Best vocabulary and flashcard apps
Anki if you want to make your own flashcards (free on a computer and Android), Drops for five minutes of picture games a day, Clozemaster for words in real sentences once you know the basics, and uTalk for phrases in 160 languages.
Prices checked 6 Sept to 12 Oct 2026 · How we check
How each one drills words
A session on each app, in a line, with how to try it and its cheapest yearly plan.
- Clozemaster
Fill in the missing word in real sentences, in quick rounds.
- uTalk
Picture games for words and phrases by topic, with native-speaker audio.
- Lingvist
Fill in the missing word in a sentence while the app adapts to what you already know.
- Memrise
Short clips of native speakers saying words and phrases, then spaced review.
- Drops
Five-minute picture games that teach words by topic.
- MosaLingua
Flashcards of everyday words and phrases with audio: recall each one, rate yourself, and MosaLingua schedules the next review; dialogues and listening practice sit alongside.
- Anki
Flashcards you made or downloaded: rate how well you remembered each one, and Anki schedules when you see it again.
Our picks
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links to the app makers' own sites earn us nothing. Commissions never affect which apps we recommend. Affiliate disclosure and how the data is collected.
-
Best for vocabulary that sticks
Clozemaster
Vocabulary and flashcards
$79.99 a year$6.67 a month, billed yearly
Why it's here. Fill-in-the-blank sentences make you recall words in context instead of recognising them on a flashcard. It is useful extra practice once you already know the basics.
Free: Up to 30 sentences a day; Pro adds unlimited play and advanced features.
Skip it if you are starting from zero: it is sentence practice, not a course.
71 languages · offline lessons
-
Best free vocabulary practice
Drops
Vocabulary and flashcards
FreeFree access capped at 5 minutes of play every 10 hours, with topics unlocked one at a time through gameplay.
Why it's here. A free account with limits. Five-minute visual vocabulary sessions.
Paid upgrade: $69.99 a year ($5.83 a month, billed yearly)
Skip it if you want more than vocabulary, or more than 5 minutes every 10 hours without paying.
55 languages · offline lessons
7 of the 34 apps we cover are vocabulary and flashcard apps.
What sets them apart is where the words come from and how they come back. Anki shows you cards you made or downloaded, on a schedule you can tune. The others bring their own words: as pictures, in sentences or in clips of native speakers, and several bring each word back on a review schedule, just before you would forget it. None of them is a full course; they sit beside one.
Every vocabulary and flashcard app, compared
Recommended first within each type of app. Sort any column or filter by what matters to you.
No apps match these filters. Clear a filter to see more choices.
| Best for | Free tier | Speech | Tutor | Offline | CEFR | Refund or trial | Where to buy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vocabulary and flashcard apps | ||||||||||||
| ClozemasterVocabulary and flashcards | Free vocabulary practice in context | $79.99 a year$6.67 a month, billed yearly | $12.99 | — | Free to keep using Free account with up to 30 sentences a day; Pro adds unlimited play and advanced features | 71 | — | — | Yes · on Pro, in the mobile app | — | 30-day money back guarantee on the Yearly plan; no refunds on Monthly plans | |
| uTalkVocabulary and flashcards | Phrases in 160 languages | About $30 a year$2.50 a month, billed yearly | $4.99 | — | Free sample Starter Words, a free 26-word pack in every language, plus an online demo at demo.utalk.com | 160 | No | No | Yes | A1 to A2by course | 28-day money-back guarantee | |
| MemriseVocabulary and flashcards | Native-speaker clips and review | $61.99 a year$5.17 a month, billed yearly | $24.99 | $329.99 | Free to keep using Limited free version of the app; the paid plan unlocks the rest. | 149 | Yes | — | No · The current experience needs cloud-based tools | — | 30-day money-back guarantee; monthly plans have a 14-day refund window. Apple purchases require a refund from Apple. | |
| LingvistVocabulary and flashcards | Fast vocabulary with a placement test | $79.99 a year$6.67 a month, billed yearly | $9.99 | — | Free trial Free level placement before subscribing, and a 14-day free trial on the annual plan; the monthly plan has no trial | 16 | Yes | No | — | — | 14-day free trial on the annual plan; cancel before it ends and you are not charged | |
| DropsVocabulary and flashcards | Five-minute vocabulary sessions | $69.99 a year$5.83 a month, billed yearly | $11 | $150 | Free to keep using Free access capped at 5 minutes of play every 10 hours, with topics unlocked one at a time through gameplay | 55 | — | — | Yes | — | 7-day free trial on the Yearly plan; affiliate terms reference a 14-day refund period | |
| MosaLinguaVocabulary and flashcards | The most useful words first, on a review schedule | $71.88 a year$5.99 a month, billed yearly | $9.99 | — | Free trial Free download and a free trial; the full set of features needs a Premium subscription. | 11 | — | — | Yes | — | A free trial first, then a 30-day money-back guarantee on website and Android purchases; not on App Store purchases. | |
| AnkiVocabulary and flashcards | Flashcards you control, free on a computer | FreeAnkiMobile (iPhone and iPad): $24.99 once | — | $24.99 | Free to keep using The computer version and AnkiDroid on Android are free, with free sync; only the iPhone app is paid. | — | No | No | Yes | — | Free on computers and Android; AnkiMobile is a one-time App Store purchase. | |
Which to choose
You want to choose exactly what you review
Anki
Anki shows you flashcards you made or downloaded, and you rate how well you remembered each one so it can schedule the next review. It is free on computers and Android, with free sync; only the iPhone app, AnkiMobile, is a one-time $24.99. It takes setting up, and nothing teaches you along the way.
You want a few minutes a day, without effort
Drops
Drops teaches words by topic in five-minute picture games, in 55 languages. The free version gives five minutes every ten hours; the paid plan is $69.99 a year, or $150 once for every language.
You know the basics and want words in context
Clozemaster or Lingvist
Clozemaster has you fill the missing word in real sentences, free for 30 sentences a day; Pro is $79.99 a year. Lingvist does the same while adapting to what you already know, with a placement test and a 14-day free trial on its yearly plan.
Your language is not one most apps teach
uTalk
uTalk teaches words and phrases with native-speaker audio in 160 languages. Its Starter Words pack, 26 words in every language, is free, and one language costs about $30 a year.
Questions people ask
Is Anki better than Memrise?
They do different jobs. Anki gives you control over your cards and their schedule, and is free on computers and Android. Memrise gives you ready-made courses with clips of native speakers, with a paid plan for the rest. The Memrise vs Anki page sets them side by side.
What is spaced repetition?
Reviewing a word just before you would forget it, at intervals that grow each time you remember it. Anki, Memrise and MosaLingua schedule their reviews this way, and Glossika does it with whole sentences.
Is there a free vocabulary app?
Anki is free on computers and Android. Clozemaster gives 30 sentences a day free, Drops five minutes every ten hours, and Memrise a limited free version.