Is Tomaru free?

Is Tomaru free?

Yes. Tomaru is built on a free core vocabulary system that is neither a trial nor a stripped-down demonstration. Language learners can create unlimited flashcards, build unlimited word lists, complete unlimited reviews, and access all spaced repetition features on iOS, Android, and the web without paying.

The entire ready-made library—containing over 410,000 cards across more than 150 public lists—is completely available to free accounts. There are also no advertisements in the core vocabulary learning flow.

Tomaru applies limits only to specific supplementary tools that rely on AI language models or speech synthesis. These secondary features use a weekly quota system instead of paywalls.

Which features are unlimited and which have quotas?

Every tool required to study, retain, and analyze your vocabulary operates without caps, fees, or time limits. Advanced settings like studying cards in reverse or practicing by audio alone are standard toggles rather than paid upgrades.

Features that generate new text with AI, process text queries, analyze pronunciation, or synthesize voice audio draw from a weekly allowance.

In addition to the individual limits above, free accounts share an overall ceiling of 2,000 AI operations per week across all language model requests. Each time you trigger an AI feature—such as generating a reading passage, running a sentence check, or asking for usage explanations—that action counts toward this weekly total. Most learners complete their daily study without approaching this ceiling, which resets every Monday at 00:00 UTC.

Do repeat audio plays count against your weekly quota?

Yes. Every time you play a word or example sentence, that action subtracts one play from your weekly allowance.

Playback counts against your quota regardless of whether the audio clip has been played previously or generated in a prior study session. If you review a card ten times in a week and play its audio every time, that consumes ten plays from your weekly audio budget.

How can you get more AI generations or audio plays?

If you reach your weekly quota for speech synthesis or AI generation tools, you can wait for the weekly quota to reset or upgrade your account.

For full details on plan options, visit our pricing page. To learn more about how our core study features work, read our guide on what Tomaru is.

Related questions

Are there any ads during vocabulary reviews?

No. Tomaru does not show advertisements within the core vocabulary learning flow.

Can I train my personalized FSRS parameters on a free account?

Yes. You can start the 21-parameter optimization for free in your settings once you reach roughly 1,000 reviews. To ensure accurate measurement of long-term durability, only reviews completed at least one day after a card's previous review count toward this threshold. Tomaru runs the fitting on our servers and applies the finished parameters automatically.

Do I have to pay to use home screen widgets?

No. Home screen widgets for iOS and Android are included for free, allowing you to complete and sync card reviews directly from your home screen.

What happens if I reach the overall weekly AI limit?

Your account pauses additional AI-powered requests until the weekly counter resets every Monday at 00:00 UTC. Reaching this 2,000-operation ceiling does not block core study: you can continue reviewing existing cards, running standard flashcard sessions, and tracking spaced repetition intervals without interruption.

Do custom word lists cost money to create?

No. You can create as many custom lists and cards as you like, using any of the seven import methods, without hitting a card limit or requiring a paid account.