Anki alternative for iPhone · verified 9 September 2026
If you mainly study on iPhone and want to begin without an account or scheduler setup, Memor More is the simpler starting point. Choose AnkiMobile instead when you need Anki's mature shared decks, FSRS controls, custom card types, very large collections, desktop add-ons or cross-platform sync.
Memor More made this page, so it is not an independent review. The facts below separate our direct iPhone tests from official Anki documentation, name the evidence gaps, and include cases where we would choose Anki—or neither product.
Prices vary by storefront and can change. The figures below are from the US App Store on the verification date.
We ran Memor More 1.3.3 (5), free plan, on an iPhone 16 Pro simulator with iOS 18.6 on 9 September 2026. We copied a public Spanish deck, opened its first card and completed one review. We also imported a controlled package exported from Anki desktop 25.09. The US storefront supplied both prices.
Important limit: AnkiMobile itself was not installed for this run. Its iPhone-specific facts come from the current US App Store listing and official Anki manual, while Anki 25.09 desktop was used only to build the migration fixture. We do not label those documentation checks as hands-on AnkiMobile tests.
Matrix verified 9 September 2026. “Anki” is broken down by client where that changes the answer.
| Decision point | Memor More | Anki ecosystem |
|---|---|---|
| US iPhone price | Free core app. Optional Pro was US$4.99/month or US$44.99/year. | AnkiMobile was US$24.99 once. |
| Scheduling | SM-2 is the default per deck; Simple Exponential and Leitner are also available. | FSRS or legacy SM-2. FSRS exposes desired retention and parameter optimisation. |
| First iPhone setup | No account required for the core app. Create, import or copy a public deck. | Install AnkiMobile, then create locally or sync an existing Anki collection through AnkiWeb. |
| Offline study | Reviews and locally stored decks work offline. | Reviews and locally stored decks work offline. |
| Sync path | Private iCloud sync across supported Apple devices when enabled. | Optional AnkiWeb sync across Anki clients; a self-hosted sync server is also documented. |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad and compatible Apple-silicon Macs; an early, limited browser app. No Android app. | Anki desktop on macOS, Windows and Linux; AnkiMobile on iPhone/iPad; AnkiWeb; AnkiDroid on Android. |
| Card and media tools | Focused two-sided cards with text, images and audio. No cloze or image-occlusion authoring in the tested build. | Custom note/card types, cloze, media and image occlusion. Some authoring and note-type changes require desktop. |
| Anki package migration | Imports .apkg text into simple cards, but the tested file did not preserve generated reverse cards; schedule/media/tag parity was not established. | .apkg and .colpkg are native exchange formats and can include media and scheduling information. |
| Large collections | No high-volume benchmark is published; we did not test a large collection. | The AnkiMobile listing says decks of 100,000+ cards are supported. |
| Add-ons and customisation | No add-on ecosystem; fewer controls by design. | A large desktop add-on ecosystem and detailed deck options. Desktop add-ons do not run in AnkiMobile. |
| Sharing | A browsable public-deck catalogue with preview and copy flows. | A much larger shared-deck ecosystem plus package export/import. |
| Browser access | Early browser app: local decks and study, without account sync, AI or offline launch. | AnkiWeb supports web review and sync with the main Anki ecosystem. |
From the home screen we opened Public Decks, selected Spanish A2: Everyday Topics, tapped Start Deck, dismissed the one-time study guide, revealed the answer and rated the card Good. The evidence run lasted 73 seconds including screenshot and inspection pauses; it is not presented as a normal-user speed benchmark.
On the US storefront, Memor More's core app was free with optional Pro at US$4.99 monthly or US$44.99 yearly; AnkiMobile was US$24.99 once. Check your storefront before deciding. Anki desktop and AnkiWeb are free; third-party “Anki” apps may have unrelated pricing.
See the Free vs Premium breakdown for current trial, AI allowance and cancellation details.
Both apps keep reviewable data on the device and work offline. Optional sync changes the data path: Memor More uses iCloud; Anki normally uses AnkiWeb and also documents self-hosting. Review the relevant provider and app privacy terms for sensitive material.
Our Anki 25.09 fixture had two notes and three generated cards, including one reverse card and one image. Memor More reported two cards ready. Do not move an important collection until a copy passes a card-count, media, formatting and due-date audit.
Pick neither if your main work is collaborative live editing, classroom assignment management, handwriting-heavy notes, or complex problem solving that flashcards reduce badly. A shared document, learning-management system, paper notebook or problem bank may fit better. The evidence supports retrieval and spacing, not the claim that every subject should become a flashcard deck.
For the learning-method evidence, read the spaced-repetition research guide. For every test detail, platform definition and source, see the full Anki vs Memor More comparison.
Start free, complete a few real reviews, then decide whether the smaller Apple-first workflow is worth the ecosystem tradeoff. Keep your Anki collection untouched while you test.
Download Memor MoreQuarterly review owner: Anatolii Valeev · next factual review due 9 December 2026
