Softwr

Education · head to head

Anki vs Linewize

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
Linewize logo

Linewize

Education

School web filtering, classroom control and student wellbeing alerting from the Qoria group

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.; Linewize automated wellbeing flagging produces false positives on ordinary adolescent language, and each false positive is a recorded concern about a named child that the school must then handle and retain.
  • They diverge on capability: Anki covers Spaced repetition scheduling, Linewize covers Filtering on and off network.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Anki and Linewize actually diverge.

Attributes where Anki and Linewize differ
AttributeAnkiLinewize
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence fee except a paid iOS appquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, WebWeb, ChromeOS, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

Identical on both: 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 Linewize

  • Filtering on and off network
  • Classwize
  • Wellbeing alerting
  • Pulse reporting
  • School to home
  • Multi-platform agents

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

Linewize

  • A United Kingdom school evidencing Keeping Children Safe in Education monitoring expectations at inspectionnot Anki
  • Districts with take home devices that need policy applied off the school networknot Anki
  • Schools that want teachers to control lesson browsing without raising a ticket with the network managernot Anki
  • Safeguarding teams that need a documented trail of flags raised and actions takennot 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.

Linewize

  • Automated wellbeing flagging produces false positives on ordinary adolescent language, and each false positive is a recorded concern about a named child that the school must then handle and retain.
  • Buying alerting without staffing it is a liability. If nobody reads the queue, the school has created evidence that it was told and did not act.
  • Off site monitoring of school devices extends school visibility into the home, and unless the school publishes the hours and scope, families discover it after the fact rather than at the point of consent.
  • The group sells both the school monitoring platform and a consumer parental control product to the same families, which is a commercial incentive to widen monitoring that the sales conversation will not surface.
  • Consolidation through acquisition means overlapping products from different codebases inside one group, and schools that bought a now acquired product face migration onto the group platform at renewal.

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

Linewize

On request
  • Linewize$undefined/year
    • Quoted per pupil per year
    • Filtering, classroom and wellbeing modules priced separately
    • Multi-year school and district agreements

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 Linewize if

  • You need filtering on and off network.
  • You work on Web, ChromeOS, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want classwize.
Linewize review

Questions people ask

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

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.

Linewize: Is Linewize the same company as Smoothwall and Qustodio?

They are all part of Qoria, the group formerly known as Family Zone Cyber Safety. Product roadmaps and renewals are coordinated at group level.

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.

Linewize: Does it monitor pupils outside school hours?

On school managed devices it can, and the school decides the scope. Define the hours and the data retention period in policy and tell families, because the software will not decide proportionality for you.

Anki: Do I need to pay for sync?

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

Linewize: Is it FERPA and COPPA aligned?

For United States deployments it contracts as a school official under FERPA with COPPA consent handled by the district. In the United Kingdom the relevant frameworks are UK GDPR and Keeping Children Safe in Education, which impose different retention and review duties.

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