhone?
Anki is brilliant — and 20 years old. If you want the same spaced-repetition science with a modern iOS experience, widgets, and AI card creation, here's an honest comparison.
Last updated: June 2026
FlashStacks vs Anki at a glance
| Feature | FlashStacks | Anki (AnkiMobile) |
|---|---|---|
| Spaced repetition | ✓ Built in | ✓ Built in |
| Home Screen widgets | ✓ Tap to reveal & advance | ✗ |
| Lock Screen widgets | ✓ | ✗ |
| AI deck generation from PDF | ✓ Built in | ✗ (third-party add-ons, desktop only) |
| Image occlusion | ✓ Built in | ✓ Via add-on |
| Modern iOS design | ✓ | Utilitarian |
| Learning curve | Minutes | Steep |
| Deck customisation depth | Focused options | ✓ Extremely deep |
| Desktop app & sync | ✗ iPhone-first | ✓ |
| Shared community decks | ✗ (import CSV/Anki TXT) | ✓ Huge library |
| iOS price | Free + optional Premium | US$24.99 one-time |
Is there a free Anki alternative for iPhone?
Yes — Anki itself is free on desktop and Android, but AnkiMobile on iOS costs US$24.99. FlashStacks is free to download on iPhone with unlimited stacks, cards, spaced repetition, and Home Screen widgets. Premium features (AI deck generation, image occlusion, Lock Screen widgets) are optional.
Where Anki is still the right choice
Honesty first: if you're a medical student living inside a 20,000-card pre-made deck, need desktop review sessions, or want to tune every scheduling parameter — stay with Anki. Its depth, ecosystem of shared decks, and cross-platform sync are unmatched, and FlashStacks can import Anki-exported TXT files if you switch later.
Where FlashStacks wins
Studying without opening an app
Anki requires a deliberate session: open the app, sit down, grind reviews. FlashStacks puts cards on your Home Screen and Lock Screen, so reviews happen every time you glance at your phone. It's spaced repetition that fits into a commute, a queue, or the gap between lectures.
Cards that make themselves
Anki's biggest hidden cost is card creation time. FlashStacks generates decks from any PDF — lecture slides in, study-ready deck out, in under a minute. Diagram pages become image occlusion cards with a few taps.
An interface you'll actually enjoy
Colour-themed stacks, OLED-black dark mode, satisfying card-flip animations, streaks and progress stats. Studying is hard enough — the tool shouldn't feel like homework too.
The bottom line
Anki is a power tool for maximalists. FlashStacks is for people who want the same memory science woven into their day with zero friction — and who'd rather upload a PDF than spend Sunday night writing cards.
Switching from Anki — FAQ
Can I import my Anki decks into FlashStacks?
Yes — export your Anki deck as a plain-text (TXT) file and import it into any FlashStacks stack. CSV, TSV, and JSON are also supported.
Does FlashStacks use the same spaced repetition algorithm?
FlashStacks uses an SM-2-derived algorithm — the same family Anki is built on. Cards you rate as hard return sooner; easy cards space out progressively.
Is FlashStacks cheaper than AnkiMobile?
FlashStacks is free to download and study. AnkiMobile is a US$24.99 one-time purchase. FlashStacks Premium (AI generation, image occlusion, Lock Screen widgets) is a subscription with a 3-day free trial.
Try the friction-free alternative
Free to download. Import your Anki decks in one tap.