We make Misu, so it’s first on this list. Misu began when its maker was learning Chinese with Anki and spending far too much time making flashcards. Every other app here is described from its own website, help pages and app store listings, checked in October 2026.
Why people look for an Anki alternative
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Making flashcards takes hours
Every flashcard is yours to build: the word, the sentence, the audio, the picture. Shared decks are often bare word lists, and Anki’s own manual warns they lack the context you need.
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It looks dated on a phone
Its App Store reviews often call it clunky.
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Settings and add-ons
A good setup means deck options, note types and add-ons, and FSRS is an option you turn on yourself.
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The iPhone app is paid
AnkiMobile is a one-off purchase. The computer app and AnkiDroid are free.
What to keep from Anki
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FSRS
In the open-source FSRS benchmark, FSRS-6 predicted recall better than SM-2, Anki’s default, for 99.5% of about 10,000 learners. Pick an app that uses it.
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Words in sentences
A word with a real sentence sticks far better than a word with a translation.
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Audio
Hearing every word as you review it teaches its sound, not just its spelling.
At a glance
| App | Scheduler | Ready-made decks | Making your own | Free to start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Misu | FSRS-6, fitted monthly | Courses in 10 languages | One tap, from any word | Yes, with limits |
| Migaku | Its own, not named | Courses in Japanese, Mandarin, Korean | One click from videos and pages | No |
| Quizlet | Not disclosed | Other users’ sets | By hand, or with AI | Yes |
| Memrise | Not disclosed | Official courses | Word lists | Yes, with limits |
| Clozemaster | Fixed gaps | Sentences in 50+ languages | Collections, with Pro | 30 sentences a day |
| Lingvist | Its own | Vocabulary courses | Custom decks | No |
The six apps
Misu
Made by usBeautiful flashcards, made for you. Type a word and Misu makes the whole flashcard in one tap, with a picture, an example and audio, then FSRS plans every review and is tuned to your memory every month. You keep Anki’s spaced repetition and lose the hours of building flashcards.
Best forAnki users learning a language who want to spend their time studying, not making flashcards.
- Scheduler
- FSRS-6, fitted to you every month
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android, Chrome
- Free
- Free to start, with Misu Plus for more
- Anki decks
- Not imported
Good at
- Beautiful flashcards in one tap, with pictures, examples and audio
- A drag-and-drop editor to make any flashcard your own
- Words saved in context from Netflix, YouTube and any page
- FSRS, adjusted to your memory every month, with nothing to tweak
Falls short on
- Doesn’t import Anki decks
- No add-ons
- Reviews happen in the phone app
Migaku
A Chrome extension and app for learning from real content: look words up on Netflix, YouTube and web pages, and save them as flashcards with the sentence, audio and a screenshot.
Best forLearners of Japanese, Chinese or Korean who mine sentences from shows.
- Scheduler
- Its own; Migaku doesn’t name it
- Platforms
- Chrome, iPhone, Android, web
- Free
- No: a subscription or a lifetime plan
- Anki decks
- Imported
Good at
- One-click flashcards with a screenshot and audio
- Tracks the words you know
- Imports Anki decks
Falls short on
- Paid only
- Courses only for Japanese, Mandarin and Korean
- The extension is for Chrome only
Quizlet
Flashcard sets for any subject, made by you or by other users, with AI that turns notes and files into flashcards.
Best forQuick sets for a class, and studying sets other people have made.
- Scheduler
- Not disclosed; spaced repetition on the website only
- Platforms
- Web, iPhone, Android
- Free
- Flashcards free; Learn and Test are paid
- Audio
- Text-to-speech
Good at
- A huge library of sets
- AI makes flashcards from your notes
- Easy to start
Falls short on
- Spaced repetition only on the website
- Learn, Test and offline need Plus
- Ads in the free plan
Memrise
Courses built on short videos of native speakers, with reviews of what you’ve learned and AI conversation practice.
Best forHearing everyday phrases from real people.
- Scheduler
- Not disclosed
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android, web
- Free
- Limited lessons, with ads
- Audio
- Native speakers on video
Good at
- Native speakers on video
- AI chats to practise speaking
- A polished app
Falls short on
- Much of it needs Pro
- Less control over reviews since its 2024 redesign, reviewers say
Clozemaster
Fill-in-the-blank sentences: you pick the missing word in thousands of real sentences in each language.
Best forIntermediate learners who want every word in context.
- Scheduler
- Fixed gaps: 1, 10, 30 and 180 days
- Platforms
- Web, iPhone, Android
- Free
- 30 sentences a day
- Languages
- 50+
Good at
- Every word in a sentence
- More than 50 languages
- Quick, game-like rounds
Falls short on
- Some sentences have mistakes, reviewers say
- Fixed gaps rather than FSRS
Lingvist
An adaptive vocabulary course: you fill in a word in a sentence, and it works out which words you already know.
Best forBuilding vocabulary quickly in one of its courses.
- Scheduler
- Its own
- Platforms
- Web, iPhone, Android
- Free
- No: a subscription, with a trial on the yearly plan
- Your own words
- Custom decks from words, text or a photo
Good at
- Adapts to what you know
- Custom decks from a photo or text
- Short sessions
Falls short on
- Thin grammar explanations, reviewers say
- Subscription only
Which one should you pick?
If you mostly mine sentences from anime and dramas on a computer, Migaku is built for that. And if you’re done building flashcards by hand, Misu makes them for you, picture, sentence and audio included, and FSRS does the rest.