DecksHow to Use Spaced Repetition Flashcards on iPhone
There are three main ways to do Anki-style spaced repetition on an iPhone: AnkiMobile, the official Anki app; AnkiWeb in Safari, which is free; or a separate flashcard app such as Decks. Which one fits depends on whether you already have Anki decks.
AnkiMobile
The official Anki app for iPhone, by the Anki developers. It's a one-time purchase of $24.99 in the US, syncs with Anki on your computer through AnkiWeb, and opens any shared Anki deck (.apkg file). If you already use Anki or rely on a shared deck, such as a medical-school deck, this is the straightforward choice.
AnkiWeb in Safari
AnkiWeb is Anki's free sync service, and you can review your cards in its website from Safari. It's free, but it's a website rather than an app, and it's mainly meant for reviewing cards made elsewhere.
Decks
Decks is a free iPhone app with the same four ratings and SM-2 scheduling. Instead of importing decks, it comes with 23 built-in language decks for Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and French, and you can make your own cards, or photograph a page and have AI propose cards. It can't open .apkg files, and it has no Android or desktop version. Decks is made by the people who wrote this page, so weigh that accordingly; Decks vs Anki compares them feature by feature.
Which to choose
| If you… | Use |
|---|---|
| Already use Anki on a computer | AnkiMobile |
| Need a specific shared Anki deck | AnkiMobile |
| Want free, and have Anki decks | AnkiWeb in Safari |
| Are learning Spanish, Japanese, Chinese or French and want a ready-made deck | Decks |
| Want to start without paying | AnkiWeb or Decks |
Published 2026-10-07.