Four Ways to Ask AI Inside Anki
Which tool answers the "why?" on a card you are already reviewing. Every entry in the table comes from the tool's own pages, with no guesses and no ranking. Our own prices and credits live on the pricing page, the install steps are in the setup manual, and what is sent and stored is on the consent and privacy page.
| Item | umeboshi-ask | AI Explain | AnkiGPT | AnkiHub Premium AI | Official ChatGPT app |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free is 20 credits a week. Monthly plans start at $1. | Starter $0.99/month, Standard $2.99/month, Plus $4.99/month. Generations reset each month and don't carry over. | The add-on itself is free. Running it needs a ChatGPT account (free or Plus). | Free $0, Core $6/month, Premium $10/month, Lifetime $450 (their official page lists it as an early access rate). | Free $0, Go $8/month, Plus $20/month. |
| Automatic card context | Automatic. The card content is attached as is. | One hotkey generates an explanation for the card: Alt+M (rebindable) analyses the card on the spot. | Their official page doesn't mention automatic card context. | The AI suggests related cards in that format. Their official page says nothing about attaching card content to an explanation. | None. You open another app and copy the card text by hand to ask. |
| Answers saved to the card and revisited | Saved Notes show up again when you open the same card (linked by CardID). | Explanations save to the card automatically and can be read offline. Their official page doesn't say how fine-grained the card link is (whether a whole conversation replays). | Their official page doesn't mention saving. | Their official page states no saving or reuse of AI answers. | None. There's no Anki link, and the history stays on the ChatGPT side. |
| Supported setups | The same operation on Desktop, AnkiDroid, AnkiMobile, and AnkiWeb. | Generation happens on Desktop (the add-on). You can read the results on AnkiMobile (iOS/Android) too. | Desktop only (Anki 24.11+). | Anki add-on and web app. Deck updates go through Anki's own sync. | Web, iOS, Android, and desktop (yes on every tier in the official comparison). |
| API key needed | No. Allowlist mode, usable anonymously. | No (license key). | No (you log in with a ChatGPT account). | No (their own service). | No. |
| Login needed | Optional. Google login syncs what you save. | No (you only enter a license key; billing is managed by email). | Yes (a ChatGPT account). | Yes (email signup; the official page shows no Google login box). | Yes (an OpenAI account). |
| Data handling | Questions go through OpenRouter. Only Saved Notes stay on the server, and you delete them one by one with the button on the card. | Explanations are stored on the card. Their official page doesn't state how sent data is handled. | Your ChatGPT viewing history. The add-on is MIT. | AnkiHub's web service. Their official page states no AI answer storage. | OpenAI's service. Chat history is unlimited on every tier (official comparison). |
The pricing page is the source for our own prices and credits, so this table doesn't pair them here. Details of what is sent and stored are on the consent and privacy page.
How is it different from AI Explain?
AI Explain generates an explanation for a card from one hotkey and saves it on the card. umeboshi-ask sends a question you write yourself and saves the answer linked to the CardID, so it replays on that card. Whether a whole conversation replays is not stated on AI Explain's official page.
Next: pricing · setup manual · consent and privacy
How is it different from AnkiGPT?
AnkiGPT is a Desktop-only add-on that needs a ChatGPT account (free or Plus). Its official page states no saving of answers. umeboshi-ask runs the same way on Desktop, AnkiDroid, AnkiMobile, and AnkiWeb, and Saved Notes stay linked to the card.
Next: pricing · setup manual · consent and privacy
How is it different from AnkiHub Premium AI?
AnkiHub focuses on collaborative decks, and its AI assistance ships with the Premium tier. The AI suggests related cards in that format, and their official page says nothing about attaching card content to an explanation. It also states no saving or reuse of AI answers.
Next: pricing · setup manual · consent and privacy
How is it different from the official ChatGPT app?
The official ChatGPT app runs on Web, iOS, Android, and desktop, but it lives outside your Anki cards. You copy the card text by hand to ask, the answer doesn't stay on Anki, and the history stays on the ChatGPT side. umeboshi-ask asks without leaving Anki and saves the answer linked to the card.
Next: pricing · setup manual · consent and privacy