Deepstash app review: what's free and what it costs

By the edgi team Facts checked September 30, 2026

If you want to learn something in the minutes you'd otherwise spend scrolling, edgi is the app we'd pick over Deepstash: it's free, a Lesson is one idea you play in 60 seconds, and every idea becomes a card on a Map of what you know. Deepstash, the app this review is about, is now mostly a library of ideas from nonfiction books, with a real free tier; try that before you pay for anything. As of September 30, 2026 it's rated 4.67 from 74,384 App Store ratings, yet 263 of its 500 most recent written reviews are one star, and more than half of the one- and two-star ones mention billing. One plan, Pro Yearly, is listed at four prices, from $29.99 to $99.99.

We make edgi, a learning app that competes with Deepstash, and we built it to be the most fun way to learn something in a few spare minutes.

What we looked at, on September 30, 2026: all 212 book pages in Deepstash's public sitemap, plus sample topic and collection pages, its FAQ and terms of service, its US App Store listing and in-app price list, the 500 most recent written App Store reviews through Apple's public feed, its Google Play listing and its Trustpilot page. We didn't make an account, go through its setup, pay or open the app, so anything below about the inside of Deepstash is in Deepstash's words or its reviewers'.

What Deepstash is now

Deepstash's own FAQ still calls it "a platform where users read and curate bite-sized insights and ideas from anywhere online, may that be books, articles, podcasts, or videos." The App Store listing today leads with books: "ideas from the world's most popular books," as "idea cards: short, visual notes," that you can save into collections called stashes. The listing still says free users can "Create and share your own ideas," and its topic pages still show community ideas next to the books.

The public website is a library of book pages. We read all 212:

Counted from deepstash.com, September 30, 2026.

The self-help core is big (91 of the 212 carry a self-help-type label: psychology, personal development, productivity and a few close ones), but the shelf is wider than the listing lets on. The 26 history books include Sapiens, The Silk Roads, 1491, Rubicon and Midnight in Chernobyl, and there's some science: A Brief History of Time, Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, I Contain Multitudes.

Deepstash's own numbers don't line up. The App Store listing says free users get "200,000+ powerful ideas"; its library page says "25M+ Ideas." The listing says "11 million+ people"; the homepage says "Downloads 10M+" and "Books 5K+," against the 212 book pages in the sitemap.

What Deepstash does well

There's a free tier, in writing. The listing's "Start Free" includes access to "200,000+ powerful ideas," and its terms describe "a limited version" at no cost. Pro adds no ads, audio for every idea, offline access and unlimited history, and the FAQ adds unlimited saving: "Save as many ideas as you want."

"Love how the app has a free version for access to some (enough) options right away, and paid version that helps for those that need additional feature, example audio-books, etc." (App Store review, 5 stars, August 12, 2026)

Its happiest reviewers use it to decide what to read, or in place of their phone's feeds. Of the 167 four- and five-star reviews in our sample, 37 mention books and 26 mention scrolling or social media.

"Condensed key points make this a good download for people who are looking for spark notes as well as a preview determining if the book’s worth the buy" (App Store review, 5 stars, September 23, 2026)

There are questions and audio on top of the reading: "I like the 10 ideas for each book and the practice questions. And it comes with an audio." (App Store review, 5 stars, September 10, 2026). The release notes for version 32.8.0, out September 30, read "Book scanning is better. Search moves faster. Audio stays in sync. And quizzes? Up to you." It was the third update in seven days (September 24, 28 and 30).

The ratings back the happy reviews up: 84.7% of App Store ratings are five stars, Google Play shows 4.5 from 186K reviews, and on Trustpilot, Deepstash has 4.4 from 1,672 reviews and has replied to 95% of negative ones.

What the recent reviews say

The recent written reviews look nothing like the star average. The 500 most recent written US reviews cover just two months (July 30 to September 29, 2026). Of those, 263 (53%) are one star, against 4% of all ratings. From August on, it stayed between 49% and 55% in every half-month.

We counted the 309 one- and two-star reviews. The first two rows are word matches; the rest are our own reading of all 309, so treat the numbers as rough:

The ads. We read all 65. About 25 say the ads promised TikTok, Reels or short videos and they found something to read. About ten say it was sold as free, and about eight complain about the ads inside the app.

"I saw an ad saying it was like reels but for learning. It is in no way like reels." (App Store review, 2 stars, September 28, 2026)

The trial. The listing promises a free start, and some reviewers found the setup pushed a trial first: "Downloaded it and got thru their Q & A and then it was “try a free trial” so you had to give a credit card before getting to even try the app." (App Store review, 3 stars, August 13, 2026). Others, like the August 12 reviewer above, found the free version straight away. We didn't go through the setup, so we can't say which you'll get.

The bill. The billing reviews describe trials that became charges and subscriptions people couldn't find to cancel. Of the 309, about 40 say a refund was refused and about 25 say they were charged after cancelling.

"This subscription is not in Apple Subscriptions and then rises without warning." (App Store review, 1 star, September 28, 2026)

A subscription bought on Deepstash's website isn't billed through Apple, so it won't be in your iPhone's list; Apple's help page says to check your bank or card statement for a subscription bought from another company. Three of the one- and two-star reviewers say the app sent them to the website to pay or start a trial.

The content. A smaller group, about 25 of the 309, calls it basic or shallow. One four-star reviewer: "For example the richest man in Babylon has 4 big ideas that are all “save 10% of everything you earn”." (App Store review, 4 stars, September 25, 2026)

How much does Deepstash cost?

Deepstash Free costs nothing. For Pro, the US App Store lists ten in-app purchases as of September 30, 2026:

Deepstash's FAQ also mentions a "Lifetime Pro subscription," for which we found no price, and its website has no pricing page. We couldn't see which of the four Pro Yearly prices the app shows you, so read the price on the screen before you start a trial.

Refunds and cancelling

Deepstash's terms of service (last updated September 16, 2026) say "All fees are, except as expressly provided by applicable law, non-refundable," and Deepstash isn't required to give refunds or credits "for any partial subscription periods or unused service." A trial converts to paid unless you cancel "at least 24 hours before the Trial Period ends." Its FAQ says you can cancel any time and "will keep your benefits until the next billing date."

So, before a trial, check where you're paying. If it's the App Store, cancel in your iPhone's subscription settings, and refunds are Apple's call. If the app sends you to Deepstash's website, the subscription isn't billed through Apple and won't appear in Apple's list.

Why we'd pick edgi

A Deepstash idea is a card you read, at "3-5 min" an idea by its own book pages. An edgi Lesson is one idea you play, in 60 seconds, and it's the most fun way we know to learn something. Finish it and the idea is yours: a card in your collection, lit up on your Map next to the ideas it connects to. The next Lesson is whatever the last one made you suddenly want to know, and the Map fills in as you go, so you come away knowing things, not just having scrolled past them. edgi is free on iPhone and the web, and it has short videos too.

Here's the difference on one idea. Deepstash has a page for Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me), by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson, a book about cognitive dissonance, with 11 key ideas to read. edgi's Lesson puts the experiment in your hands: you turn the pegs from a 1959 Stanford study and rate how fun the job was. Then the students are paid to tell the next student it was fun, $1 or $20, and you guess which group came to like the job more. Aronson turns up too, in his 1959 study with Mills, where an embarrassing entry test made a dull group seem more interesting.

Cognitive Dissonance Cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort you feel when you hold conflicting beliefs, or when your actions clash with your values.

60-second Lesson

Cognitive Dissonance

Paid $1 to call a dull job fun, students came to like it. Paid $20, they didn't need to.

Play it here Read about cognitive dissonance

Pick something else only if:

• you need an Android app (edgi is on iPhone and the web);
• you want a book's main ideas before you decide whether to read it.

FAQ

Is Deepstash worth it? Its free tier is worth trying if you want short ideas from nonfiction books. Before paying for Pro (audio, offline reading, unlimited saving), check which of its prices you're shown and where you're paying: Apple or Deepstash's website. If you'd rather play one idea in 60 seconds and keep it as a card, that's edgi, and it's free.

Is Deepstash free? Yes, in part. Its App Store listing offers free access to "200,000+ powerful ideas," and its terms describe a limited free version. Pro removes the ads and adds audio and offline access. In the 500 most recent App Store reviews, about 30 one- and two-star reviewers say they had to start a trial, pay or give a card before they could use it.

How much is Deepstash Pro? As of September 30, 2026, the US App Store lists Pro Yearly at $29.99, $69.99, $89.99 and $99.99, Pro Monthly at $12.99 or $19.99, and Pro 3 Months at $29.99. We couldn't see which price the app shows you.

Can I get a refund from Deepstash? Its terms say fees are "non-refundable" except where the law requires otherwise. For App Store purchases, ask Apple.

How do I cancel Deepstash? Cancel where you paid: your iPhone's subscription settings for App Store purchases, or Google Play for Android. A subscription bought on Deepstash's website isn't billed through Apple, so it won't show in your iPhone's list. Cancel at least 24 hours before a trial ends.

Is Deepstash on Android? Yes. It's on Google Play, rated 4.5 from 186K reviews, and it also runs in a browser at deepstash.com.

Is edgi free? Yes. Lessons, cards and the Map are free, and Sets unlock with coins you earn by learning, not money. An optional Pro subscription adds extras like offline access.