Anki alternative for language learners
Anki is a powerful memory tool, but every card is yours to build. Vokabulo adds the translation, an example sentence and usage notes the moment you save a word, then schedules it with FSRS.
Anki
Every field by hand
you look up the translation, find an example sentence and type both in
Vokabulo
Just the word
type or say it; translation, example sentence and usage are added for you
At a glance
| At a glance | Vokabulo | Anki |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | VokabuloLanguage learners past the basics, from B1 onward | AnkiAnyone who wants to memorise anything, languages included |
| Where the words come from | VokabuloYour own life: what you read, hear and need at work | AnkiCards you write yourself, or shared decks made by other users Source |
| Making a card | VokabuloType or dictate a word; Vokabulo adds the translation, an example sentence and, for nouns, the article | AnkiYou fill in the fields yourself; add-ons can automate parts of it Source |
| Review scheduling | VokabuloSpaced repetition with FSRS, switched on from the start: every word gets its own schedule, with nothing to set up | AnkiSpaced repetition: the SM-2 algorithm by default, FSRS as an option Source |
| Tone and usage | VokabuloUsage labels flag words that are informal, slang, formal or business | AnkiWhatever you add to the card yourself |
| Getting ready for a situation | VokabuloScenes: the words for a meeting or a doctor’s appointment before you walk in | AnkiA shared deck on the topic, if someone has made one |
| Look and feel | VokabuloCalm: a daily streak and a leaderboard you can leave | AnkiA plain review screen; extras come through add-ons |
| Languages | VokabuloMore than 100, in any pair | AnkiAny, since you write the cards |
| Devices | VokabuloiPhone and iPad (iOS 26 or later) | AnkiWindows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone and iPad Source |
| Price | VokabuloFree to start; Pro is $69.99 a year in the US | AnkiFree on desktop and Android; $24.99 once on iPhone and iPad Source |
What really differs
Each one in the same order: how Anki does it, how Vokabulo does it.
Anki
Anki starts empty. You write the cards yourself or download a shared deck someone else built, which answers the question “which words should a B2 learner know?”
Vokabulo
Vokabulo starts from your own life: the words from your meetings, your landlord’s emails and the series you watch. No shared deck has those.
Anki
A good vocabulary card means looking up the translation, finding an example sentence that sounds natural and typing both in.
Vokabulo
You type or say the word and the card is ready: translation, a natural example sentence and, for nouns, the article. Every field stays editable.
Anki
A card shows what you put on it. Whether a word is slang or formal is a note you add yourself.
Vokabulo
Usage labels flag words that are informal, slang, formal or business, so you know whether to say it to a friend or put it in an email.
Anki
Spaced repetition with the SM-2 algorithm by default. FSRS is there if you switch it on in the deck options.
Vokabulo
FSRS from the first word, with nothing to set up. Words you know come back less often; the ones that slip come back sooner.
Price
Anki is free on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android, and syncing between devices through AnkiWeb is free too. On iPhone and iPad, AnkiMobile is a one-time purchase of $24.99 in the US.
Vokabulo is free to start. A free account is a full app, with limits on six features such as AI translations and Scenes. Vokabulo Pro removes the limits for $69.99 a year in the US, which works out at $5.83 a month.
If price decides it, Anki wins. With Vokabulo you pay for the time you no longer spend building cards. Prices vary by country.
Using both
Keep Anki for what it does best, like exam decks or subjects beyond languages, and use Vokabulo for the words of your own life.
Already have vocabulary in Anki? Export it as a plain text file, open it in Numbers or Excel, add a header row naming the two languages and save it as CSV. Vokabulo imports it in one go; importing your own lists is part of Pro. How to import a word list
Vokabulo exports to CSV as well, so your words are never locked in.
Vokabulo is free to start, on iPhone and iPad.
Start free · Upgrade anytime
Facts checked on 3 October 2026. Anki facts link to Anki’s own website, manual and App Store page. Something out of date? Write to ilove@vokabulo.com.
