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Best Beginner Japanese Study Apps

0+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.6 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated June 2026

Looking for free beginner japanese study apps? 20 of our 0+ tracked titles are free to download — no subscription, no trial. The rest are premium picks worth paying for.

Compare top Beginner Japanese Study Apps (June 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Japanese!! Learn Kana & KanjiJapanese!! Learn Kana & KanjiFree4.8★ (22K)NoYesAug 2026
2Mirai JapaneseMirai JapaneseFree4.7★ (521)NoYesJul 2026
3renshuu - Japanese learningrenshuu - Japanese learningFree4.9★ (1.3K)NoYesAug 2026
4MARU: Learn Japanese HiraganaMARU: Learn Japanese HiraganaFree4.9★ (18K)YesYesAug 2026
5Todaii: Learn Japanese N5-N1Todaii: Learn Japanese N5-N1Free4.7★ (1.5K)YesYesAug 2026
6Learn Japanese - ManabuLabLearn Japanese - ManabuLabFree4.7★ (41)NoYesAug 2026
7Learn Japanese Phrases & WordsLearn Japanese Phrases & WordsFree4.6★ (90)NoYesAug 2026
8JapaneseJapaneseFree4.8★ (3.6K)NoNoAug 2026

Top Picks for Beginner Japanese Study

Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji#1

Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji by Luli Languages LLC

Hiragana, Katakana & Grammar
Editor's Choice
📚 Education
4.8😊(22K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji screenshot 1
Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji screenshot 2
Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji screenshot 3
Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji screenshot 4
Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji screenshot 5

Master Japanese writing with comprehensive lessons for Hiragana and Katakana. Build vocabulary and grammar skills through engaging quizzes and spaced repetition. Practice reading and writing with audio pronunciation, all offline.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Great language application
  • 🚀 Fantastic app to learn hiragana characters
  • 👍 Helpful and useful for beginners
  • 👍 Well-balanced mix of lessons

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Lacks explanations for some concepts
  • 🐛 Confusing wording in explanations
  • 🐛 Not enough example sentences
Mirai Japanese#2

Mirai Japanese by Mirai LLP

Your personal Japanese tutor
Strong Contender
📚 Education
4.7😊(521 ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Mirai Japanese screenshot 1
Mirai Japanese screenshot 2
Mirai Japanese screenshot 3
Mirai Japanese screenshot 4
Mirai Japanese screenshot 5
Mirai Japanese screenshot 6

Learn Japanese with a comprehensive tutor-based approach. This app offers structured lessons covering grammar, pronunciation, and writing, with audio, visuals, and practice exercises. Start with free lessons and progress to fluency with a subscription.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Great app for learning Japanese
  • 👍 Excellent explanations and grammar lessons
  • 📚 Effective for building sentence structure
  • 🎓 Helpful for beginners

Room to Improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔴 Lack of updates and new content
  • 🔇 Audio issues like volume inconsistencies
renshuu - Japanese learning#3

renshuu - Japanese learning by Michael Hominick

Pick up words, kanji, and more
Worth Considering
📚 Education
4.9😊(1.3K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
renshuu - Japanese learning screenshot 1
renshuu - Japanese learning screenshot 2
renshuu - Japanese learning screenshot 3
renshuu - Japanese learning screenshot 4
renshuu - Japanese learning screenshot 5
renshuu - Japanese learning screenshot 6

Learn Japanese vocabulary, kanji, and grammar through engaging quizzes and games. Offers personalized learning paths, rich study materials with audio and images, and a unique quiz system designed for the Japanese language. Enjoy a fun, ad-free experience with a supportive community.

What We Love

  • 👍 Helpful for learning Japanese
  • 🎨 Cute and engaging design
  • 🔓 Extensive free features
  • 🤝 Responsive and caring developers

Room to Improve

  • 🤯 Overwhelming UI for some users
  • 🕰️ Occasional performance issues
  • 🔒 Certain features locked behind paywall

More Beginner Japanese Study apps to explore

4
MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana
MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana
MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana
Free Beginner Kana Practices
Free

Master Japanese Hiragana and Katakana with this engaging app. It offers authentic pronunciation, diverse practice methods, and vocabulary building to make learning enjoyable and effective. Start your Japanese journey with a supportive mascot and smart learning tools.

Learn all Hiragana and Katakana charactersAuthentic Japanese voice recordings14 practice varieties
📚 Education
(18K)
free with in-app purchases
5
Todaii: Learn Japanese N5-N1
Todaii: Learn Japanese N5-N1
Todaii: Learn Japanese N5-N1
Read Japanese news daily N5-N1
Free

Practice Japanese reading, listening, and speaking with daily news articles tailored to your JLPT level. Features AI conversation practice, pronunciation scoring, and mock tests for exam success.

Daily news articles for N5-N1 levelsAI conversation practice with feedbackAI pronunciation scoring
📚 Education
(1.5K)
free with in-app purchases
6
Learn Japanese - ManabuLab
Learn Japanese - ManabuLab
Learn Japanese - ManabuLab
Learn Japanese with ManabuLab!
Free

Master Japanese alphabets, kanji with mnemonics, and everyday vocabulary. Build grammar understanding and reading skills from the start with structured lessons and a smart review system. Designed for beginners to develop real language proficiency.

Hiragana & Katakana masteryKanji with visual mnemonicsEveryday vocabulary building
📚 Education
(41)
freemium
7
Learn Japanese Phrases & Words
Learn Japanese Phrases & Words
Learn Japanese Phrases & Words
Japanese Conversation Guide
Free

Master Japanese conversation with this app. Practice speaking and listening with a native Japanese speaking parrot, learning essential phrases and words for your travels. Offline access makes learning convenient anytime, anywhere.

Learn common Japanese phrases and wordsPractice speaking and listening skillsNative Japanese pronunciation
📚 Education
(90)
free with in-app purchases
8
Japanese
Japanese
Japanese
More than a dictionary
Free

This comprehensive language learning tool offers an extensive dictionary with over 175,000 entries and 58,000 example sentences. It includes advanced features like handwriting recognition, conjugation search, and a text reader, alongside flashcard study tools and JLPT-specific lists. Learn Japanese offline with this pocket-sized study companion.

Extensive dictionary with 175,000+ entries58,000+ example sentencesHandwriting recognition for kanji/kana
🔍 Reference
(3.6K)
paid
9
10 Minute Japanese
10 Minute Japanese
10 Minute Japanese
Learn the language fast!
Free

Master Japanese with just 10 minutes a day. This app uses scientifically proven spaced repetition to help you quickly expand your vocabulary and improve speaking, listening, and writing skills. Learn over 500 new words monthly and cover a year's college course material in just 3 months.

Spaced repetition learning methodVocabulary expansion (500+ words/month)Speaking and listening practice
📚 Education
(394)
subscription
10
Learn Japanese by MindSnacks
Learn Japanese by MindSnacks
Learn Japanese by MindSnacks
by MindSnacks
Free

Master Japanese reading, writing, and conversation skills through 8 engaging games. Learn over 800 words and phrases with native speaker audio and practice three writing systems. Ideal for all ages, it makes language acquisition fun and effective.

8 addictive learning games800+ Japanese words & phrasesPractice Kana, Kanji, and Romaji
📚 Education
(437)
free with in-app purchases
11
Learn Japanese!!!
Learn Japanese!!!
Learn Japanese!!!
Speak, Read and Write Japanese
Free

Master Japanese with engaging lessons covering vocabulary, pronunciation, kana, kanji, writing, and grammar. Smart review tools adapt to your learning pace, ensuring effective memorization. Ideal for beginners to quickly gain speaking, reading, and writing skills.

Vocabulary lessonsPronunciation practiceKana and Kanji learning
📚 Education
(587)
free with in-app purchases
12
Bunpo: Language Learning
Bunpo: Language Learning
Bunpo: Language Learning
Learn Japanese,Korean,Spanish
Free

Master multiple languages with this comprehensive learning app. It offers detailed grammar explanations, vocabulary building, and smart review systems to help you progress from beginner to advanced levels. Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, and Chinese with interactive exercises and personalized study plans.

Learn 6 languagesMaster grammar with detailed explanationsBuild vocabulary and kanji knowledge
📚 Education
(18K)
free with in-app purchases
13
Japanese : Learn Kanji JLPT
Japanese : Learn Kanji JLPT
Japanese : Learn Kanji JLPT
learn kanji, kanji study japan
Free

Master Japanese kanji and vocabulary with comprehensive study tools. Features include flashcards, quizzes, and audio lessons for all JLPT levels. Learn effectively with over 2300 kanji and 10,000 vocabulary words.

2300+ essential Kanji with readings and examples10,000 Japanese vocabulary words by topic120 Japanese conversation lessons
📚 Education
(287)
free with in-app purchases
14
Learn Japanese Kanji: Benkyō
Learn Japanese Kanji: Benkyō
Learn Japanese Kanji: Benkyō
JLPT, Vocab & SRS Flashcards
Free

Master Japanese kanji and vocabulary with AI-powered drills and spaced repetition. Track your progress, practice writing, and review efficiently with customizable quizzes. Works offline for convenient study anytime, anywhere.

AI-powered SRS quizzesHandwriting recognition for kanji practiceOffline access to over 10,000 Kanji
📚 Education
(3.4K)
free with in-app purchases
15
Japanese Games: Infinite
Japanese Games: Infinite
Japanese Games: Infinite
Learn vocabulary the fun way!
Free

Master Japanese vocabulary through engaging, space-themed games. This app uses a multi-sensory approach with text, audio, and visuals to aid memorization. It supports all Japanese writing systems and offers offline learning with customizable review challenges.

Hundreds of Japanese vocabulary wordsMulti-sensory learning (audio, text, visual)Supports romaji, hiragana, katakana, kanji
📚 Education
(2.4K)
free with in-app purchases
16
Learn Japanese Essentials
Learn Japanese Essentials
Learn Japanese Essentials
AccelaStudy®
Free

Master Japanese vocabulary and pronunciation efficiently. This app uses spaced repetition and native speaker audio to help you learn quickly and permanently. Sync your progress across devices and study offline.

Native speaker audio for pronunciationSpaced repetition for memorizationSearchable dictionary
📚 Education
(2)
free with in-app purchases
17
In 24 Hours Learn Japanese
In 24 Hours Learn Japanese
In 24 Hours Learn Japanese
Fast, fun and easy learning!
Free

Learn Japanese quickly and effectively with interactive audiovisual lessons. Focus on practical conversation skills with context-aware translations and curated topics. Ideal for busy individuals, travelers, and business professionals.

Interactive audiovisual lessonsScientifically proven learning methodsContext-aware translations
📚 Education
(298)
free with in-app purchases
18
Learn Japanese - Free WordPower
Learn Japanese - Free WordPower
Learn Japanese - Free WordPower
by Innovative Language Learning USA LLC
Free

Master essential Japanese vocabulary and phrases with this app designed for busy individuals. Learn through audio, practice pronunciation, and gain cultural insights with a focus on the most frequently used words.

Top 100 Japanese words and phrasesNative speaker audio recordingsVoice recorder for pronunciation practice
📚 Education
(35)
free with in-app purchases
19
Skritter: Write Japanese
Skritter: Write Japanese
Skritter: Write Japanese
Learn Japanese Kana and Kanji
Free

Master Japanese writing with this app, offering practice for Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Learn through topic-based decks, from travel essentials to cultural themes. Ideal for beginners and those looking to improve character recall.

Learn Hiragana, Katakana, and KanjiTopic-based learning decksPractice character drawing
📚 Education
(168)
freemium
20
Kana - Hiragana and Katakana
Kana - Hiragana and Katakana
Kana - Hiragana and Katakana
Learn Japanese • quiz & draw
Free

Master Japanese Hiragana and Katakana with this app. It offers customizable tables, drawing practice, and various quiz modes including handwriting recognition. Track your learning progress and set study reminders to effectively learn the Japanese alphabets.

Customizable Kana tablesDrawing practiceMultiple quiz modes
📚 Education
(13K)
ad-supported

FAQ about Beginner Japanese Study

What are the best beginner japanese study apps for iPhone?
Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji tops our beginner japanese study apps ranking as of June 2026, with a 4.8-star average from 22K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 20 of the top beginner japanese study apps we rank are free to download, including Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji and Mirai Japanese.
Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji has no ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of June 2026.
This app focuses on teaching the Japanese language, specifically covering Hiragana and Katakana writing. It also includes lessons on vocabulary and grammar, along with audio pronunciation for practice.
It utilizes a 'Show And Quiz' teaching method with spaced repetition review quizzes to reinforce learning. You can easily review previously learned lessons and practice English to Japanese and Japanese to English translations.