📝 Study and homework tools
Anki
By Ankitects Pty Ltd (AnkiWeb); AnkiDroid by volunteers. Visit Anki
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
Anki is an open-source flashcard program that schedules reviews by spaced repetition, showing hard cards often and easy ones rarely. Students make their own cards with text, images, audio and formulas, or download shared decks, and sync across devices through free AnkiWeb. It is popular with medical students and language learners and is powerful but plain. Older students who like to tinker get the most out of it.
Our take: Excellent for older, motivated students who will build their own decks; too bare for most young children.
Checked in a browser
A browser check on 2026-10-25: what loads, the ads and trackers we saw, and what a child meets first. Not a hands-on test.
| Child safety: 4 out of 5 | No ads or chat; download prompts and links out to GitHub, Apple, Google and Open Collective. |
|---|---|
| Data: 4 out of 5 | Only Cloudflare Web Analytics was contacted; no cookies were set. |
| Ease: 3 out of 5 | A clean page, but it describes a desktop flashcard program for older learners; a young child would need help. |
| Cost honesty: 5 out of 5 | Free download on this page; no price shown (the iPhone app is paid, but that was not on the page). |
What we found
- 1 third-party host (cloudflareinsights.com); 0 cookies.
- 0 ad frames.
- The page's main action is 'Download Anki'.
From the test: A clean download page with no ads and almost no tracking, written for older students and adults.
| Ages it suits | about 12+ (self-directed learners) |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | AnkiWeb terms: if you are not old enough to agree to the terms, a parent or guardian must agree for you. No set minimum age. (terms) |
| Price | Free, with paid extras. Free on computers, web and Android; AnkiMobile for iPhone and iPad is a one-time $24.99 (Oct 2026) |
| Works on | Windows, Mac, Web, Android, iPhone and iPad |
| Account | No account needed |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | No AI; reviews are scheduled by a spaced-repetition algorithm. |
What's good
- Free and open source on most devices
- No ads
- Very little data collected
- Works offline
Watch for
- Plain and fiddly for young kids
- Shared decks are unvetted
- iOS app costs $24.99
Data and privacy
AnkiWeb stores cards, media and review history for sync, keeps request logs for a month, and may use review history (not card text) for statistics. It says it ignores old analytics cookies and sends no unrelated email. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
No independent study of Anki with children was found; spaced repetition has broad research support in general.
In the Big Index
Alternatives to Anki
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Atom Learning
Atom Learning Ltd (UK) · ages about 7-16 (UK Year 3 to GCSE)
Useful for UK families set on the 11+ or GCSEs; families outside the UK or not chasing selective schools can skip it.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Bluebook
College Board · ages grades 8-12 (about 13-18)
Every student taking the digital SAT, PSAT or AP Exams should practice in it; families should read the monitoring rules before installing it on a personal laptop.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Brainly
Brainly · ages grades 7-12
May suit teens who want structured homework practice and parents who want a human in the loop; ad tracking and public posting are drawbacks for younger children.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Brainscape
Brainscape · ages all ages; most useful about 10+
A clean, ad-free flashcard choice for students who can read and self-study; little here for young children.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
CENTURY
CENTURY-TECH Limited (UK) · ages about 6-16 (KS1 to GCSE), plus post-16
A sensible home or school add-on for UK families; families outside the UK curriculum will find less fit.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
ChatGPT
OpenAI · ages 13-17 in the teen experience; adults
Most teens will meet it anyway, so link a parent account and turn on Study Mode; families wanting a tutor that never gives answers should look at a purpose-built one.
Where these facts come from
- https://apps.ankiweb.net/
- https://ankiweb.net/account/terms
- https://ankiweb.net/account/privacy
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ankimobile-flashcards/id373493387
- Reviews on G2: https://www.g2.com/products/anki/reviews
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.