"Free" is a slippery word in EdTech. Some apps cap the number of students per class, lock dashboards behind a paywall, or quietly nag teachers to upgrade after the first month. Before downloading anything, check that the app delivers all five of these on the free tier:
| App | Strongest for | Free-tier limits to know |
|---|---|---|
| Quizlet | Self-study flashcards, shared decks across millions of users | Free tier removes "Learn" mode timing; ads on student side |
| Wordwall | One-off games (matchups, wheels, mazes) you embed in a lesson | Capped at 5 saved activities on free tier |
| Vocaband | Whole-class assignment + live challenge workflow, CEFR A1-B2 word sets, HE/AR/RU translations built-in | Truly free for individual teachers; no per-student fee |
| Memrise | Solo learners building long-term vocabulary, spaced repetition | "Pro" features (offline mode, grammar bot) behind a paywall |
| Anki | Power users who want full control over their card decks | Free on web/Android; iOS app costs ~$25 one-time |
Use Vocaband or Quizlet. Both ship with curriculum-aligned word lists you can assign instantly. Vocaband's advantage: students don't need to create accounts to join a class.
Wordwall is purpose-built for this. Drop in a list, pick "Match-up" or "Wheel," project it. Vocaband's live-challenge mode covers the same need without the 5-activity cap.
Vocaband is the only option in this list with native HE/AR translations built into the word cards (and a fully translated student UI). Quizlet and Wordwall can be configured to show translations but require you to type them in.
Memrise or Anki. Both implement the SuperMemo SM-2 algorithm; Anki gives you full control, Memrise hand-holds you with pre-built courses.
No free app does everything. The trade-off you're really making is between polish (Quizlet, Memrise — slick UIs, massive user bases, paid tiers that quietly nag you) and workflow fit (Vocaband, Wordwall — narrower scope but designed around how teachers actually run a lesson). For most ESL classroom contexts, the second category wins because the first 30 seconds of class — getting 25 phones on the same activity — is where lessons live or die.
Try Vocaband free — create a class in 30 seconds