Guide · Updated
The Best Apps to Learn Japanese in 2026
Japanese takes four kinds of practice: the basics, kanji, grammar, and listening and speaking. No single app does all four well, so the useful question is which two or three to put together. We compared 17 of them on what they teach, how they handle kanji, what they cost and where they fall short.
By the Fuji Learning team. We make Fuji Learning, one of the apps below; we've kept its entry to what it does and doesn't do. No app paid to be included, and there are no affiliate links on this page.
The short answer
If you can only use one free app, use Renshuu: it covers kanji, vocabulary and grammar with very little locked away. If you're happy to combine a few, these are the best at each job:
- Best free all-rounder
- Renshuu
- Best for a daily habit
- Duolingo
- Best structured beginner course
- LingoDeer
- Best for reading kanji
- WaniKani
- Best game-like start with kanji
- Fuji Learning(ours)
- Best for grammar
- Bunpro
- Best for speaking
- Pimsleur or italki and Preply
- Best for reading practice
- Satori Reader
- Best for learning from anime and shows
- Migaku
All 17 apps at a glance
| App | Best for | Free version | Paid (USD) | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo | A daily habit | Yes, with daily energy limits | Super from $12.99/mo or $83.99/yr | iOS, Android, web |
| LingoDeer | A first course with real grammar | Some lessons | $14.99/mo or $95.99/yr | iOS, Android, web |
| Busuu | A long, complete course | Limited | Premium from about $70/yr | iOS, Android, web |
| Renshuu | The most for free | Yes, most of the app | Pro from $49.99/yr or $109.99 lifetime | iOS, Android, web |
| WaniKani | Reading kanji, step by step | Levels 1–3 | $9/mo, $89/yr or $299 lifetime | Web (third-party apps for phones) |
| Fuji Learning | Kanji as a game (ours) | First 100 kanji, kana courses, all quizzes | $6/mo, $49/yr or $99 lifetime | Web (works offline and installs to your phone’s home screen) |
| Kanji Study | Writing kanji on Android | Beginner levels | One-time unlock | Android |
| Ringotan | Writing kanji, free | Yes (in beta) | None yet | iOS, Android |
| Skritter | Handwriting, graded | Trial only | $14.99/mo or $99.99/yr | iOS, Android, web |
| Bunpro | Grammar, N5 to N1 | Free tier and 30-day trial | $5/mo or $150 lifetime | iOS, Android, web |
| Anki | Flashcards you control | Yes, except on iPhone | $24.99 once on iPhone | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, web |
| jpdb | Words from the shows you watch | Yes | Optional Patreon from $5/mo | Web |
| Memrise | Everyday words and phrases | Limited | $61.99/yr or $329.99 lifetime | iOS, Android, web |
| Pimsleur | Speaking, audio first | Trial only | $19.99/mo, or about $575 to buy | iOS, Android, web, CarPlay |
| Satori Reader | Graded reading | Sample episodes | $9/mo or $89/yr | iOS, Android, web |
| Migaku | Learning from shows and video | Limited (100 custom cards) | $10/mo or $96/yr | Browser extension, iOS, Android, web |
| italki and Preply | Lessons with a tutor | No | About $4–$50 an hour | iOS, Android, web |
Prices in US dollars, checked on October 29, 2026 on each app's own website or the US App Store. App store prices are often higher than web prices, and sales come and go.
How we compared them
We looked at each app the way you would when choosing one: what it actually teaches, how it handles kanji (the part most apps skimp on), what it costs, which devices it runs on, and the complaints that come up again and again in app store reviews and on learner forums such as r/LearnJapanese. We left out apps that only teach a handful of travel phrases, and grouped the rest by the job they do best.
Courses: where to start
These take you from nothing to simple conversations in a set order, which is what you want in your first months.
Duolingo: best for a daily habit
- Price: Free version with an energy meter. Super from $12.99 a month or $83.99 a year (App Store).
- Runs on: iOS, Android, web
Duolingo is the easiest way to get Japanese into your day: lessons take a few minutes, the streaks and reminders work, and the free version is usable. In April 2026 it extended its Japanese course up to CEFR B2 (upper intermediate), and over the summer it moved learners onto the rebuilt course.
Its weak spot is the one that matters most in Japanese. The most common complaint from learners is the kanji: you meet them inside words, with little on how each character is read on its own, and grammar is mostly left for you to work out from examples. Free users now run on an energy meter that limits how much you can do in one sitting.
Good
- A free version you can actually use
- The best streaks and reminders of any app here
- Hiragana and katakana with tracing practice
Watch out for
- Thin grammar explanations
- Kanji taught without much on their readings
- The 2026 course rebuild reshuffled some learners’ progress
LingoDeer: best structured beginner course
- Price: $14.99 a month or $95.99 a year on its website.
- Runs on: iOS, Android, web
LingoDeer started out teaching East Asian languages, and its Japanese course explains each grammar point before drilling it, which suits Japanese far better than learning by guesswork. Kana come with handwriting practice, and 2026 brought a reworked kana guide and video clips of native speakers.
The catch is length: the guided course runs out at around JLPT N4 (CEFR A2), so it’s a strong start rather than somewhere to stay. The monthly price is steep; the yearly plan costs about half as much over a year.
Good
- Grammar explained before you practice it
- Kana handwriting practice
- Native-speaker video clips
Watch out for
- No kanji writing
- The guided course ends around N4
- Expensive month to month
Busuu: best complete course from A1 to B2
- Price: Limited free version. Premium from about $70 a year in the App Store; offers vary a lot.
- Runs on: iOS, Android, web
Busuu’s Japanese course runs from A1 to B2 across more than 570 lessons built around everyday situations, and it has a separate kanji course for reading and writing, which most general apps don’t.
It isn’t organized around the JLPT, and reviewers preparing for the exam find it doesn’t go deep enough on its own. US prices change a lot between the website, the app stores and promotions, so check before you pay.
Good
- 570+ lessons from A1 to B2
- A separate kanji course, with writing
- Practical, situation-based lessons
Watch out for
- Not built around the JLPT
- Prices vary widely by store and offer
Renshuu: best free all-rounder
- Price: Generous free version. Pro from $49.99 a year or $109.99 lifetime (App Store).
- Runs on: iOS, Android, web
Renshuu covers kanji, vocabulary and grammar in one place, with spaced repetition behind all of it, and its free version leaves very little locked away. You can study by JLPT level or from its own courses, and kanji come with radical breakdowns and mnemonics written by other learners.
The trade-off is a busy interface with a lot of settings; many learners find the review scheduling confusing at first. There’s no speaking practice.
Good
- Most of the app is free
- Kanji, vocabulary and grammar together
- Study by JLPT level
Watch out for
- A cluttered, settings-heavy interface
- No speaking practice
The best kanji apps
Kanji are where most learners stall: there are 2,136 in everyday use (the jōyō kanji), most with more than one reading. These apps take them on directly. The first two teach you to read kanji; the last three teach you to write them.
WaniKani: best for learning to read kanji
- Price: Levels 1–3 free. $9 a month, $89 a year or $299 lifetime ($199 in its yearly sale).
- Runs on: Web (third-party apps for phones)
WaniKani teaches more than 2,000 kanji and 6,000 vocabulary words in a fixed order: first radicals (the shapes kanji are built from), then the kanji made of them, then words that use them, each with a mnemonic. Spaced repetition decides when you review, and you can’t skip ahead, which stops you moving faster than your memory.
It’s the kanji app learners recommend most often, but it only teaches reading and meaning, not writing, and the early levels are slow by design. Miss a few days and the reviews pile up.
Good
- A clear radical, kanji, word order
- A mnemonic for everything
- A big community and third-party tools
Watch out for
- No writing practice
- Slow start, and no skipping
- Review pile-ups after a break
- No official phone app
Fuji Learning: best for a game-like start with kanji
- Price: First 100 kanji, both kana courses and every quiz free, with no sign-up. Premium $6 a month, $49 a year or $99 lifetime.
- Runs on: Web (works offline and installs to your phone’s home screen)
We make Fuji Learning, so read this one with that in mind. Fuji teaches kanji in short lessons along a trail up Mount Fuji. Each lesson introduces a few kanji with their meaning, reading, audio and a short story to remember them by, then quizzes you on them; get one wrong and you practice it again before the lesson ends. Every kanji you learn becomes a card in your collection, and cards you haven’t reviewed in a while turn rusty instead of piling up into a review backlog.
It covers 2,141 kanji from JLPT N5 to N1, plus hiragana and katakana courses, and every kanji has its own page with stroke order and example words. It’s a kanji app, though: there are no grammar lessons or speaking practice, so pair it with a course.
Good
- Free to start, no sign-up needed
- Mistakes cost lesson progress, so you practice them
- No review backlog: missed cards go rusty instead
- Stroke order and example words for every kanji
Watch out for
- Kanji and kana only: no grammar or speaking
- 100 kanji free, then Premium
Kanji Study: best for kanji writing on Android
- Price: Free beginner levels, then a one-time unlock; no subscription.
- Runs on: Android
Kanji Study, by developer Chase Colburn, is one of the best-rated learning apps on Google Play, at 4.9 stars from more than 60,000 reviews, and it’s still updated regularly. You can look up over 6,000 kanji, practice writing them with stroke-by-stroke checking, and quiz yourself with spaced repetition, all for a one-time price.
There’s no iPhone version. An iOS app with a similar name, “Kanji Study – Learn Japanese!”, is a different product by another developer.
Good
- Writing practice with stroke checking
- Paid once, not monthly
- Covers far more kanji than you’ll need
Watch out for
- Android only
- A similarly named iPhone app is unrelated
Ringotan: best free app for writing kanji
- Price: Free while in beta, and early users keep it free.
- Runs on: iOS, Android
Ringotan teaches kanji by having you write them, with spaced repetition to bring each one back. It covers about 3,500 kanji, including every jōyō kanji and the extra kanji used in names, and 2026 updates added a free-drawing mode and lesson sets that follow KanjiDamage and the UK GCSE.
It’s still in beta: progress doesn’t sync between devices yet, and you can’t turn off stroke-order checking when you only want to practice recognizing kanji.
Good
- Free
- Writing first, with spaced repetition
- Every jōyō and name kanji
Watch out for
- No sync between devices
- Stroke-order checking can’t be turned off
Skritter: best for serious handwriting practice
- Price: $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year (App Store).
- Runs on: iOS, Android, web
Skritter is built around one thing: writing characters from memory, stroke by stroke, with spaced repetition deciding what comes back. It grades stroke order as you write, and a redesigned version 4 arrived in September 2026.
It’s the priciest of the kanji apps, and its stroke recognition is strict enough to frustrate some learners. Worth it if handwriting matters to you; more than you need if you only want to read.
Good
- Real handwriting practice, graded stroke by stroke
- Pairs well with a reading-focused app
Watch out for
- Expensive
- Strict stroke recognition
Grammar and vocabulary
Once you can read kana, you need grammar and a lot of words. These are the tools for that.
Bunpro: best for grammar
- Price: Free tier and a 30-day trial with no card. $5 a month or $150 lifetime on its website; the app stores charge more.
- Runs on: iOS, Android, web
Bunpro does for grammar what WaniKani does for kanji. It teaches grammar points from JLPT N5 to N1, each with an explanation and example sentences, then reviews them with spaced repetition by having you fill in the missing piece of a sentence. Its app left beta this year, and it added 25 JLPT practice tests and N1 reading passages. The team says its content is written by people, not AI.
It doesn’t teach kanji yet (kanji information is planned), and there’s no speaking or listening practice.
Good
- Every grammar point from N5 to N1
- Reviews in real sentences
- JLPT practice tests
Watch out for
- No kanji or speaking yet
- Cheaper on the website than in the app stores
Anki: best for vocabulary, on your own terms
- Price: Free on computers, Android and the web. $24.99 once on iPhone (AnkiMobile).
- Runs on: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, web
Anki isn’t a course but a flashcard program with one of the best spaced-repetition systems there is, and it’s free nearly everywhere. Japanese learners use shared decks, such as the Core 2k/6k vocabulary decks or Kaishi 1.5k, or make cards from what they read. In February 2026 its creator began handing day-to-day operations to AnkiHub, which says no pricing changes are planned.
The cost is your time: picking decks, setting it up and keeping up with daily reviews is all on you. On iPhone, the real app is AnkiMobile; “Anki Pro” is an unrelated app.
Good
- Free on everything but iPhone
- Thousands of shared Japanese decks
- Change anything you like
Watch out for
- Setup takes effort
- A plain interface
- Easy to confuse with the unrelated “Anki Pro”
jpdb: best free vocabulary app for anime and novel fans
- Price: Free. An optional Patreon from $5 a month adds small extras.
- Runs on: Web
jpdb has worked out the vocabulary of a large library of anime, dramas, novels and games, so you can pick something you want to watch or read and learn its most frequent words first. Cards come with example sentences, its own machine-learning scheduler decides what to review, and kanji are taught with keywords in the style of Heisig’s Remembering the Kanji.
It’s web only and teaches vocabulary, not grammar, and it assumes you can already read kana.
Good
- Free
- Learn the words of a particular show or book
- A smart review scheduler
Watch out for
- Web only
- Vocabulary only
Memrise: best for everyday words and phrases
- Price: Limited free version. $61.99 a year or $329.99 lifetime (App Store).
- Runs on: iOS, Android, web
Memrise teaches more than 5,000 Japanese words and phrases with short videos of native speakers, and its MemBot AI chat lets you practice conversations by text. About 800 of the community-made courses that left the app in 2024 came back in 2026 as word lists.
Grammar explanations sit behind the paywall, and there’s no kanji writing. It’s better for phrases than for learning to read.
Good
- Real speakers saying everyday phrases
- AI chat practice
- Community word lists are back
Watch out for
- Grammar notes are paid only
- No kanji writing
Listening, reading and speaking
Apps that drill characters won’t get you understanding or speaking. These fill that gap.
Pimsleur: best for speaking and listening
- Price: $19.99 a month for Japanese (App Store), or about $575 to buy the course outright, often on sale.
- Runs on: iOS, Android, web, CarPlay
Pimsleur is audio first: 30-minute lessons where you hear a conversation, then answer out loud when prompted, with earlier material brought back at spaced intervals. The Japanese course runs to about 80 hours of polite, everyday spoken Japanese, which makes it the best option here for commutes and for people who need to talk soon.
It teaches very little reading (a few lessons on selected kanji), some learners find the pauses too short to think, and it’s one of the most expensive options on this list.
Good
- Speaking from the first lesson
- Hands-free, so good for commutes
- Polite, practical Japanese
Watch out for
- Very little reading or kanji
- Short pauses to answer
- Expensive
Satori Reader: best for reading practice
- Price: Free sample episodes. $9 a month or $89 a year on its website.
- Runs on: iOS, Android, web
Satori Reader is a library of serialized stories and articles written for learners, with native audio, translations and notes on grammar and usage. You tell it which kanji you know and it adds furigana (small reading aids) over the rest, so the text grows with you; an October 2026 update added furigana on tap.
It’s best once you know basic grammar and a few hundred kanji; before that it’s slow going. Only the first episodes are free.
Good
- Text that adapts to the kanji you know
- Native audio for every story
- Notes on grammar and usage
Watch out for
- Most of it is paid
- Needs basic grammar first
Migaku: best for learning from shows and YouTube
- Price: $10 a month or $96 a year on its website; the app stores charge more. Limited free version.
- Runs on: Browser extension, iOS, Android, web
Migaku turns native content into study material: its browser extension adds clickable subtitles to streaming and video sites, and one click turns a sentence into a flashcard with its audio. It also has its own kanji course built on radicals and stories.
Its structured lessons are thin compared with a real course, free users can make only 100 custom cards, and it needs an internet connection.
Good
- Study what you actually want to watch
- One-click flashcards with audio
- A kanji course included
Watch out for
- Thin structured lessons
- 100-card limit on the free plan
- No offline mode
italki and Preply: best for real conversation
- Price: Pay per lesson: tutors from about $4 to $50 an hour.
- Runs on: iOS, Android, web
No app gets you speaking like a weekly conversation with a person. italki and Preply connect you with Japanese tutors for one-to-one video lessons. On italki, community tutors charge about $4–$20 an hour and qualified teachers about $15–$50; Preply lists more than 5,000 Japanese tutors, with lessons averaging about $19.
Quality varies from tutor to tutor, so book short trial lessons with two or three before you commit.
Good
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Pay per lesson, no subscription needed
- Lessons built around your goals
Watch out for
- Costs add up
- Quality varies by tutor
Which apps should you use together?
Complete beginner, spending nothing
Learn hiragana and katakana first, with our free hiragana guide and katakana guide or the kana lessons in Duolingo or Fuji. Then use Duolingo or Renshuu for words and simple sentences, and start kanji with WaniKani's free levels or Fuji's free 100.
Studying for the JLPT N5 or N4
Bunpro for grammar, WaniKani or Fuji for kanji, and an Anki vocabulary deck for words. Every few weeks, check where you are with our free JLPT N5 practice test or N4 practice test, and the full JLPT N5 kanji list.
Past the basics, ready for real Japanese
Satori Reader for graded reading, Migaku or jpdb to learn the words in the shows and books you like, and a weekly conversation lesson with a tutor on italki or Preply.
Travelling to Japan soon
Pimsleur for spoken Japanese you can use at a counter, katakana for menus and signs (it's quicker to learn than it looks), and our list of Japanese travel phrases.
Questions people ask
What is the best app to learn Japanese?
For most people it’s a combination rather than one app: a course for the basics (Duolingo, LingoDeer or Renshuu), a kanji app (WaniKani or Fuji Learning), and Bunpro for grammar once you can read kana. If you can only use one free app, Renshuu covers the most ground.
What is the best free app to learn Japanese?
Renshuu has the most generous free version. Anki is free everywhere except iPhone, jpdb is free, Ringotan is free for writing kanji, and Duolingo’s free version works within daily energy limits. Fuji Learning’s first 100 kanji and its hiragana and katakana courses are free too.
Is Duolingo good for learning Japanese?
It’s good for building a habit and for kana and everyday phrases, and in 2026 its Japanese course was extended to about CEFR B2. Its weak points are grammar explanations and kanji, which it teaches without much on how each character is read, so most learners add a kanji app and a grammar resource.
What is the best app for learning kanji?
To learn to read kanji: WaniKani (free for the first three levels) or Fuji Learning (first 100 kanji free). To learn to write them: Ringotan (free), Kanji Study on Android, or Skritter. Anki works too if you’re happy to set it up yourself.
Which app is best for JLPT preparation?
Bunpro sorts every grammar point by JLPT level and has JLPT practice tests. For kanji, use WaniKani or Fuji Learning, which shows each kanji’s JLPT level; for vocabulary, there are Anki decks for every level. Take a full practice test every few weeks to see where you stand.
Can you become fluent in Japanese using only apps?
Apps can take you a long way with reading and listening, but speaking well takes conversation with people. The US Foreign Service Institute puts Japanese among the hardest languages for English speakers, at about 88 weeks (2,200 class hours) of full-time study to reach professional working proficiency, so expect years of regular practice and add a tutor once you have the basics.
Should I use more than one app to learn Japanese?
Yes. Each app does one or two things well and skips the rest, so combine them: one for kanji, one for grammar, and one for listening or speaking. Using two or three apps regularly beats switching between many.