Memrise vs Anki: ready-made vocabulary or flashcards you control
Prices checked 10 Oct 2026; Memrise's on 6 Sept 2026 · How we check
Memrise if you want ready-made courses that show native speakers saying each phrase and let you practise speaking.
Anki if you want to review exactly the words you choose, free on a computer and on Android.
| Question | Memrise | Anki |
|---|---|---|
| A year costs | $61.99 a year, or $24.99 month to month | Free |
| A lesson is | Short clips of native speakers saying words and phrases, then spaced review. | Flashcards you made or downloaded: rate how well you remembered each one, and Anki schedules when you see it again. |
| Try it | A limited free version, then a 30-day money-back guarantee. | Free on computers and Android; the iPhone app is a one-time App Store purchase. |
| App Store rating, 10 Oct 2026 | 4.8 out of 5 from 217,240 ratings | 4.0 out of 5 from 2,351 ratings |
| Google Play rating, 11 Oct 2026 and 12 Oct 2026 | 4.4 out of 5 from 1.6 million ratings | 4.8 out of 5 from 165,976 ratings |
How a lesson works in each
Both are vocabulary apps, so a lesson has the same shape
Side by side
| Compare | Memrise | Anki |
|---|---|---|
| CEFR levels | — | — |
| A year costs | $61.99 a year, or $24.99 month to month | Free |
| What it is | Vocabulary and flashcards: Short video clips of native speakers plus spaced-repetition review | Vocabulary and flashcards: Spaced-repetition flashcards you make or download, for any language |
| Per month at annual billing | $5.17/mo ($61.99 a year) | — |
| Monthly plan | $24.99 | — |
| Lifetime plan | $329.99 once, all languages | $24.99 once, any subject |
| Free tier | Limited free version of the app; the paid plan unlocks the rest. | The computer version and AnkiDroid on Android are free, with free sync; only the iPhone app is paid. |
| Languages offered | 149 | — |
| Speech recognition | Yes | No |
| Live tutoring | — | No |
| Offline mode | No · The current experience needs cloud-based tools | Yes |
| Placement test | — | No |
| Refund or trial | 30-day money-back guarantee; monthly plans have a 14-day refund window. Apple purchases require a refund from Apple. | Free on computers and Android; AnkiMobile is a one-time App Store purchase. |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web |
| Company | Memrise, United Kingdom | Ankitects Pty Ltd |
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Memrise
Vocabulary and flashcards
In our comparison: strongest on the number of languages and price, weakest on teaching depth.
$61.99 a year $5.17 a month, billed yearly$24.99 on the monthly plan
Short video clips of native speakers plus spaced-repetition review. Speech recognition scores your pronunciation.
Anki
Vocabulary and flashcards
In our comparison: strongest on offline use, weakest on speaking practice.
Free AnkiMobile (iPhone and iPad): $24.99 once
Spaced-repetition flashcards you make or download, for any language. Free on computers and Android; only the iPhone app is paid.
Both are built on spaced repetition: you see a word again just before you would forget it. The difference is who makes the cards. Memrise gives you courses its own team made, with short clips of native speakers and AI speaking practice; it has a limited free version and no offline mode. Anki starts empty, or with a shared deck someone else made, and schedules every review for you; it teaches nothing on its own, but it works for any language and any word you meet.
Which to choose
You are starting a language and want to be shown the words
Memrise
Memrise chooses the words for you and plays a short clip of a native speaker saying each one, so you hear how they sound from the first day. Its paid plan unlocks the rest of the app after the free version, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. It needs a connection: the app has no offline mode.
You meet words in a course, a book or a class and want to keep them
Anki
Anki holds the words you choose, from any course, book or class, and decides when you see each one again from how well you remembered it last time. It is free on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android, with free sync between devices; only the iPhone and iPad app is a one-time purchase. It works offline.
You want to say the words aloud
Memrise
Memrise lists pronunciation and AI speaking practice among its exercises; Anki does not listen to you at all. Neither replaces a conversation: add a language exchange or a tutor when you want one.
Where they really differ
- Price: Memrise: $61.99 a year, or $24.99 month to month. Anki: Free.
- A lesson: Memrise: Short clips of native speakers saying words and phrases, then spaced review. Anki: Flashcards you made or downloaded: rate how well you remembered each one, and Anki schedules when you see it again.
- A real person: Memrise doesn't mention live tutors. Anki has no live tutors.
- Speaking: Memrise listens to you speak. Anki doesn't listen to you speak.
- Offline: Memrise needs a connection. Anki works offline.
- Trying it: Memrise: A limited free version, then a 30-day money-back guarantee. Anki: Free on computers and Android; the iPhone app is a one-time App Store purchase.
Plans and prices
Memrise
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AnnualProSold as a flash sale against a crossed-out $299.88, which is twelve months at the monthly price. Apple's US App Store lists the same plan at $61.99. | Annual | $61.99 | $5.17/mo | all languages |
| MonthlyProApple's US App Store sells the same plan for $24.99. | Monthly | $24.99 | $24.99/mo | all languages |
| LifetimeProApple's US App Store sells the same plan for $329.99. | Lifetime | $329.99 | one-time | all languages |
Anki
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anki on a computer (Windows, Mac, Linux)FreeFree, with free AnkiWeb sync across devices. | Other | $0 | — | any subject |
| AnkiDroid (Android)FreeFree; made by volunteer contributors. | Other | $0 | — | any subject |
| AnkiMobile (iPhone and iPad)AnkiMobileA one-time purchase in Apple's US App Store; the official iOS app, whose sales fund Anki's development. | Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time | any subject |
What will Memrise cost you for the months you study?
Total billed over 12 months
$237.89 less on annual billingOne yearly payment of $61.99.
What each plan covers. Monthly: all languages. Yearly: all languages.
Questions people ask
Is Anki better than Memrise?
For keeping the words you choose, yes: Anki is free on a computer and on Android, works offline and schedules any card you make or download. For being taught new words with clips of native speakers, Memrise does more, because Anki has no lessons of its own.
Is Anki free?
On a computer and on Android, yes, with free sync through AnkiWeb. The iPhone and iPad app, AnkiMobile, is a one-time purchase in Apple's App Store, and its sales fund Anki's development.
Can you use Memrise offline?
No. Memrise's help centre says the new app has no offline mode, so every session needs a connection. Anki works offline and syncs when you reconnect.
Can I use Memrise and Anki together?
Yes: learn new words in Memrise's courses and put the ones you keep forgetting into Anki, where you decide what to review.