I'm the developer behind MintDeck, a free flashcard app for iPhone built on the FSRS spaced repetition algorithm — and I write every guide, how-to, and app comparison published on this blog.
Building a spaced repetition app means living inside this problem space daily: scheduling algorithms, card design, import formats, what makes reviews stick and what makes people quit. The articles here come out of that work — the learning-science guides explain the research MintDeck is built on, and the comparisons cover the apps I evaluated and compete with.
How come the app is free?
The honest answer: I'm a solo developer building it on my own, sometimes bringing in a freelancer to move things along faster.
I started MintDeck out of my own frustration with learning apps. Too many are either outdated and painful to use, or locked behind an aggressive paywall and ads. Apps need to make money — that part is fair — but too often the person who pays the price, in money or attention, is the learner.
The revenue a large company needs to survive and the revenue one individual needs are worlds apart. That gap is what lets me keep studying in MintDeck free. Optional AI credits pay for the cloud AI features and my time on the app.
If you like MintDeck, the best things you can do are spread the word, leave a review on the App Store, or — if you feel like it — buy me a coffee. None of it is expected, and all of it helps more than you'd think.
MintDeck won't always be perfect. If something isn't working the way you'd expect, or there's a feature you really miss, write to support@mintdeck.app. Your feedback is how it gets better.
How the app comparisons are written
A fair warning and a promise: MintDeck is my app, so every comparison on this blog has an obvious interest. Here is how I keep them honest:
- I use the apps I write about — installed on a real device, with real decks — rather than summarizing other people's reviews.
- Prices, free-tier limits, and feature claims are re-checked against the live App Store listings and official sites at the time of writing, and noted with the year they were verified.
- Each comparison states who the other app is best for. If Anki Desktop or a pre-made Quizlet library is the better fit for your situation, the article says so.
- When something changes — a price, an algorithm, a paywall — I update the article rather than leaving stale claims up.
If you spot something outdated or wrong, tell me at support@mintdeck.app and I'll fix it.