5 best free flashcard apps with no paywall (checked Oct 2026)

By the All Things AI team Updated

Method: prices, account rules, offline support and data storage checked on each developer's own pages in October 2026, with sources linked under each pick. No affiliate links; nobody paid to be listed. How we checked

Short answer

Anki is the strongest free option: the desktop app and AnkiDroid on Android are free, and the iPhone app is a one-time $24.99. Quizlet is free with ads and has the biggest library of shared sets, with Quizlet Plus as an optional subscription. For free spaced repetition in a browser with no account, try QuickDeck.

Compare at a glance

5 best free flashcard apps with no paywall (checked Oct 2026): comparison table
App Best for Price Account needed Works offline Where data lives Platforms Status
Anki Free spaced repetition on desktop Free; iPhone app one-time $24.99 Optional Yes Your device + optional AnkiWeb sync Windows, Mac, Linux, Web, iPhone Available now
AnkiDroid Free, open-source Anki on Android Free Optional Yes Your device + optional AnkiWeb sync Android Available now
Quizlet Huge library of shared study sets Free with ads; Plus optional Not stated Not stated Developer's cloud iPhone, Android, Web Available now
QuickDeck Study Free FSRS spaced repetition, Anki deck import Free (browser version) Not required Yes In your browser, on this device Web Community proposal — try in browser
Mothertongue Heritage-language vocabulary (Yoruba, Tagalog, Marathi) Free (browser version) Not required Yes In your browser, on this device Web Community proposal — try in browser

Scroll the table sideways on a phone. Third-party facts checked October 2026; prices can change, so confirm on the developer's site before you pay.

About “community proposal”: this is a community proposal. We build the iPhone/Android app once it reaches 100 upvotes. You can try the browser version free, with no sign-in; upvoting takes a Google sign-in.

  1. Anki

    Available now Other developer

    Free spaced repetition on desktop

    The desktop app (v26.09.3) stores your collection in a local Anki2 folder, and the free AnkiWeb account is only needed if you want to sync between devices.

    Price
    Free (Windows, Mac, Linux, AnkiWeb); AnkiMobile for iOS one-time $24.99
    Account
    Optional
    Offline
    Yes
    Data
    Your device + optional AnkiWeb sync
    Visit Anki ↗

    Source: apps.ankiweb.net/ · apps.apple.com/us/app/ankimobile-flashcards/id373… · checked Oct 2026

  2. AnkiDroid

    Available now Other developer

    Free, open-source Anki on Android

    AnkiDroid is an open-source project that syncs with desktop Anki through AnkiWeb, or by USB if you prefer not to use sync; its Google Play listing was updated Oct 15, 2026.

    Price
    Free
    Account
    Optional
    Offline
    Yes
    Data
    Your device + optional AnkiWeb sync (or USB transfer)
    Visit AnkiDroid ↗

    Source: ankidroid.org/ · play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ichi2.a… · checked Oct 2026

  3. Quizlet

    Available now Other developer

    Huge library of shared study sets

    The free app is listed as containing ads, and Quizlet Plus is an auto-renewing monthly or annual subscription billed through the app store.

    Price
    Free with ads; Quizlet Plus in-app $9.99 or $44.99 (iOS), in-app items $1.99–$44.99 (Google Play)
    Account
    Not stated
    Offline
    Not stated
    Data
    Developer's cloud
    Visit Quizlet ↗

    Source: apps.apple.com/us/app/quizlet-ai-flashcards-quizzes/id546473125 · play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.quizlet… · checked Oct 2026

  4. QuickDeck Study

    Community proposal — try in browser By All Things AI

    Flashcards. Free. No paywall ever.

    Price
    Free (browser version)
    Account
    Not required
    Offline
    Yes
    Data
    In your browser, on this device
    Try QuickDeck Study free in your browser App page and upvotes

  5. Mothertongue

    Community proposal — try in browser By All Things AI

    Vocabulary in your mother tongue, one card a day.

    Price
    Free (browser version)
    Account
    Not required
    Offline
    Yes
    Data
    In your browser, on this device
    Try Mothertongue free in your browser App page and upvotes

The longer answer

No paywall and offline are the rules for this list, because "free flashcard app" covers very different things. Quizlet is the mainstream choice: making cards and studying shared sets is free with ads, and Quizlet Plus is an optional monthly or annual subscription billed through the app store. Anki is the long-standing alternative: the desktop app and AnkiWeb are free and open source, AnkiDroid on Android is free, and AnkiMobile on iPhone is a one-time $24.99 purchase that funds the project. Its scheduler is the reference point for the whole category, and if you are studying for an exam that lasts years it is worth the price. The apps of ours below are for people who want the algorithm without a purchase or a paywall. QuickDeck runs the open-source FSRS-6 scheduler entirely on the device, imports the Anki .apkg and Quizlet CSV decks you already own, and needs no account. Mothertongue covers a different gap: hand-curated Yoruba, Tagalog and Marathi decks with on-device pronunciation audio, built for families keeping a heritage language alive at a calm pace rather than a streak. Both are community proposals today, so you use them free in the browser, and your study history stays on your device.

How we checked

FAQ

Are these flashcard apps actually free, with no subscription?

Yes. QuickDeck Study has never had a paywall in its source code, and Mothertongue ships its language decks at no cost. Neither app gates spaced repetition or core features behind a subscription.

Do they work offline?

Yes. QuickDeck runs the FSRS-6 spaced repetition algorithm in pure Swift on-device, and Mothertongue's pronunciation audio uses on-device speech synthesis. Both work without an internet connection, and your study data stays on your phone.

Can I bring in flashcard decks I already made in Anki or Quizlet?

QuickDeck Study can. It imports Anki .apkg files and Quizlet CSV exports locally, with no account required, so you can reuse decks you already built. Mothertongue is focused on its own curated 600-word heritage-language decks rather than custom imports.

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