The best apps to learn Japanese in 2026

renshuu is the best all-round app to learn Japanese in 2026: one app covers kana, vocabulary, kanji and grammar with spaced repetition, and the developer says its free version is unlimited and ad-free. LingoDeer is the strongest pick if you want a teacher-designed course in a fixed order, but full access needs a subscription that the developer says starts at $14.99 a month. For a free first week, Kana teaches hiragana and katakana with no ads and no in-app purchases, and Shirabe Jisho is the free dictionary worth keeping next to whatever you study with.

Quick answer

• Best overall: renshuu. Vocabulary, kanji, grammar and kana in one spaced-repetition app, with a free version the developer calls unlimited.
• Best structured course: LingoDeer. Short lessons in a set order, from the alphabet to conversation, with grammar notes and kanji writing drills.
• Best free kana app: Kana. A focused hiragana and katakana trainer with handwriting quizzes, no ads and nothing to buy.
• Best dictionary: Shirabe Jisho. A free Japanese-English dictionary with handwriting lookup, radical search and full conjugation tables.
• Best for kanji: Kanji Study. Teaches kanji through more than 5,000 JLPT words, with stroke-checked writing practice from N5 to N1.
• Best for grammar: Bunpo. Grammar explanations and quizzes for every JLPT level, with a searchable grammar dictionary.
• Best for a daily habit: Duolingo. A free, game-like Japanese course that is easy to open every day.
• Best for speaking practice: iago. A visual novel where you speak your lines out loud and get pronunciation feedback.

Comparison table

How to choose: one app per job

Japanese is written with three scripts at once: hiragana, katakana and kanji. That is why no single app on this list does every job equally well, and why most learners end up with two or three apps: a main course or study system, a dictionary, and a kanji tool once the kana are done. If you are still deciding between Japanese and another language, or want general advice on language apps, see our guide to language learning apps.

• If you are starting from zero: spend the first days on the two kana scripts (46 basic characters each). Kana does this for free, and renshuu, LingoDeer and Bunpo all start with kana too, so you can also learn them inside your main app.
• If you want someone to tell you what to do next: LingoDeer gives you a fixed lesson path. Duolingo does the same for free, with less explanation. renshuu suits learners who are happy to choose their own path, for example following a textbook or a JLPT level.
• If kanji is your bottleneck: add Kanji Study for writing practice organized by JLPT level. renshuu covers kanji with mnemonics if you would rather stay in one app.
• If you read Japanese anywhere outside an app: install Shirabe Jisho. You can draw a kanji you do not recognize, even with the wrong stroke order, and look it up.
• If you are preparing for the JLPT: combine Bunpo for grammar with Kanji Study or renshuu for kanji and vocabulary. All three organize content by JLPT level.
• If you mainly want to talk: iago and LingoDeer's Fluent lessons both ask you to speak out loud. Keep a course alongside, because iago teaches grammar through phrases rather than explanations.

A typical free setup is Kana, then renshuu or Duolingo, plus Shirabe Jisho. A typical paid setup is LingoDeer plus Kanji Study, with Shirabe Jisho for lookups. For general spaced repetition tools, see our flashcard app comparison.

renshuu: Best overall

renshuu is a Japanese-only study app made by what its listing calls a two-person company. Instead of one fixed course, it keeps learning paths for most textbooks, the JLPT and the Kanji Kentei, and lets you start at your level. The developer lists over 15,000 native-recorded audio files, more than 12,000 kanji with over 2,000 mnemonics, and over 800 grammar expressions with model sentences and quiz questions. Reviews run on a spaced repetition system built around Japanese, and you can answer by multiple choice, typing or writing. The screenshots show a hiragana card with Listen, How to draw and Write it buttons, and vocabulary entries with pitch accent marks and example sentences with furigana.

The listing says the free version is unlimited, with no timer before you have to pay, and ad-free. renshuu pro is listed at $3.99 and $6.99 for subscription items, $49.99 and $59.99 for one year of access, and $109.99 or $129.99 for lifetime access on the US App Store in November 2026.

Strengths: the widest free coverage of any app here, from kana to JLPT N1 grammar, with no tracking declared on the privacy label. Limits: the listing does not describe speaking or pronunciation feedback; English is the only interface language listed; contact info and identifiers are linked to your account.

LingoDeer: Best structured course

LingoDeer is a course app for 20 languages that puts Asian languages first, and its Japanese course runs from the alphabet to what the developer calls a conversational level. Lessons are short and written by language teachers, according to the listing, with grammar tips inside each lesson and studio-recorded audio from native speakers. A Character Drill adds writing practice for kanji, and Fluent, a set of real-life conversation lessons, is available for Japanese. The screenshots show a hiragana tracing exercise with stroke arrows and a speaking exercise that gives your recording a score. The October 2026 update added more spaced repetition practice modes and an option to skip handwriting exercises.

The listing says a subscription is needed for full access to all courses and features, starting at $14.99 a month. The price list includes a Multilingual Pass Annual at $95.99, lifetime passes at $119.99 and $159.99, and a lifetime membership item at $299.99 on the US App Store in November 2026.

Strengths: a clear path with grammar explained, which many learners need for Japanese sentence structure. Limits: the listing does not say how much is free; plans are sold as a Multilingual Pass, with no Japanese-only plan on the price list; identifiers are used for tracking. Kanji practice is one feature among many, so serious kanji study still calls for a dedicated tool.

Kana: Best free kana app

Kana does one job: teaching the two Japanese syllabaries, hiragana and katakana. The listing describes customizable kana tables, drawing practice, quizzes that accept multiple choice, keyboard or handwriting answers, progress statistics for each character, and optional study reminders. The screenshots show a card for あ with your accuracy, average answer time and a stroke order diagram you can tap to draw, plus the three quiz modes side by side.

It is completely free: the listing says no ads and no in-app purchases, and the privacy label declares no tracking and no data linked to you. The same developer makes Benkyō, a paid kanji and vocabulary drill app, for the next step.

Strengths: free with nothing held back, and handwriting recognition that checks you actually remember each shape. Limits: it stops at kana, with no kanji, vocabulary or grammar; the last update was in August 2025; the description does not list audio pronunciation, so pair it with a course that has native audio.

Shirabe Jisho: Best dictionary

Shirabe Jisho is a Japanese-English and English-Japanese dictionary rather than a course, and it earns its place because every Japanese learner needs one. The listing describes over 170,000 entries, over 6,500 kanji with stroke order, over 147,000 example sentences with translations, and kanji lists by JLPT level and school grade. You can search by kana, kanji or romaji, by radicals, with wildcards, or by drawing a character; the developer says the handwriting recognition tolerates wrong stroke order and small mistakes. The screenshots show the drawing pad suggesting candidate kanji and an entry for 書く with a full conjugation table, from past and te-form to passive, causative and volitional.

The dictionary is free. One in-app purchase, Shirabe Extras at $9.99 on the US App Store in November 2026, adds screen customization, richer flashcards and custom color themes. The privacy label lists only diagnostics, not linked to you, and no tracking.

Strengths: fast lookup of words you meet in the wild, and conjugation tables that help with verbs. Limits: it is a reference, not a study plan; its built-in flashcards are basic unless you buy Extras; it does not explain grammar beyond conjugations.

Kanji Study: Best for kanji

Kanji Study teaches kanji through the words they appear in, instead of asking you to memorize readings in isolation. The developer says it covers over 5,000 JLPT words from N5 to N1, with writing lessons that detect your strokes and give instant feedback, spaced repetition reviews in both directions including writing quizzes, audio for every word, and full offline use. The screenshots advertise 2,136 essential kanji, which matches the size of Japan's official list of common-use kanji, grouped into levels from JLPT N5 upward, and show a writing exercise for 今 (いま, now) with a guided stroke.

Content is sold by level rather than as a subscription: Level 1 is $9.99, Level 2 is $12.99, Levels 3 to 5 are $14.99 each, and All Levels is $29.99 on the US App Store in November 2026. The listing does not say how much you can study for free. The same developer, Luli Languages, makes Learn Japanese!! Kana & Kanji for absolute beginners up to N5.

Strengths: stroke-checked writing practice, one-time purchases, and no tracking on the privacy label. Limits: it needs iOS 17.5 or later; it does not teach grammar; buying every level separately costs more than the All Levels bundle.

Bunpo: Best for grammar

Bunpo covers several languages, but Japanese is its most detailed course. The listing promises grammar for every JLPT level from N5 to N1 with plain-English explanations, over 1,800 example sentences, over 8,000 quizzes, a searchable grammar dictionary and spaced repetition reviews. The screenshots show a sentence card written in kana with audio and a Show translation button, and a listening exercise where you pick the picture that matches what the speaker said. A recent update added speaking courses, video call lessons and audio role-play.

Prices on the US App Store in November 2026: Bunpo Plus Monthly $9.99, Bunpo Plus Yearly $29.99 or $39.99, Bunpo Plus Lifetime $39.99 or $44.99, and Bunpo Platinum from $19.99 monthly to $79.99 or $99.99 yearly. The listing does not say what is free.

Strengths: grammar organized exactly the way the JLPT is, which makes it easy to know what to study next. Limits: the privacy label declares tracking of purchases, identifiers, usage data and other data; it is not a kanji writing tool; the Platinum tier is not explained in the description.

Duolingo: Best for a daily habit

Duolingo's Japanese course is free, and the app's streaks, leagues and short lessons are built to make you open it every day. The screenshots show a Japanese exercise where you hear 牛乳 and pick the matching picture, milk, from four options, with an energy counter at the top of the screen. The description says every course is free and offers Super Duolingo with a 14-day free trial, no ads and unlimited energy. Super Duolingo is listed at prices from $9.99 to $119.99 on the US App Store in November 2026.

Strengths: free, easy to start, and good at keeping a habit going while you use other tools for kanji and grammar. Limits: the free version has ads and runs on energy; the description does not mention JLPT levels, stroke order or grammar explanations; the privacy label lists tracking across eight data types, the most of any app here. If you want something more structured, our Duolingo alternatives page compares other course apps.

iago: Best for speaking practice

iago turns Japanese practice into a visual novel. You follow a character called Iako-chan through everyday situations in Japan, and the developer says you speak your lines out loud and receive pronunciation feedback. The listing also mentions a curriculum you design from a range of situations, hiragana and katakana drills, audio recorded by native speakers, and casual everyday language that textbooks often skip. The screenshots show an anime-style dialogue scene and a grid of settings such as a ramen shop, a station and a convenience store.

Prices on the US App Store in November 2026 run from $9.99 for 1 Month to $94.90 for 12 Months, with 3-month plans at $23.90 and $29.90. The listing does not describe a free tier.

Strengths: gets you speaking from the first session, in a format that feels like a game rather than drills. Limits: grammar is learned implicitly through phrases, with no explanations described; it is rated 13+; it was released in June 2024 and has about 2,000 ratings; usage data is used for tracking.

What we left out

• MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana. A well-rated kana app with a $19.99 lifetime upgrade, but it was last updated in August 2024, shows an ad after every five mistakes in the free version, and declares tracking of four data types.
• Learn Japanese Kanji: Benkyō. A capable kanji and vocabulary drill app, left out because Kanji Study and renshuu cover the same job and its price list runs up to $199.99.
• Japanese (by Mark Gänsicke). A free offline dictionary that has not been updated since December 2019; Shirabe Jisho is current.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free app to learn Japanese?

renshuu is the strongest free option, since the developer says its free version is unlimited and covers vocabulary, kanji and grammar. Pair it with Kana for the first week and Shirabe Jisho for lookups, both of which are free. Duolingo is also free if you prefer a game-like course, but it has ads and an energy system.

Should you learn hiragana and katakana before starting a course?

It helps. Every course on this list starts with kana, and most later lessons assume you can read them. A dedicated app like Kana lets you drill all the characters quickly, then your course feels much easier from the first grammar lesson.

What is the best app to learn kanji?

Kanji Study is the best dedicated kanji app among the candidates, because it teaches kanji through JLPT vocabulary and checks your strokes as you write. renshuu is a good free alternative with mnemonics. Shirabe Jisho is useful for looking up kanji by drawing them, but it is a dictionary, not a study plan.

Can you learn Japanese with Duolingo alone?

Duolingo is a good way to build a daily habit, but its listing does not mention JLPT levels, grammar explanations or kanji writing practice. Most learners who stay with Japanese add a grammar source such as Bunpo or LingoDeer and a kanji tool such as Kanji Study.

Is renshuu better than LingoDeer?

They suit different learners. renshuu gives you more material for free and lets you choose your own path, while LingoDeer gives you a fixed, teacher-designed sequence with speaking exercises but needs a subscription for full access. If you want to be guided lesson by lesson, choose LingoDeer; if you want depth on a budget, choose renshuu.

Which apps help with the JLPT?

Bunpo organizes grammar by JLPT level from N5 to N1, Kanji Study does the same for kanji and vocabulary, and renshuu keeps dedicated JLPT learning paths. None of these listings claim to be official JLPT materials.