Cram vs Mochi
Mochi is a beloved indie flashcard app: write notes and cards in Markdown, study them with spaced repetition, and keep everything offline-first on any desktop or phone. It even uses AI to help flesh out card content. Cram takes the work out of the front end — instead of writing cards, you drop in your notes, PDF, or a topic and AI builds the whole deck, then you review it on your iPhone.
Both are clean, focused spaced-repetition tools. The split is who writes the cards: in Mochi you do (with a little AI help and Markdown); in Cram, AI builds the deck from your material.
Cram vs Mochi at a glance
| Feature | Cram | Mochi |
|---|---|---|
| AI generates your cards | Yes | PartialAI assists card content; you still write the cards |
| From PDFs, notes, links & topics | Yes | PartialMarkdown notes; no PDF-to-deck generation |
| Spaced repetition | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud sync & backup | Yes | PartialCloud sync requires Pro |
| Study offline | Yes | Yes |
| No ads | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | iPhone | Mac, Win, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Pricing | Free trial, then subscription | Free; Pro subscription for syncVerify current pricing on mochi.cards |
Competitor details are approximate and current as of June 2026. Always check Mochi's official site for the latest pricing and features.
What is Mochi?
Mochi is an offline-first flashcard and notes app where you write cards in Markdown and review them with spaced repetition. It uses AI to help generate example sentences and study prompts, supports media and text-to-speech, and runs on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. It's free to use with local storage and no sign-up; a Pro subscription adds cloud sync across devices.
Where Cram stands out
AI builds the whole deck
Mochi's AI helps flesh out cards, but you still write and structure them in Markdown. Cram reads your notes, PDF, link, or topic and generates a complete question-and-answer deck in seconds.
No Markdown, no setup
Mochi rewards people who enjoy formatting cards by hand. Cram is designed to be understood in thirty seconds — add material, get a deck, start reviewing.
Made for the phone
Mochi is desktop-first with a mobile companion. Cram is a native iPhone app built for studying on the go, with an exam-date countdown to keep you on pace.
Private by design
No ads, no data-selling, and your study material is never used to train AI models.
Where Mochi stands out
Offline-first and free to use
Mochi stores everything locally with no sign-up and is free to use; you only pay if you want cloud sync. For a private, no-account workflow, that's a real strength.
Markdown power and media
Cards support Markdown formatting, images, audio, and text-to-speech — great for people who want fine control over how a card looks.
Truly cross-platform
Mochi runs on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android, with an API and open-source integrations. Cram launches on iPhone first.
Choose Cram if
iPhone users who want AI to build the deck from their material and a simple, offline review flow — no card-writing or Markdown.
Choose Mochi if
Tinkerers who want an offline-first, free, cross-platform flashcard app and don't mind writing cards in Markdown.
The verdict
Choose Mochi for an offline-first, free, cross-platform flashcard app if you like writing cards in Markdown. Choose Cram if you'd rather AI build the deck from your own material and review it on your iPhone with nothing to set up.
Turn your notes into a deck in seconds
No ads, offline review, synced to your account. Built for cramming.