Anki
Joplin
| Feature | Anki | Joplin |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $24.99/mo | Free / from $2.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | medical-students, language-learners, researchers, lifelong-learners | privacy-advocates, developers, linux-users, evernote-migrants |
| Founded | 2006 | 2017 |
| Spaced Repetition | ✓ | ✗ |
| Custom Cards | ✓ | ✗ |
| Add Ons | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shared Decks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Statistics | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sync | ✓ | ✓ |
| Markdown | ✗ | ✓ |
| Encryption | ✗ | ✓ |
| Web Clipper | ✗ | ✓ |
| Plugins | ✗ | ✓ |
| Notebooks | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Anki Pros
- Free desktop/Android
- Spaced repetition
- Highly customizable
- Huge shared deck library
✗ Anki Cons
- Steep learning curve
- Dated interface
- iOS app expensive
✓ Joplin Pros
- Free and open-source
- End-to-end encryption
- Self-host option
- Import from Evernote
✗ Joplin Cons
- Less polished UI
- Sync requires setup
- Limited collaboration
The Verdict
Anki is built for medical students and language learners, with a focus on spaced-repetition and custom-cards. Joplin targets privacy advocates and developers and leads with markdown and encryption.
On pricing, Joplin is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $2.99/mo compared to $24.99/mo for Anki. That $22/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Bottom line: Anki has a slight overall edge — but if free and open-source matters most to you, Joplin may still be the right call.