Frequently asked questions

Is Anki Browser free?

Yes — completely free, with no paywall and no feature gates. It is an open-source project hosted on GitHub.

Do I need to install Anki?

No. Anki Browser parses .apkg and .colpkg files directly in your browser using WebAssembly, so the whole pipeline runs inside the web page.

Which file formats are supported?

Two: .apkg (a shared deck exported from Anki) and .colpkg (a backup of an entire Anki collection, created with File → Export → Collection in Anki Desktop).

Is my deck file uploaded anywhere?

No. The file is unzipped and parsed locally on your device with WebAssembly; no card content ever leaves it. This is the single biggest difference between Anki Browser and AnkiWeb.

Does it work on phones and tablets?

Yes. Any modern browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS or Android works, and the layout adapts to the screen size.

Can I actually study, or only view cards?

You can genuinely study. The built-in scheduler is the classic SM-2 spaced-repetition algorithm with Again / Hard / Good / Easy buttons, computing intervals the same way Anki does.

Does it support images, audio and cloze deletions?

Yes. Images and audio embedded in the deck render inline, and cloze notes display and review correctly.

Where is my review progress stored? Can I sync across devices?

Progress lives in your browser's IndexedDB, keyed per deck, and stays on that one device. There is deliberately no cross-device sync: syncing would require uploading your data to a server, which would break the promise that nothing ever leaves your device. Clearing your browser data clears the progress too.

Can I import my progress back into Anki?

Not at the moment. Anki Browser progress is a local record separate from your Anki collection, and there is no export path back into Anki.

How is this different from AnkiWeb?

AnkiWeb requires an account and uploads your collection to Anki's servers. Anki Browser needs no account and uploads nothing; the trade-off is that progress stays local and does not sync between devices. They solve different problems — AnkiWeb is a sync service, Anki Browser is a viewer and reviewer for decks you have right now.

Can I share my own deck on this site?

Yes. Click "Share a deck" in the navigation bar and fill in three required fields: deck name, download link and a one-line summary. Sign in with GitHub to submit, and GitHub will notify you when your deck is reviewed.

Which license applies to shared decks?

You choose when you submit; the default is CC BY-NC 4.0. You must own the deck content or be authorised to distribute it — many Anki decks embed third-party images or audio, so please check your rights before submitting.

A shared deck infringes my rights — how do I get it removed?

Follow the DMCA process described on the Content & DMCA page, or open a GitHub issue describing the problem. We act on valid notices promptly.

Is it open source?

Yes. The source is at https://github.com/geograhic/anki-browser — issues and pull requests are welcome.