Best Japanese Learning Apps

233+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.6 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated May 2026

Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji is the household name in japanese learning apps, but it's far from the only option. We track 233+ alternatives and competitors on iOS — many free, many higher-rated than you'd expect.

Top Picks for Japanese Learning Apps

Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji#1

Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji by Luli Languages LLC

Hiragana, Kanji, and 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
renshuu - Japanese learning#2

renshuu - Japanese learning by Michael Hominick

Pick up words, kanji, and more
Strong Contender
📚 Education
4.9😊(1.2K 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
Teuida: Learn Languages#3

Teuida: Learn Languages by TEUIDA Inc,

Easy Spanish, Japanese, Korean
Worth Considering
📚 Education
4.9😊(53K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
#95in Education
Teuida: Learn Languages screenshot 1
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Teuida: Learn Languages screenshot 3
Teuida: Learn Languages screenshot 4
Teuida: Learn Languages screenshot 5
Teuida: Learn Languages screenshot 6

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.

What We Love

  • 👍 Interactive and engaging learning
  • 🗣️ Encourages speaking practice
  • 🎓 Effective for beginners
  • 🎯 Focuses on practical conversation

Room to Improve

  • 💰 Premium subscription required for full access
  • ⏱️ Limited free lessons per day
  • 🔇 Voice recognition issues at times

More Japanese Learning Apps apps to explore

4
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
(27K)
subscription
5
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
(17K)
free with in-app purchases
6
สปสช.
สปสช.
สปสช.
by National Health Security Office
Free

Access all your health insurance information easily. Check your coverage, find service locations, and stay updated with news and useful knowledge about your health benefits. Your health rights are now at your fingertips.

Check health insurance rightsHealth insurance news and knowledgeMap of service units
💪 Health & Fitness
(10)
free
7
Kanji Study - Learn Japanese!
Kanji Study - Learn Japanese!
Kanji Study - Learn Japanese!
Learn via vocab, JLPT N5–N1
Free

This app teaches Japanese kanji by focusing on vocabulary words. It offers writing practice with stroke detection and spaced repetition reviews for effective memorization. Learn kanji readings naturally through over 5,000 JLPT-aligned words.

Vocabulary-first kanji learningWriting lessons with stroke detectionSpaced repetition reviews
📚 Education
(6.8K)
free with in-app purchases
8
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
9
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
10
SSO Queue
SSO Queue
SSO Queue
by Social Security Office
Free
🌟 Lifestyle
(0)
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
Busuu: Language Learning App
Busuu: Language Learning App
Busuu: Language Learning App
Learn Spanish, French, English
Free

Learn new languages through bite-sized lessons and interactive exercises. Connect with native speakers for feedback and practice, and track your progress with personalized study plans and official certificates.

Learn up to 14 languagesConnect with native speakersExpert-designed courses
📚 Education
(99K)
free with in-app purchases
13
Duolingo: Language Lessons
Duolingo: Language Lessons
Duolingo: Language Lessons
Learn Spanish, Math & more
Free

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.

Bite-sized language lessonsSpeaking, reading, listening, writing practiceMath skills development
📚 Education
(5.3M)
free with in-app purchases
14
MorningBlues
MorningBlues
MorningBlues
by Wuxi Future Mirror Display Technology Co.,Ltd
Free

Control your smart speaker remotely to play music, adjust volume, and customize sound effects. Access unique features like white noise and a "Sing to You" function. The app also provides access to the user manual for comprehensive guidance.

Remote speaker controlPlay and switch songsAdjust volume and sound effects
🔧 Utilities
(15)
free
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
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
(3.3K)
free with in-app purchases
17
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
18
Shinobi: Read & Learn Japanese
Shinobi: Read & Learn Japanese
Shinobi: Read & Learn Japanese
Japanese Story Reader
Free

Learn Japanese through engaging, illustrated stories. This app offers immersive reading and listening practice with interactive tools for vocabulary, kanji, and grammar. Track your progress and build fluency with daily new content and SRS flashcards.

Illustrated Japanese storiesOne-click word translation and explanationsFull-page translation view
📚 Education
(807)
free with in-app purchases
19
Japanese Dictionary - Nihongo
Japanese Dictionary - Nihongo
Japanese Dictionary - Nihongo
Kanji, kana, vocab and grammar
Free

This app is an offline Japanese study tool that functions as a dictionary, translator, and flashcard creator. It helps users learn Japanese by analyzing text from their surroundings, such as signs and menus, and creating personalized study materials.

Offline Japanese dictionaryPicture-to-text translation (OCR)Automatic flashcard creation
🔍 Reference
(1.8K)
freemium
20
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