I paid for Anki iOS app but the interface is so clunky (even though experts swear by it) that I never really got good use out of it.
AnkiDroid is amazing. ~14k cards, so I've committed a lot to Anki.
https://senrigan.io/blog/everything-i-know-strategies-tips-a...
I'm likely not going to use Anki but many of the tips and strategies in your article resonated with me. Thanks!
I have the desktop app too (on Linux), which I use for deck creation. The interface is really archaic and unattractive (reminds me of an old Tcl/Tk app, though it's written in PyQt). I spent a week trying to get used to it, and I did sort of get the hang of it, but the experience wasn't frictionless enough for me to feel like I want to use it all the time.
I feel that most people who use Anki do it because they are forced to (for med school, for language learning), so they put up with the interface and eventually get used to it.
Anki is kind of a weird local minimum, because there have been many attempts to recreate new "Ankis, but with a better UI" but none have managed to dethrone it.
The closest thing I've found to an "Anki, but with a better UI" is Quizlet. It's not free ($23/year) but so far I'm enjoying the experience.