Deepstash is free to start, but reading ideas and saving them have different limits. Its homepage reserves unlimited saving for Pro. Test both before deciding whether free is enough.
Learning Cadence editorial, , updated , 6 min readHow we work
Deepstash is free to install on iPhone and Android. Its US App Store listing places library access under Start Free, while its homepage excludes unlimited saving from Free and includes it in Pro. We checked that comparison on 16 October 2026.
Free access can help you test the reading habit, but it does not establish unlimited saving, quiz access or every other feature. Check the specific things you want to do in your account before choosing a paid plan.
The short answer
Free reading does not mean unlimited saving
Start Deepstash free to test reading, then check saving and reopening an idea. The official homepage excludes unlimited saving from Free. Pro also adds advertised features such as audio and offline access; quiz and learning-journey limits need an account check.
Worth it if
You read in short gaps and do not need the ideas read aloud.
You are still testing whether an idea feed earns a place in your day.
You mainly return to ideas you saved, rather than needing a full reading history.
You read on a connection, so offline downloads would go unused.
Not worth it if
You want the ideas as audio on a commute or a walk.
You travel without signal and need saved cards available offline.
You need a full history of what you read, including ideas you did not save.
Your account shows ads that interrupt reading, and ad removal matters to you.
What you actually get
Free tier, paid tier, and the wall between them.
The product, the paid upgrade, and who gets value from it.
01
Free: reading access
Deepstash's App Store listing puts more than 200,000 ideas from books, articles, podcasts and videos on the free side, under the heading Start Free.
02
Free: your own ideas
The listing includes creating and sharing ideas under Free. That does not establish unlimited saving: the official homepage places that feature in Pro. We have not tested a free account's numerical saving limit.
03
Pro: unlimited saving and more
The homepage includes unlimited saving with Pro. The App Store listing also describes no ads, audio playback, offline downloads and unlimited reading history.
04
Check quiz access before choosing a tier
Deepstash's iOS version 32.8.0 notes describe optional quizzes, and its Pro page advertises learning journeys. Checked on 14 October 2026. We have not tested which quizzes are free, their depth, or Android availability. Confirm access in your account.
How the pricing works: Deepstash is free to install and use, with an optional Pro subscription. Prices checked on 29 September 2026: its US App Store listing shows Pro Monthly entries at US$12.99 and US$19.99, a Pro 3 Months entry at US$29.99, and Pro Yearly entries at US$29.99, US$49.99, US$69.99, US$89.99 and US$99.99. The same US$29.99 appears as both a three-month and a yearly entry, so check which term you are buying. These are listed options and not a guaranteed offer for your account. The official homepage also advertises Lifetime Pro; we have not verified its price or account availability. Confirm the amount charged now and the renewal total at your own checkout.
Each of these beats Deepstash for a specific job. Cadence is ours, and it only appears where it genuinely fits.
Scroll across to compare every column.
Alternatives to Deepstash
Instead use
When it is the better choice
Kinnu
You want free general-knowledge pathways with questions that check recall, not a feed of standalone cards.
Anki
You want scheduled review of cards you write yourself. Anki is free on desktop and web, and AnkiDroid is free on Android. The official AnkiMobile app for iPhone and iPad is a paid purchase. It is a review tool, not a taught course.
The original source
One idea matters enough that you need the author's full reasoning, evidence and examples.
Cadence
A saved idea points at a goal and you want an ordered course you can take at your own pace. This is our app. Cadence brings the best ideas from books, research, expert practice and standout articles into a course shaped to your goal.
What free actually means here
Check reading, saving and reopening separately.
Deepstash's App Store listing describes free library access, but its homepage does not include unlimited saving in Free. Those statements answer different questions. Being able to read an idea does not establish that you can keep every idea you want.
Try this before paying: read an idea that matters to you, save it if your account allows it, then return later and try to reopen it. Note any limit or upgrade screen. This separates a reading habit from a saving habit without guessing a free saving allowance.
Where the wall is
Find the limit that would make Pro useful.
The US App Store listing describes searching and filtering saved ideas, then lists unlimited reading history under Pro. These serve different needs: search finds ideas you chose to save; history helps you return to something you read without saving. The listing does not state a free search limit, and we have not tested account-specific access.
Before paying, try two checks in your own account. Save an idea and search for it later. Read a second idea without saving it and try to find it through history. Note which action, if either, shows a limit. Separately check whether audio, offline access or the advertised removal of ads solves a problem you actually have.
A check worth doing
Published prices for this app disagree with each other.
Pages that rank for this question quote a single monthly amount, and the ones we read on 18 September 2026 did not match what Apple lists. We saw one competitor's page state US$7.99 a month while the US App Store listed Pro Monthly entries at US$12.99 and US$19.99.
We have no view on why they differ, and a listing is not a quote for your account either. The public list does not establish which offers your account can buy. The official homepage also advertises Lifetime Pro, so distinguish a recurring subscription from a lifetime offer and confirm the total and terms at checkout.
Put it into practice
Start it today, one lesson at a time.
Cadence builds a course around your goal, with lessons, practice and saved progress. Learn at your own pace. Cadence is our app.
Deepstash is free to install and use with no time limit stated on its App Store listing. Its listing describes library access under Start Free, but its homepage excludes unlimited saving from Free. Future availability and individual account limits are not guaranteed.
What is the catch with the free version of Deepstash?
Reading access is not the same as unlimited saving. Deepstash's official homepage excludes unlimited saving from Free. The App Store listing also describes no ads, audio, offline downloads and unlimited history under Pro. Check your account's exact limits.
How much does Deepstash Pro cost?
Prices checked on 29 September 2026: the US App Store lists Pro Monthly entries at US$12.99 and US$19.99, a Pro 3 Months entry at US$29.99, and Pro Yearly entries at US$29.99, US$49.99, US$69.99, US$89.99 and US$99.99. These are listed purchase options, not a guaranteed offer, so read your own checkout.
Is there a free alternative to Deepstash?
Kinnu offers free general-knowledge pathways with recall questions. Anki is free on desktop and web, and AnkiDroid is free on Android; the official AnkiMobile app for iPhone and iPad is paid. Cadence, which we make, gives 2 new lessons a day with audio free, and 4 new custom courses a month.
See it in concrete terms
Explore example courses for your goal.
Turn a saved idea into a skill you can use. Explore these example outlines, then start free in Cadence, describe your goal and answer the setup questions to build your own course.
We answered one question, whether the Deepstash free tier is enough on its own, by reading the free and Pro feature split that Deepstash publishes on its current US App Store listing and on its own site. We separated what the free tier includes from what Pro adds, and we treated listed in-app purchases as listed options.
What we checked directly: On 18 September 2026 we read Deepstash's current US App Store listing, including its Free and Pro feature comparison and its full list of in-app purchases, together with the free-to-start claim on its own homepage. We rechecked the listed subscription prices on 29 September 2026. On 14 October 2026 we checked the iOS version 32.8.0 release notes for optional quizzes and the official Pro page for learning journeys; their tier and platform availability remain untested. On 16 October 2026 we checked the homepage Free/Pro comparison and Lifetime Pro FAQ. Unlimited saving is excluded from Free; we did not test account-specific limits or purchase an offer. On 22 October 2026 we checked Anki's official platform links and AnkiMobile's US App Store listing to distinguish its free versions from the paid iPhone and iPad app. On 27 October 2026 we re-read the Deepstash US App Store listing to distinguish search of saved ideas from Pro reading history. We did not test a signed-in account, ad placement or why users upgrade.
Limits of this review: We did not buy Deepstash Pro, we did not test its offline or signed-in behavior, and we did not verify its published catalog or community counts independently. Claims about Deepstash stay attributed to the official pages linked above.
