1. Home
  2. Topics
  3. Free Japanese Learning

Best Free Japanese Learning Apps

250+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.8 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated August 2026

MARU is the household name in free japanese learning, but it's far from the only option. We track 250+ alternatives and competitors on iOS — many free, many higher-rated than you'd expect.

Compare top Free Japanese Learning Apps (August 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1MARU: Learn Japanese HiraganaMARU: Learn Japanese HiraganaFree4.9★ (18K)YesYesAug 2026
2Easy Japanese for BeginnersEasy Japanese for BeginnersFree4.7★ (230)NoNoMay 2026
3Japanese!! Learn Kana & KanjiJapanese!! Learn Kana & KanjiFree4.8★ (22K)NoYesAug 2026
4Learn Japanese: SenseiLearn Japanese: SenseiFree4.9★ (1.2K)NoNoAug 2026
5renshuu - Japanese learningrenshuu - Japanese learningFree4.9★ (1.3K)NoYesAug 2026
6Learn Japanese - DropsLearn Japanese - DropsFree4.8★ (2K)NoYesAug 2026
7Learn Japanese - PhrasebookLearn Japanese - PhrasebookFree4.7★ (2K)NoYesAug 2026
8LingoDeer - Learn LanguagesLingoDeer - Learn LanguagesFree4.7★ (28K)NoYesAug 2026

Top Picks for Free Japanese Learning

MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana#1

MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana by Overdreamer, LLC

Free Beginner Kana Practices
Editor's Choice
📚 Education
4.9😊(18K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana screenshot 1
MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana screenshot 2
MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana screenshot 3
MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana screenshot 4
MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana screenshot 5
MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana screenshot 6

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.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Fun way to learn Japanese
  • 👍 Great for memorizing hiragana and katakana
  • 👍 User-friendly and simple
  • 👍 Convenient and easy to use

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Issues with distinguishing similar sounds
  • 🐛 Lack of writing practice
  • 🐛 Limited vocabulary
Easy Japanese for Beginners#2

Easy Japanese for Beginners by Phong Nguyen

Learn japanese with NHK
Strong Contender
📚 Education
4.7(230 ratings)
Free
Easy Japanese for Beginners screenshot 1
Easy Japanese for Beginners screenshot 2
Easy Japanese for Beginners screenshot 3
Easy Japanese for Beginners screenshot 4
Easy Japanese for Beginners screenshot 5
Easy Japanese for Beginners screenshot 6

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.

Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji#3

Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji by Luli Languages LLC

Hiragana, Katakana & Grammar
Worth Considering
📚 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

More Free Japanese Learning apps to explore

4
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
5
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
(1.3K)
free with in-app purchases
6
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
7
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
8
LingoDeer - Learn Languages
LingoDeer - Learn Languages
LingoDeer - Learn Languages
Learn Japanese,Korean,Spanish
Free

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.

Short, interactive lessonsClear learning pathGrammar tips and notes
📚 Education
(28K)
subscription
9
Gravity - Contextual Japanese
Gravity - Contextual Japanese
Gravity - Contextual Japanese
Japan Immersion & Flashcards
Free

Learn Japanese by capturing real-world text from your surroundings. This app creates personalized flashcards and study plans based on the vocabulary you encounter daily, making learning practical and context-driven.

Personalized learning plansInstant vocabulary extraction from photosSmart review system
📚 Education
(0)
free with in-app purchases
10
Mugi - Japanese Immersion
Mugi - Japanese Immersion
Mugi - Japanese Immersion
Get fluent the fast & fun way
Free
📚 Education
(0)
11
Nihondex: Learn Japanese
Nihondex: Learn Japanese
Nihondex: Learn Japanese
Hiragana, Katakana & Vocab
Free

Master Japanese vocabulary, grammar, and kanji with a structured learning path. Utilizes spaced repetition for efficient memorization and includes interactive games and reading practice. Offers detailed progress tracking and social features to enhance your learning journey.

Spaced repetition system (SRS)Kana gamesConjugation practice
📚 Education
(5)
freemium
12
Japanese Learning App
Japanese Learning App
Japanese Learning App
Learn Japanese
Free
📚 Education
(0)
13
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
14
Kakitori: Learn Japanese
Kakitori: Learn Japanese
Kakitori: Learn Japanese
Learn Japanese from Anime!
Free

Master Japanese reading and vocabulary through an anime-inspired learning path. This app uses spaced repetition and engaging mini-games to build a consistent study habit. Start from basic alphabets and progress to kanji and real sentences.

Learn hiragana, katakana, and kanjiAnime-driven vocabulary decksSpaced repetition system
🎬 Entertainment
(2)
free with in-app purchases
15
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
16
Mainichi - Learn Japanese
Mainichi - Learn Japanese
Mainichi - Learn Japanese
Master Japanese, day by day
Free
📚 Education
(0)
17
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
18
Kitsugo: Learn Japanese
Kitsugo: Learn Japanese
Kitsugo: Learn Japanese
Vocab, Grammar & JLPT Courses
Free
📚 Education
(0)
19
Yokoso: Learn Japanese
Yokoso: Learn Japanese
Yokoso: Learn Japanese
For real life in Japan
Free

Learn Japanese for everyday life in Japan with a personalized approach that adapts to your existing knowledge. Master vocabulary, grammar, and practical phrases through context and intelligent review. Track your progress against real-world scales.

Personalized learning without placement testsContextual vocabulary and grammar for daily lifeSpaced repetition with mnemonic hooks
📚 Education
(1)
free
20
Nihonten - Learn Japanese
Nihonten - Learn Japanese
Nihonten - Learn Japanese
Personalized Japanese Learning
Free
📚 Education
(0)

FAQ about Free Japanese Learning

What are the best free japanese learning apps for iPhone?
MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana tops our free japanese learning apps ranking as of August 2026, with a 4.9-star average from 18K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana shows ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of August 2026.
We track 250+ free japanese learning apps on the iOS App Store as of August 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.
This app helps beginners learn Japanese Hiragana and Katakana. It focuses on making the learning process enjoyable and effective through various practice methods, authentic audio, and vocabulary building exercises.
The app is free to use with minimal ads. Users can choose to upgrade to a Pro Version through a one-time purchase for an ad-free experience, offline practice, writing and typing exercises, and access to more vocabulary words.