Memrisevs
Anki
Anki: If you want free, fully customisable spaced repetition without a subscription
Memrise
Vocabulary and spaced repetition language app built around video clips of native speakers
As of 1 September 2026, Memrise is free to use. Language app centred on spaced repetition flashcards for vocabulary, distinguished by short video clips of native speakers using the words in real settings rather than only text and audio. Softwr lists it under Education. Memrise is available on iOS, Android, Web.
Overview
What Memrise does
Memrise teaches vocabulary and short phrases through spaced repetition flashcards, scheduling reviews at increasing intervals based on how well you recall each item, the same underlying technique as Anki but with a more produced, game-like presentation. Its most distinctive feature is Learn with Locals, short video clips of native speakers saying words and phrases in real locations, aimed at bridging the gap between textbook language and how people actually speak. The free-to-paid line matters here because Memrise moved away from its earlier community-created course model toward its own official courses, and most of that official content, along with the video clips and offline access, sits behind Memrise Pro, commonly priced around $8.99 a month or roughly $69.99 to $89.99 a year. The free tier allows basic vocabulary practice with daily limits and ad interruptions, enough to sample the method but not to sustain serious study. Buyers are learners who want vocabulary acquisition focused on real spoken usage rather than formal grammar instruction, making it a companion to a grammar-focused app like Busuu or a classroom course rather than a complete replacement for either. The trade-off against Anki is presentation versus control: Memrise handles scheduling and content for you at a subscription cost, while Anki is free but requires building or downloading your own decks.
What people use it for
- A learner who wants vocabulary tied to real spoken usage through native speaker video rather than only text flashcards
- Someone using a grammar-focused course elsewhere and wanting Memrise purely for vocabulary retention
- A traveller wanting practical phrase recognition for a specific trip rather than formal fluency
- A learner comparing subscription convenience against building free custom decks in Anki
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about Memrise.
- The free tier caps daily reviews tightly enough that consistent vocabulary building in practice requires the Pro subscription.
- Memrise phased out much of its earlier community-created course library in favour of official courses, so learners who relied on community decks for less common languages lost access to that content.
- It teaches vocabulary and set phrases well but offers comparatively thin grammar instruction, so it works best as a companion to a grammar-focused course rather than a standalone method.
- Language coverage for the flagship Learn with Locals video feature and speaking practice is uneven, concentrated in a handful of popular languages.
- Unlike Anki, the spaced repetition algorithm and content are closed and cannot be customised or exported, so a learner cannot take their review data to another tool.
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of Memrise
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- MemrisevsBusuu
Busuu: If you want structured grammar courses alongside vocabulary
- MemrisevsDuolingo
Duolingo: If you want a gamified, free-first approach to overall language learning
Pricing
What Memrise costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Memrise Pro
$8.99 /mo
- Free tier allows basic vocabulary practice with daily limits and ads
- Pro unlocks Learn with Locals videos, full official courses and offline mode
- Annual Pro plans typically run $69.99 to $89.99, cheaper per month than monthly billing
- Speaking practice and grammar bot features vary by supported language
Capabilities
Features
Spaced repetition flashcards
Vocabulary review scheduled at increasing intervals based on recall performance
Learn with Locals videos
Short clips of native speakers using words and phrases in real settings, Pro tier
Official courses
Structured vocabulary courses built by Memrise rather than the earlier community model
Speaking practice
Pronunciation and speaking exercises with feedback on selected courses
Offline mode
Downloaded lessons for use without a connection, Pro only
Grammar bot
AI-assisted grammar explanation and practice on supported languages
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Is Memrise free?
A limited amount of vocabulary practice is free with daily caps and ads. Learn with Locals videos, full courses and offline mode require Memrise Pro.
What is Learn with Locals?
Short video clips of native speakers using vocabulary and phrases in real settings, intended to show how language is actually spoken rather than textbook delivery.
Can I still use community-created courses?
Memrise moved away from most of its earlier community course library toward its own official courses, so availability of community content is now limited.
Keep looking
Where to go from Memrise
- Memrise alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- Memrise pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- Memrise badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Education softwareThe full category
- Best Education softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Memrise, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on Memrise
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