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Anki vs Gizmo: flashcards and revision workflows?

By Official AppDuo editorial team · Updated

Anki logoAnki7.9/10Open source · FreeGizmo logoGizmo6.7/10Freemium · Free

Quick verdict

Anki vs Gizmo: flashcards and revision workflows.

Anki: Medical or law students and exam candidates who must retain thousands of cards.

Gizmo: Students revising from notes, slides, PDFs or videos.

Choose for your main task, existing devices and plan limits; the overall score cannot replace your requirements.

Head-to-head

Anki leads on 5, Gizmo on 3, 1 even

FeatureAnkiGizmo
Cost of full use[1],[6],[14]Desktop and AnkiDroid free; AnkiMobile (iOS) is a one-time 24.99 USD, no subscription.Unlimited is yearly or weekly, auto-renewing; prices shown only in the app, not published on the website.
→ Anki's full cost is known upfront with no recurring fee, while Gizmo's price is only visible after installing the app.
Free plan limits[1],[7],[12]Desktop and AnkiDroid fully free, including AnkiWeb sync.Unlimited cards, decks and quizzing; 15 Hearts then a 10-minute wait; Magic Import capped at 2 decks/day, 20 minutes apart.
→ Heavy daily learners won't hit interruptions on free Anki, but will hit Hearts and Magic Import limits on free Gizmo.
AI card creation from materials[1],[9],[13]No public information found on AI card generation; users build cards with audio, images, video, MathJax.Magic Import turns notes, PDFs, video and PowerPoint into decks and quizzes, plus an AI Tutor.
→ Students wanting to turn lecture material into review cards quickly will save time with Gizmo.
Platforms and offline use[1],[16]Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android; works offline.iOS, Android and web; no public information found on offline use.
→ Anyone needing a native desktop app or studying without internet should pick Anki.
Interface languages[1]7 languages: English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese.English only.
→ Users not comfortable with English will find Anki easier to navigate.
Privacy and AI training[2],[10]Desktop without sync keeps data local; synced data on EU/US servers, no end-to-end encryption.Doesn't sell data but may use personal data to train AI models; lists Meta, TikTok, Google Ads trackers.
→ Those wary of study material feeding AI or ad tracking will be more comfortable with Anki.
App Store (US) rating[6],[7],[17]AnkiMobile 4/5 from 2,400 ratings; AnkiDroid 4.7/5 from 168,000 on Google Play.4.8/5 from 17,245 ratings; Trustpilot 2.9/5 from 8 reviews.
→ iPhone users see Gizmo rated clearly higher than AnkiMobile, though Anki is also very well rated on Android.
Add-ons and scheduling control[1],[4],[9]Open source, add-ons (not on iOS), choice of SM-2 or FSRS scheduling.No add-ons; ChatGPT integration; game-style review with XP, leagues, friends.
→ Those wanting deep scheduling control suit Anki, while those motivated by gamification suit Gizmo.
Refund policy[6],[15]No separate policy; AnkiMobile refunds follow App Store rules.Web purchases: refund within 48 hours; in-app purchases follow Apple/Google policy.
→ Gizmo web buyers get an explicit 48-hour refund window.

Choose Anki if…

  • Medical or law students and exam candidates who must retain thousands of cards
  • Language learners who want to build their own cards with audio and images
  • People who prefer open-source software extendable with add-ons

Choose Gizmo if…

  • Students revising from notes, slides, PDFs or videos
  • Learners who like game-style review with XP, leagues and friends

How the products differ

Anki: Suits learners who need to retain large volumes of vocabulary or facts and will put time into setup. The interface is not beginner-first, the iOS app costs 24.99 USD, and since 2026 the project has been moving to AnkiHub's stewardship.

Gizmo: Gizmo suits students who want to turn notes, PDFs or videos into flashcards and quizzes quickly, with a fairly generous free tier and a 4.8/5 App Store rating. The trade-offs are Unlimited pricing shown only in the app, a small and low-scoring Trustpilot sample, and a privacy notice that allows personal data to be used to train AI models.

Choose around your use case

Anki: Fits Medical or law students and exam candidates who must retain thousands of cards; Language learners who want to build their own cards with audio and images. Strengths: Desktop and AnkiDroid are free and open source (desktop under AGPL v3+); FSRS scheduling since version 23.10, alongside SM-2.

Gizmo: Fits Students revising from notes, slides, PDFs or videos; Learners who like game-style review with XP, leagues and friends. Strengths: Magic Import turns materials into decks, alongside quizzes, flashcards and an AI Tutor; The free plan allows unlimited cards, decks and quizzing.

Costs and limits to check

Anki: Paid prices depend on plan and purchase channel; see the product review. Trade-off: The iOS app costs 24.99 USD and still lacks add-ons.

Gizmo: Paid prices depend on plan and purchase channel; see the product review. Trade-off: Free tier limits Magic Import (2 decks/day, 20-minute gaps) and Hearts. Prices retain the currency and billing units recorded in the source profiles; no currency conversion or plan equivalence is assumed. Check official prices, limits and terms before payment.

When to consider another option

Anki is not aimed at: Those who want ready-made lessons, learning paths and gamification; People who need add-ons on iPhone or iPad.

Consider alternatives to Gizmo if you are: Anyone who needs a non-English interface or wants to see prices before installing. Read these limitations alongside the feature table before deciding; a single strength cannot compensate for a missing requirement.

Frequently asked questions

Should I choose Anki or Gizmo?

Anki vs Gizmo: flashcards and revision workflows. Anki: Medical or law students and exam candidates who must retain thousands of cards. Gizmo: Students revising from notes, slides, PDFs or videos. Choose for your main task, existing devices and plan limits; the overall score cannot replace your requirements.

Does a higher score always mean a better fit?

No. Overall scores are editorial judgements across several criteria. Your task, allowance and existing ecosystem may matter more; the table separates those differences so you can decide.

Where do prices and limits come from?

From each product’s researched profile, with source links and check dates in the review. This comparison reuses that evidence; its compilation date does not mean every price was rechecked that day.

Sources

Numbers in the table refer to these sources, read on the dates shown.

  1. 1.Anki website · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  2. 2.AnkiWeb privacy policy · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  3. 3.AnkiWeb terms and conditions · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  4. 4.Anki GitHub repository · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  5. 5.Anki forum: Anki's Growing Up (2026-02-02) · Community-reported · Nov 10, 2026
  6. 6.App Store listing (AnkiMobile) · store · Nov 10, 2026
  7. 7.Google Play listing (AnkiDroid) · store · Nov 10, 2026
  8. 8.Wikipedia: Anki (software) · Community-reported · Nov 10, 2026
  9. 9.Official homepage · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  10. 10.Official privacy notice · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  11. 11.Official terms and conditions · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  12. 12.Help center: Is it free? · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  13. 13.Help center: What do I get with Gizmo Unlimited? · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  14. 14.Help center: How do I sign up for Unlimited? · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  15. 15.Help center: Can I get a refund? · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  16. 16.Help center: Do you have an app? · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  17. 17.App Store listing · store · Nov 10, 2026
  18. 18.Trustpilot reviews · review-site · Nov 10, 2026

Prepared by the AppDuo Editorial Team from the sources cited in this article. AI assists with organising and cross-checking data; editorial responsibility remains with AppDuo.

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