Softwr

Education · head to head

Anki vs Totara

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
Totara logo

Totara

LMS

Open source learning, performance and collaboration platform derived from Moodle and sold through partners

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Anki has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Totara you cannot buy from the vendor. Every purchase runs through a partner who sets its own hosting, services and support pricing, so identical platforms are quoted at materially different totals and buyers must run a partner comparison as well as a product comparison.
  • They diverge on capability: Anki covers Spaced repetition scheduling, Totara covers Organisational hierarchies.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Anki and Totara actually diverge.

Attributes where Anki and Totara differ
AttributeAnkiTotara
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence fee except a paid iOS appquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android, Linux
CategoryEducationLMS

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Totara

  • Organisational hierarchies
  • Compliance and certification
  • Totara Perform
  • Totara Engage
  • Self-hosting
  • Programs and learning plans

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 Totara
  • A language learner building custom vocabulary decks with audio and images tailored to their own study materialnot Totara
  • A self-directed learner who wants full control over the scheduling algorithm and does not want a subscriptionnot Totara
  • An iPhone-only user deciding whether the one-time AnkiMobile price is worth it versus using the free web interface insteadnot Totara

Totara

  • Health services and government bodies that must evidence mandatory training by job role across a large hierarchynot Anki
  • Organisations with data residency rules that require the platform to run on their own infrastructurenot Anki
  • Moodle users who need appraisal, competency and compliance features the academic product does not carrynot Anki
  • Buyers who want exit rights over the platform code rather than dependence on a single hosted vendornot 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.

Totara

  • You cannot buy from the vendor. Every purchase runs through a partner who sets its own hosting, services and support pricing, so identical platforms are quoted at materially different totals and buyers must run a partner comparison as well as a product comparison.
  • Open source does not mean cheap. Subscription plus partner hosting plus implementation and version upgrade services commonly lands near commercial system cost, and the saving is in control and exit rights rather than in the invoice.
  • The administrative interface carries its Moodle lineage and is dense, so administrator training is a real project cost rather than an afterthought.
  • Major version upgrades are projects, especially where a partner has customised the deployment, and organisations that customise heavily find upgrades slower and dearer over time.
  • The learner facing experience is functional rather than engaging, and organisations wanting a consumer grade learning experience usually front it with something else.

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

Totara

On request
  • Totara subscription via partner$undefined/year
    • Sold only through distribution partners
    • Partner sets hosting, implementation and support pricing
    • Source available under the GPL, but subscription required for supported releases

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 Totara if

  • You need organisational hierarchies.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
  • You also want compliance and certification.
Totara review

Questions people ask

Is Anki or Totara better?
Neither clearly leads. Anki starts at Free and Totara at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Anki or Totara?
Anki has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Anki and On request for Totara.
Does Anki or Totara run on more platforms?
Anki runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Web. Totara runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
Can I use Anki for free?
Yes. Anki has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Totara starts at On request.
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 Totara is typically brought in for.
What can Anki do that Totara cannot?
Anki covers Spaced repetition scheduling, Cross-platform sync, Shared deck library, Custom card types. Totara covers Organisational hierarchies, Compliance and certification, Totara Perform, Totara Engage.

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.

Totara: Is Totara free because it is open source?

No. The source is available under the GPL, but supported releases require a subscription, and it is sold through partners who add hosting, implementation and support costs.

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.

Totara: How is it different from Moodle?

Moodle is built around courses and academic delivery. Totara adds organisational hierarchies, role based automatic assignment, recurring certification and appraisal, which is what workplace compliance reporting needs.

Anki: Do I need to pay for sync?

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

Totara: Can we host it ourselves?

Yes. Self hosting is a genuine option and is one of the main reasons regulated and public sector buyers choose it over a hosted only competitor.

Share

Related pages

More on Anki

More on Totara

Keep looking

Other head to heads