Updated October 2026 · by Gabriel, who makes Fluent Air (one of the options below), so weigh that accordingly
First, the honest part: Anki itself is excellent. It's free on desktop and Android, open source, and its scheduler (FSRS) is as good as it gets. Most people searching for an "Anki alternative" don't want to leave spaced repetition. They want card creation to stop being the slow part. There are three ways to get that.
Option 1: Keep Anki and add add-ons
Text-to-speech add-ons (HyperTTS, AwesomeTTS) add audio in batches. AI add-ons can draft cards from a prompt or a document. Browser extensions send highlighted words to Anki through AnkiConnect.
- Good for: people who enjoy configuring tools and already have a setup they trust.
- Watch out for: setup time, add-ons that only work on desktop, and API keys you have to bring and pay for yourself.
Option 2: An AI card generator that exports to Anki
You type words or a topic on a website, it builds the cards, and you download a deck to import into Anki. Two examples, with prices as listed on their sites in October 2026:
- AnkiVocab: vocabulary cards with definitions, example sentences, images and audio. From $4.99/month for 100 cards; 50 free cards on signup. It also has its own browser review.
- AI4ANKI: sentence decks with audio in 13 languages. From $4/month for 400 sentences.
- Good for: people who want to stay in Anki for studying and just need cards faster.
- Watch out for: the round trip (generate, download, import) for every batch, and checking how much control you get over which sentences go in.
Option 3: A study app with AI built in
The app does both jobs: you make cards with AI and review them in the same place, with spaced repetition. Fluent Air is this kind of app. You type a word, pick from nine everyday sentences at your level, and each one becomes two cards (recognise and produce) with audio and a picture. It imports your Anki decks with their review history and exports back to Anki.
- Good for: people who want cards made in seconds without managing add-ons, and who study on the phone.
- Watch out for: moving your decks. Check that the app imports your history (not just the cards) and lets you export back, so you're never locked in.
Side by side
| Anki + add-ons | AI generator → Anki | Fluent Air | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where you study | Anki | Anki (some also in the browser) | Fluent Air, on phone and computer |
| Card creation | manual, partly automated | generated in batches, then imported | type a word, pick sentences |
| Audio and images | via add-ons | depends on the tool | included |
| Both card directions | with the right note type | depends on the tool | automatic |
| Keeps your Anki history | yes | yes (you stay in Anki) | yes, on import |
| Offline | yes | in Anki | yes |
| Cost | free (iPhone app is paid; AI keys extra) | about $4–15/month | free plan; AI from $4.99/month |
How to choose
- Happy with your Anki setup, just slow at making cards? Try a generator or a TTS add-on first.
- Want one app for making and studying, especially on your phone? Try an app with AI built in, starting with one deck.
- Whatever you pick: make sure you see every sentence before it becomes a card. AI is a fast first draft, not an authority.
More on the card-making side: How to make Anki cards faster.
Bring one deck and see
Import a deck from Anki with its progress, make a few cards with AI, and export it back if it's not for you. The free plan does everything Anki does.
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