📖 Part 2: Getting Started — Install, AnkiWeb & Syncing
Now that you know why Anki works, let's get it running everywhere you'll study — the right way, from the start. Setting up syncing on day one means your cards, your progress, and your backups follow you from desk to phone automatically, and you never lose a thing.
📚 What You'll Learn
By the end of this part, you'll understand:
- Which Anki apps exist on which platforms — and exactly what each one costs
- How to download and install the free desktop app, and what a "profile" is
- How to create a free AnkiWeb account and why syncing matters so much
- The sync model — how to keep every device in step and handle a conflict
- A quick tour of the desktop main screen and its key buttons
- How Anki's backups protect your work, and how to export a full backup yourself
In This Part
Platforms & Cost
Anki runs on just about everything, but the pricing differs by platform, and it's worth being precise so nothing surprises you. Here's the honest, complete picture.
| Platform | App | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows, macOS, Linux | Anki (desktop) | Free | The full-featured app; where most people create cards |
| Web browser | AnkiWeb | Free | Account for syncing + browsing shared decks; can review in a browser (limited) |
| Android | AnkiDroid | Free | Community-built, open source; full-featured |
| iPhone / iPad | AnkiMobile | Paid (~US$24.99, one-time) | The one-time purchase funds Anki's development; there is no free iOS app |
A few things worth underlining. The desktop app and the AnkiWeb account are completely free, as is AnkiDroid on Android — it's a separate, community-built open-source app that works beautifully with the rest of the ecosystem. The only paid piece is AnkiMobile on iPhone and iPad, a one-time purchase of around US$24.99. That purchase isn't a subscription and isn't a catch — it's the main way the project is funded, and it keeps the desktop app and AnkiWeb free for everyone.
💬 On the iOS price
If you're an iPhone user and not ready to buy, you can still review your cards for free by logging into AnkiWeb in your phone's browser. It's more limited than the app and less pleasant for heavy daily use, but it's a genuine free option — and buying AnkiMobile later is a fair way to support a tool that's saved you a lot of time.
⚠️ Important: All of these apps share one collection through your AnkiWeb account. You don't rebuild your deck on each device — you sync it. That's why setting up an AnkiWeb account early matters, even if today you only use one device.
Installing & AnkiWeb
Downloading the desktop app
Always get the desktop app from the official site, apps.ankiweb.net. It offers downloads for Windows, macOS, and Linux — pick the one for your system, and if you're unsure which Windows or Mac build to choose, the standard/recommended option is the safe bet. Installing is the usual affair: run the downloaded file and follow the prompts. When you first open Anki you'll see a small starter deck; you can study it to try the buttons, then delete it later.
📖 Definition
Profile: a separate Anki collection on one computer. Profiles let two people share a single login on the same machine while keeping their cards apart. Most people only ever need one profile (the default "User 1"), so unless you're sharing a computer with another Anki user, you can ignore this feature entirely.
Creating a free AnkiWeb account
AnkiWeb is Anki's free companion service. You'll use it for two things: syncing your collection across devices, and browsing the library of shared decks other people have published. Creating an account takes a minute — visit ankiweb.net (or click Sync in the desktop app, which will prompt you to log in or sign up) and register with an email and password.
Why syncing matters
This is the part people wish they'd set up sooner. Your Anki collection — every card, every note, and all your scheduling progress — lives locally on whatever device you're using. On its own, that data never leaves that one machine. Syncing pushes it up to AnkiWeb, which then acts as the central copy: every other device pulls from it, so they all match. As a bonus, that central copy is an off-device backup, so a lost or broken device doesn't mean lost cards.
The sync model — and conflicts
The habit to build is simple: sync often, especially right before and right after you switch devices. Finish a review session on your phone? Sync. About to study on the desktop? Sync first so you're working from the latest. If you always sync when you finish, every device stays in step and you'll rarely hit trouble.
Occasionally Anki will detect that both sides changed since the last sync and can't safely merge them — a conflict. When that happens Anki asks which side should win: upload (your current device's version replaces AnkiWeb's) or download (AnkiWeb's version replaces this device's). The way to avoid ever agonizing over that choice is to treat one device — usually the desktop — as your main, do your card-making there, and always sync when you finish on any device.
⚠️ Watch Out
If a conflict box appears, read it before clicking. Choosing the wrong direction can discard the newer work on the other side. When in doubt, pick the side where you know you did the most recent work. This is rare, and it becomes essentially impossible if you sync at the end of every session.
✅ Tip
Your media — the images and audio on your cards — syncs too, through the same button. There's a separate size allowance for media, but for typical personal decks you'll never come close to it. Just sync as usual and pictures and sound follow your cards to every device.
The Desktop Screen & Backups
Open the desktop app and the main screen is refreshingly plain. Here's what you're looking at, so nothing feels mysterious.
| Element | What it does |
|---|---|
| Decks list (center) | Your decks, each showing how many cards are due today. Click one to start studying. |
| Add (top) | The big button for creating new cards — you'll live here when building a deck. |
| Browse (top) | A searchable table of every card you have; where you find, edit, and organize cards. |
| Sync (top-right) | Pushes and pulls your collection to AnkiWeb. Click it often. |
| Stats (bottom) | Charts of your reviews, workload, and progress over time. |
| Gear ⚙ / Options (per deck) | The gear next to a deck opens its settings — daily limits, scheduling, and more. |
You don't need to touch most of these yet. For now, knowing that Add makes cards, Browse finds them, and Sync keeps everything safe is plenty to get going.
Backups — your data is safe and portable
One of the quiet joys of Anki is that it takes protecting your work seriously. The desktop app automatically keeps backups of your collection every time you close it (or sync). You can see and adjust how many it keeps under Preferences → Backups, and restore from one if something ever goes wrong. Combined with the copy on AnkiWeb, your cards are protected in more than one place without you doing anything.
For extra peace of mind — say before a big reorganization, or when moving to a new computer — you can also export a complete snapshot yourself. Use File → Export and choose the Anki Collection Package (.colpkg) format with media included. That single file is your entire collection, portable and safe to stash anywhere. To bring it back, use File → Import.
Between automatic local backups, the AnkiWeb copy, and the occasional .colpkg
export, losing your deck is genuinely hard to do. Learn early to reach for Sync
out of habit and you've covered the important case with a single click.
🧠 Mindset
Setup steps can feel tedious when you're itching to make cards. But doing them once, now, means you'll never lose progress and never have to think about "where do my cards live?" again. Ten minutes of setup buys you years of worry-free studying — a very good trade.
🛠️ How To: Install Anki and Set Up Sync Across Your Devices
What you'll do: get Anki running on your computer and your phone, tie them together through one free AnkiWeb account, and confirm everything syncs — so from here on, your cards live everywhere and back themselves up.
Step by step
- Download the desktop app. Go to apps.ankiweb.net, pick the download for your operating system, run it, and open Anki.
- Create a free AnkiWeb account. Visit ankiweb.net and sign up with an email and password (or click Sync in the app, which offers to create one).
- Sync the desktop for the first time. Click Sync in the app, log in with your AnkiWeb account, and let it upload your collection. This establishes the central copy on AnkiWeb.
- Install the mobile app. On Android, install AnkiDroid (free) from the Play Store. On iPhone/iPad, buy AnkiMobile from the App Store — or, to stay free for now, just open ankiweb.net in your phone's browser.
- Sign in and sync the mobile app. Log into the mobile app with the same AnkiWeb account, then sync. It downloads your collection so both devices now match.
- Build the habit. From now on, sync when you finish studying on any device. That single click keeps everything in step and backed up.
💡 Tip
The one rule that prevents almost every sync headache: use the same AnkiWeb account on every device, and sync at the end of each session. If you ever see a conflict prompt, it's simply asking which side is newer — pick the device where you just did your work.
Best Practices
✅ Do's
- Download only from apps.ankiweb.net (and official app stores) — you'll get the genuine, current app.
- Set up an AnkiWeb account on day one — even single-device users get free, off-device backup from it.
- Sync at the start and end of every session — it's a one-click habit that keeps devices in step.
- Pick one device as your main (usually the desktop) and do most card-making there to avoid conflicts.
❌ Don'ts
- Don't skip syncing before switching devices — that's exactly when conflicts appear.
- Don't use different AnkiWeb accounts on different devices — they won't share a collection and your cards will diverge.
- Don't blindly click through a conflict prompt — read which direction it's proposing before choosing.
- Don't assume you need multiple profiles — one profile is right for almost everyone.
💡 Pro Tips
- Do an occasional
.colpkgexport before any big change — it's a full snapshot you can restore in seconds. - On iPhone, try the free AnkiWeb browser option first; if Anki earns a place in your routine, AnkiMobile is a fair way to support it.
📓 Learning Journal
Keep a journal as you work through this guide — digital or paper. After each part, jot down:
- Key ideas you learned
- Things that clicked for you
- Questions or confusion points to revisit
- Ideas you want to try
- Your progress and how you feel about it
✍️ This part's prompt: Which devices will you actually study on — desktop, phone, tablet, or a mix? Which one makes the most sense as your "main" device for creating cards? Note your plan, and whether the iOS pricing affects your choice.
📝 Part Summary
🎓 Key Takeaways
- Desktop (Windows/macOS/Linux), AnkiWeb, and AnkiDroid (Android) are all free; AnkiMobile (iOS) is a one-time paid app (~US$24.99) that funds development.
- Download the desktop app from apps.ankiweb.net; one profile is right for almost everyone.
- Your collection lives locally — a free AnkiWeb account syncs it to a central copy so all devices match and you get an off-device backup.
- Sync often, treat one device as your main, and read any conflict prompt before choosing a direction. Media syncs too.
- Anki keeps automatic backups (Preferences → Backups), and you can export a full
.colpkgsnapshot yourself — your data is safe and portable.
🎉 What You Can Now Do
You can install Anki on your computer and phone, tie them together with one free AnkiWeb account, and keep everything in sync and backed up with a single habit. You also know your way around the main screen well enough to find the buttons that matter. The plumbing is done — now the fun part (actually making and studying cards) can begin.
❓ Common Questions
Do I have to pay for Anki?
Not on desktop, Android, or the web — those are free, including the AnkiWeb account. The only paid piece is the iPhone/iPad app, AnkiMobile, a one-time purchase of about US$24.99 that funds the whole project. iOS users who don't want to buy it can review free through AnkiWeb in a mobile browser.
Is AnkiWeb required, or can I use Anki on just one computer?
You can absolutely use the desktop app alone without syncing. But creating a free AnkiWeb account is worth it even then, because syncing gives you an off-device backup of your entire collection. If your computer ever dies, your cards are safe on AnkiWeb.
What happens if I edit cards on two devices before syncing?
If both changed since the last sync, Anki shows a conflict prompt asking which side to keep — upload (this device wins) or download (AnkiWeb wins). Pick the side with your newest work. The reliable way to avoid this entirely is to sync at the end of every session and do most editing on one main device.
🔭 Up Next
In the next part, we'll build the mental model that makes everything else click: notes, note types, fields, and cards — what they are, how they relate, and why understanding them turns Anki from confusing to obvious.
📚 Additional Resources
- apps.ankiweb.net — official downloads for every desktop platform
- docs.ankiweb.net — Syncing — the official manual's syncing chapter
- docs.ankiweb.net — Backups — how Anki's backups work
🌟 Keep Going
The setup is the least glamorous part, and you've done it. From here your cards will follow you everywhere and quietly back themselves up while you focus on what actually matters: remembering things. Come back to this page any time you set up a new device.