Anki
The gold-standard spaced-repetition flashcard app with community decks for every language.
AppsToolsFreeBeginnerIntermediateAdvancedAny language
What it actually is
Free on desktop, Android and web; the iOS app is a one-off paid purchase that funds the project. The interface is dated and the options are overwhelming at first, but nothing beats it for retaining vocabulary over years. Most effective when you stop grinding premade decks and start mining sentences from things you actually read or watch.
What it covers
- Vocabulary
Learners who used it
From field notes — real posts we read and linked. What they say is their account, not our finding.
- Three years stuck on pure input, then a textbook, a teacher and an exam date · used it for SRS
- A 1,480-day Anki streak ended, and the relief was the lesson · used it for SRS
Their verdict: became a job rather than a tool
- Twenty-seven apps over eight years, reviewed one by one · used it for SRS
Their verdict: rated best overall