Anki is the better app overall, scoring 8.8 to 8.1. Anki wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Busuu on 1.
Med students, language learners and anyone memorizing lots of facts
Learners who want structured, level-based courses with real feedback
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Anki | Busuu |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning | Learning |
| Category rank | #4 of 12 | #9 of 12 |
| Developer | Damien Elmes and AnkiHub | Busuu Limited |
| Pricing | Free | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | — |
| Windows | ✓ | — |
| Linux | ✓ | — |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Anki better than Busuu?
Anki is the better app overall, scoring 8.8 to 8.1. Anki wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Busuu on 1.
Which is cheaper, Anki or Busuu?
Anki: Free on desktop, Android and web; iPhone app AnkiMobile is $24.99 one time. Busuu: Free lessons with ads; Premium and Premium Plus are priced by region and plan length. On value for money, Anki scores higher.
Do Anki and Busuu work on the same devices?
Only Anki runs on Mac, Windows, Linux.
Which is more private, Anki or Busuu?
Anki scores higher on privacy (9.5/10). No ads or tracking. AnkiMobile's label links contact info and your cards (for AnkiWeb sync) to you; diagnostics are unlinked. The desktop app works fully offline without an account.
Strengths and weaknesses
Anki
- Smart scheduling means you review less and still remember
- Free and open source on desktop, Android and the web
- Fully customizable cards, decks and study settings
- Looks dated and is hard to learn
- AnkiMobile, the iPhone and iPad app, costs money
Anki is the most effective flashcard app you can use, if you're willing to put in the work. Its FSRS scheduler shows each card just before you'd forget it. It's free and open source everywhere except iPhone, where AnkiMobile is a one-time purchase. AnkiHub is now taking over from its creator. The catch: it looks dated and takes real effort to set up. Ideal for med students and serious language learners.
Full Anki review
Busuu
- Structured lessons that explain the grammar
- Real people check your writing and speaking
- Courses go all the way up to advanced levels
- The free plan is limited and shows ads
- The best speaking tools need Premium Plus
- Only 14 languages
Busuu feels more like a real course than a game. Lessons follow clear levels from beginner up to advanced, and fluent speakers in the Busuu community can check your writing and speaking. A Study Plan fits lessons around your week, Smart Review gathers the words and grammar you've learned for practice, and Premium Plus adds AI conversation practice. It covers 14 languages. The free plan is limited and shows ads, and prices vary a lot.
Full Busuu review
