Best Free Japanese Learning Apps

250+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.7 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated September 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 (September 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1MARU: Learn Japanese HiraganaMARU: Learn Japanese HiraganaFree4.9★ (18K)YesYesOct 2026
2Easy Japanese for BeginnersEasy Japanese for BeginnersFree4.7★ (230)NoNoOct 2026
3Learn Japanese: SenseiLearn Japanese: SenseiFree4.9★ (1.8K)NoNoOct 2026
4Japanese!! Learn Kana & KanjiJapanese!! Learn Kana & KanjiFree4.8★ (22K)NoYesOct 2026
5Learn Japanese - PhrasebookLearn Japanese - PhrasebookFree4.7★ (2K)NoYesOct 2026
6renshuu - Japanese learningrenshuu - Japanese learningFree4.9★ (1.3K)NoYesOct 2026
7LingoDeer - Learn LanguagesLingoDeer - Learn LanguagesFree4.7★ (28K)NoYesOct 2026
8Hourly Kana: Learn JapaneseHourly Kana: Learn JapaneseFree4.7★ (718)YesYesOct 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
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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
  • 👍 Helpful for reinforcing learning
  • 👍 Affordable lifetime subscription
  • 👍 Modular and customizable
  • 👍 Cute and motivating
  • 👍 Effective for beginners
  • 👍 Smooth and clean interface
  • 👍 Helpful for dyslexic learners
  • 👍 Excellent for daily practice

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Issues with distinguishing similar sounds
  • 🐛 Lack of writing practice
  • 🐛 Limited vocabulary
  • 🐛 Ads can be disruptive for some users
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
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Easy Japanese for Beginners screenshot 5
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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.

What We Love

  • 👍 Great for beginners
  • 👍 Easy to understand
  • 👍 Helpful for learning Japanese
  • 👍 Good educational tool
  • 👍 Nice audio and teaching
  • 👍 Explains language well
  • 👍 Useful scenarios and dialogues
  • 👍 Free resource
  • 👍 Engaging speakers
  • 👍 Good pedagogical framework

Room to Improve

  • ⚠️ Frequent commercials/ads
  • ⚠️ Audio sometimes doesn't work
  • ⚠️ App not updated recently
  • ⚠️ Intrusive ads
  • ⚠️ Full intros every lesson
Learn Japanese: Sensei#3

Learn Japanese: Sensei by App to Learn Pte. Ltd.

Tae Kim's grammar guide
Worth Considering
📚 Education
4.9😊(1.8K ratings)
Free
Learn Japanese: Sensei screenshot 1
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Learn Japanese: Sensei screenshot 5

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.

What We Love

  • 👍 Comprehensive and helpful
  • 👍 Well-structured and clear
  • 👍 Convenient to use on mobile
  • 👍 Excellent grammar explanations
  • 👍 Logical and analytical approach
  • 👍 Completely free with no ads

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Audio/sound issues
  • 🐛 Lesson content disappearing when app suspended
  • 🐛 Difficulty with self-evaluation and exercises
  • 🔍 Lack of interactive features (quizzes, flashcards, etc.)
  • 🔍 Overwhelming amount of text-based content
  • 🔍 Casual language usage may not be suitable for beginners

More Free Japanese Learning apps to explore

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 September 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 September 2026.
We track 250+ free japanese learning apps on the iOS App Store as of September 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.