Best Free Japanese Learning Apps

241+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.8 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated June 2026

Easy Japanese for Beginners is the household name in free japanese learning, but it's far from the only option. We track 241+ alternatives and competitors on iOS — many free, many higher-rated than you'd expect.

Top Picks for Free Japanese Learning

Easy Japanese for Beginners#1

Easy Japanese for Beginners by Phong Nguyen

Learn japanese with NHK
Editor's Choice
📚 Education
4.7(230 ratings)
Free
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Master Japanese with engaging audio-drama style lessons. This app offers a structured approach to learning basic grammar and essential expressions, perfect for beginners. It includes comprehensive writing practice for Hiragana and Katakana, along with vocabulary and pronunciation guides.

LingoDeer - Learn Languages#2

LingoDeer - Learn Languages by LingoDeer Co., Ltd.

Learn Japanese,Korean,Spanish
Strong Contender
📚 Education
4.7😊(27K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
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This app offers structured language lessons created by teachers, making learning effective and easy. It covers 20 languages, from beginner alphabets to conversational fluency, with interactive exercises and native speaker audio.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Great for learning Asian languages
  • 👍 Thorough grammar and sentence structure explanations
  • 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing design
  • 📚 Comprehensive lessons and review features

Room to Improve

  • 💰 Paywall after initial lessons
  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 🔍 Limited free content
Duolingo: Language Lessons#3

Duolingo: Language Lessons by Duolingo, Inc

Learn Spanish, Math & more
Worth Considering
📚 Education
4.7😊(5.3M ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
#1in Education
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Learn languages, math, music, and chess through fun, bite-sized lessons. Build vocabulary, grammar, and real-world skills with a science-based methodology. Track progress and stay motivated with a global community.

What We Love

  • 🤩 Fun and entertaining learning experience
  • 🎉 Motivating streak and league features
  • 🎨 Cute and engaging animations
  • 📚 Effective for learning vocabulary and basics

Room to Improve

  • 🤖 Issues with voice recognition and pronunciation feedback
  • 🤑 Aggressive monetization tactics and paywall for key features
  • 🤯 Frustrating heart/health system that penalizes mistakes

More Free Japanese Learning 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
(15K)
free with in-app purchases
5
Learn Japanese: Sensei
Learn Japanese: Sensei
Learn Japanese: Sensei
Tae Kim's grammar guide
Free

Master Japanese grammar with this comprehensive guide. Learn intuitively from a Japanese perspective with 69 free lessons, progress tracking, and vocabulary audio. Covers everything from writing systems to advanced topics.

69 free grammar lessonsProgress trackingNote taking per lesson
📚 Education
(1.2K)
free
6
Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji
Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji
Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji
Hiragana, Kanji, and Grammar
Free

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.

Hiragana and Katakana writing lessonsVocabulary and grammar lessonsSpaced repetition review quizzes
📚 Education
(22K)
free with in-app purchases
7
Teuida: Learn Languages
Teuida: Learn Languages
Teuida: Learn Languages
Easy Spanish, Japanese, Korean
Free

Learn to speak Korean, Japanese, and Spanish through interactive, first-person POV scenarios. Practice essential expressions and gain confidence with AI-powered pronunciation feedback. Focus on speaking from day one with short, effective lessons.

First-person POV speaking practiceReal-life scenario simulationsAI pronunciation analysis
📚 Education
(54K)
free with in-app purchases
8
Airlearn - Language Learning
Airlearn - Language Learning
Airlearn - Language Learning
Spanish French Japanese German
Free

Master over 25 languages with concise lessons, cultural insights, and practical dialogues. Engage in weekly leagues and track your progress to achieve fluency. Start learning for free today.

Master 25+ languagesConcise grammar and vocabulary lessonsRich cultural insights
📚 Education
(42K)
free with in-app purchases
9
renshuu - Japanese learning
renshuu - Japanese learning
renshuu - Japanese learning
Pick up words, kanji, and more
Free

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.

Personalized learning pathsExtensive vocabulary and kanji databaseGrammar explanations and quizzes
📚 Education
(1.2K)
free with in-app purchases
10
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
(10K)
ad-supported
11
Learn Japanese - Drops
Learn Japanese - Drops
Learn Japanese - Drops
Japanese Vocab Learning Games
Free

Learn Japanese vocabulary through engaging, visually-driven mini-games. Daily five-minute lessons make learning addictive and effective, focusing on practical words and essential scripts like Kanji and Kana. Build a consistent learning habit with this fun, illustrated approach.

Illustrated vocabulary learningDaily 5-minute lessonsQuick swipe and tap games
📚 Education
(2K)
freemium
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
HelloTalk - Language Learning
HelloTalk - Language Learning
HelloTalk - Language Learning
Practice with native speakers
Free

Practice languages with native speakers through chat, voice, and live events. Connect with locals worldwide to improve fluency and cultural understanding. Features include translation tools, instant captions, and interactive Voicerooms.

Practice with native speakersLive video lessonsInteractive Voicerooms
📚 Education
(43K)
free with in-app purchases
14
Speak Japanese - Kigaru Talks
Speak Japanese - Kigaru Talks
Speak Japanese - Kigaru Talks
Learn with Your AI Teacher
Free

Practice Japanese with an AI conversation partner from your first lesson. This app focuses on speaking from day one, adapting to your progress for practical, real-world communication skills. Ideal for travelers, expats, and serious learners.

AI conversation practiceSpeaking-first approachPersonalized lessons
📚 Education
(68)
free with in-app purchases
15
Learn Japanese - Phrasebook
Learn Japanese - Phrasebook
Learn Japanese - Phrasebook
Learn, Speak Japanese Language
Free

Learn to speak and write Japanese effectively with this easy-to-use phrasebook app. It offers essential translated phrases, native speaker audio, and vocabulary to help you communicate with locals and navigate Japan. Start with free content and unlock more for comprehensive learning.

Essential Japanese phrasesNative speaker audioOffline learning
✈️ Travel
(2K)
free with in-app purchases
16
Memrise Easy Language Learning
Memrise Easy Language Learning
Memrise Easy Language Learning
Apprends comme si tu y vivais
Free

Learn over 40 languages through immersive lessons that simulate real-life conversations and cultural experiences. Practice vocabulary, listening, and speaking with AI-powered bots and native speaker videos to build confidence and speak like a local.

Real-life conversation simulationCultural insightsVocabulary and listening practice
📚 Education
(216K)
free with in-app purchases
17
Rosetta Stone Classic (2024)
Rosetta Stone Classic (2024)
Rosetta Stone Classic (2024)
Spanish, Korean, French & More
Free

Master a new language through an immersive, intuitive method that focuses on speaking with confidence. Personalized plans and instant pronunciation feedback help you learn effectively. Download lessons for offline access and sync your progress across devices.

Personalized language learning planIntuitive immersion methodInstant pronunciation feedback
📚 Education
(237K)
subscription
18
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
(3.4K)
paid
19
Mondly: Learn 41 Languages
Mondly: Learn 41 Languages
Mondly: Learn 41 Languages
Learning Spanish Korean French
Free

Master new languages through engaging lessons, interactive exercises, and advanced features like a chatbot and voice recognition. Practice speaking, reading, listening, and grammar to achieve fluency. Offers a wide range of languages and learning materials.

Learn 41 languagesChatbot for practiceHands-free learning
📚 Education
(31K)
free with in-app purchases
20
Lirer: Learn Japanese
Lirer: Learn Japanese
Lirer: Learn Japanese
kana, Kanji, Vocabulary & jlpt
Free

Master Japanese vocabulary and alphabets from beginner to advanced levels. This app offers native speaker audio, personalized reviews, and comprehensive lessons for all JLPT levels. It includes quizzes and a searchable dictionary to enhance your learning journey.

Learn Japanese words up to JLPT N1Practice Hiragana and KatakanaNative speaker audio files
📚 Education
(638)
freemium