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Education · head to head

Anki vs Pl@ntNet

Anki logo

Anki

Education

Free open source spaced repetition flashcard app, free everywhere except iOS where it is a paid one-time purchase

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pl@ntNet logo

Pl@ntNet

Education

Free plant identification app run by a consortium of French public research institutes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Anki the interface is functional rather than polished, and new users often find the initial setup, deck creation and add-on ecosystem confusing compared with a guided app like Memrise.; Pl@ntNet it offers no plant care guidance, watering reminders or disease diagnosis, unlike commercial apps built around ongoing plant care.
  • They diverge on capability: Anki covers Spaced repetition scheduling, Pl@ntNet covers Photo identification.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Anki and Pl@ntNet actually diverge.

Attributes where Anki and Pl@ntNet differ
AttributeAnkiPl@ntNet
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence fee except a paid iOS appFree, no ads and no in-app purchases
PlatformsWindows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, WebiOS, Android, Web

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Education).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Anki

  • Spaced repetition scheduling
  • Cross-platform sync
  • Shared deck library
  • Custom card types
  • Add-ons
  • Open file format

Only in Pl@ntNet

  • Photo identification
  • Large species coverage
  • Multi-language support
  • Community-sourced database
  • Regional flora filtering
  • Contribution to research

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Anki

  • A medical student using a large shared deck to memorise anatomy or pharmacology facts on a fixed exam timelinenot Pl@ntNet
  • A language learner building custom vocabulary decks with audio and images tailored to their own study materialnot Pl@ntNet
  • A self-directed learner who wants full control over the scheduling algorithm and does not want a subscriptionnot Pl@ntNet
  • An iPhone-only user deciding whether the one-time AnkiMobile price is worth it versus using the free web interface insteadnot Pl@ntNet

Pl@ntNet

  • A gardener or hiker who wants free plant identification without a subscriptionnot Anki
  • A student or researcher wanting a citation-friendly, institutionally-run identification toolnot Anki
  • Someone identifying plants outside English-speaking regions who needs one of its 50-plus languagesnot Anki
  • A forager wanting a second opinion on a plant before relying solely on one sourcenot Anki

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Anki

  • The interface is functional rather than polished, and new users often find the initial setup, deck creation and add-on ecosystem confusing compared with a guided app like Memrise.
  • iOS users pay a one-time fee of around $24.99 to $29.99 for AnkiMobile while every other platform is free, which is an unusual asymmetry that surprises new users comparing app store prices before they understand it funds development.
  • Anki has no content of its own; a new user gets an empty deck and either has to build cards manually or trust the quality of a community-shared deck of unknown accuracy.
  • The default scheduling algorithm requires understanding concepts like ease factor and interval to tune effectively, and default settings are not optimal for every subject or workload.
  • Shared decks, especially large medical school decks, can carry factual errors or become outdated, and there is no editorial review process verifying their accuracy.

Pl@ntNet

  • It offers no plant care guidance, watering reminders or disease diagnosis, unlike commercial apps built around ongoing plant care.
  • Identification accuracy varies by region depending on how well local flora is represented in the community-submitted training data.
  • The interface is more utilitarian than a commercial app, reflecting its research origins rather than consumer product design.
  • It should never be relied on alone to determine whether a wild plant or fungus is safe to eat, and the project itself does not claim otherwise.
  • Because it is run by a nonprofit research consortium rather than a company, feature development and interface updates move more slowly than a funded commercial competitor.

Pricing, plan by plan

Anki

Free
  • AnkiFree
    • Desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux are free and open source
    • AnkiDroid on Android is free and open source, built by a separate volunteer team
    • AnkiMobile on iOS is a one-time purchase, commonly $24.99 to $29.99, funding development

Pl@ntNet

Free
  • Pl@ntNetFree
    • Full identification for over 80,000 species
    • Available in over 50 languages
    • No account required for basic identification

Which should you pick?

Choose Anki if

  • You need spaced repetition scheduling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want cross-platform sync.
Anki review

Choose Pl@ntNet if

  • You need photo identification.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want large species coverage.
Pl@ntNet review

Questions people ask

Is Anki or Pl@ntNet better?
Neither clearly leads. Anki starts at Free and Pl@ntNet at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Anki or Pl@ntNet?
Anki starts at Free and Pl@ntNet at Free.
Does Anki or Pl@ntNet run on more platforms?
Anki runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Web. Pl@ntNet runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Anki for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Anki best used for?
Anki is most often used for a medical student using a large shared deck to memorise anatomy or pharmacology facts on a fixed exam timeline, a language learner building custom vocabulary decks with audio and images tailored to their own study material, a self-directed learner who wants full control over the scheduling algorithm and does not want a subscription, an iphone-only user deciding whether the one-time ankimobile price is worth it versus using the free web interface instead. Of those, a medical student using a large shared deck to memorise anatomy or pharmacology facts on a fixed exam timeline and a language learner building custom vocabulary decks with audio and images tailored to their own study material are not what Pl@ntNet is typically brought in for.
What can Anki do that Pl@ntNet cannot?
Anki covers Spaced repetition scheduling, Cross-platform sync, Shared deck library, Custom card types. Pl@ntNet covers Photo identification, Large species coverage, Multi-language support, Community-sourced database.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Anki: Why is the iOS app not free when everything else is?

AnkiMobile is a paid one-time purchase, commonly around $24.99 to $29.99, that the developer states directly funds ongoing development of the free desktop apps, AnkiWeb sync and infrastructure used by every platform.

Pl@ntNet: Is Pl@ntNet free?

Yes, entirely free with no ads or in-app purchases, run by a consortium of French public research institutes.

Anki: Is Anki really free on Android?

Yes. AnkiDroid, the Android app, is free and open source, built and maintained by a separate volunteer development team from the desktop project.

Pl@ntNet: How accurate is it?

Accuracy varies by region and species depending on how much community-submitted photo data exists for that flora, but it is generally strong for well-represented regions.

Anki: Do I need to pay for sync?

No. AnkiWeb, used to sync decks and review history across devices, is free.

Pl@ntNet: Can I use it to check if a plant is safe to eat?

No. It is an identification aid, not a safety tool, and should not be relied on alone for foraging decisions.

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