What is Mochi (mochi.cards)?

Mochi is a spaced repetition flashcard and note-taking app. You write notes and build flashcards in Markdown, then review them on a smart schedule designed to help you remember more for longer. It's aimed at two broad groups: language learners, and anyone who wants to turn reading, research, or study notes into long-term knowledge. It runs on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android, and there's also a web version you can try online.

What Mochi actually does

The core loop is simple: capture something as a note or card, then let the spaced repetition system decide when you should see it again. The site describes this as "smart review schedules that help you remember more for longer."

Two design choices shape how it feels to use:

• Markdown-based authoring. You format notes with headings, lists, code, and other Markdown syntax rather than a rich-text editor. This matters if you already write in Markdown or want your cards to look structured without much clicking.
• Local first. Your data is stored on your device and syncs when you're online. So the app is usable offline, and your notes aren't dependent on a live connection to function.

The two main use cases

Language learning

Mochi bundles several language-specific tools directly into the card workflow, so you don't have to switch apps mid-session:

The combination is the point: you can look up a word, hear it, attach a picture, and translate a sentence — all while building the card.

Note-taking and general studying

For non-language study, Mochi leans on connecting ideas rather than isolated cards:

• References and backlinks link notes both ways, so you build a connected web of ideas and can discover relationships between them.
• Tags categorize and group notes for navigation.
• Filters, saved views, and search help you find specific material quickly.
• AI-generated text can create example sentences or study prompts.

This makes it a reasonable fit if your study material is reading or research you want to retain, not just vocabulary.

Platforms and availability

Mochi is available for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. On the download side, the site lists separate Mac builds for Intel chips and Apple Silicon, plus Windows and Linux downloads, and App Store / Play Store listings for mobile. A "Try it online" option exists if you want to evaluate it before installing.

How it compares in practice

The site includes user feedback that positions Mochi against Anki on user experience. One reviewer, Andres B., writes: "I used anki for months, but your UX is waay ahead." Another notes the local-first philosophy, Markdown basis, references and backlinks, interface, keybinds, and pasteable media support as reasons they connected with it quickly.

That's a useful signal about who Mochi suits: people who want spaced repetition but find themselves fighting the tool's interface, and people who already think in Markdown and want their notes and cards in one connected system. If your priority is a large shared deck library or a specific add-on ecosystem, that's a different tradeoff worth checking before committing.

Pricing

The site has a dedicated Pricing page and shows a $0 figure in its headings, but the available material doesn't detail what each plan includes or what paid tiers cost. Check the pricing page directly for current plan limits and features rather than assuming the free tier covers everything.

Quick way to decide

• Try it if you want Markdown notes and flashcards in one app, value offline/local-first storage, or are learning a language and want dictionaries, TTS, and translation inside the card editor.
• Look elsewhere if you depend on a large existing deck collection or a specific plugin ecosystem that Mochi doesn't support.
• Next step: open the web version or install it on your platform, write one Markdown note, turn a line into a card, and review it once — that single loop tells you whether the workflow fits how you study.