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Best Learning Japanese Apps

239+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.8 avg rating
19 free apps
Updated May 2026

MARU is the household name in learning japanese, but it's far from the only option. We track 239+ alternatives and competitors on iOS — many free, many higher-rated than you'd expect.

Top Picks for Learning Japanese

MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana#1

MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana by Overdreamer, LLC

Free Beginner Kana Practices
Editor's Choice
📚 Education
4.9😊(15K 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
Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji#2

Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji by Luli Languages LLC

Hiragana, Kanji, and Grammar
Strong Contender
📚 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
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
Duolingo: Language Lessons screenshot 1
Duolingo: Language Lessons screenshot 2
Duolingo: Language Lessons screenshot 3
Duolingo: Language Lessons screenshot 4
Duolingo: Language Lessons screenshot 5
Duolingo: Language Lessons screenshot 6

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 Learning Japanese apps to explore

4
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
5
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
6
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
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
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
9
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
10
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
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
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
13
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
14
MochiKanji - Learn Japanese
MochiKanji - Learn Japanese
MochiKanji - Learn Japanese
Remember+1000 Kanji in 1 month
Free

This app offers a fun and engaging way to learn Japanese Kanji and vocabulary. It uses a unique "Golden Time" algorithm to optimize review sessions, helping users memorize over 1000 Kanji and thousands of words quickly. The bright, friendly design and cute characters make the learning process enjoyable.

Joyful learning experienceBright and friendly designGolden Time review algorithm
📚 Education
(1.4K)
free with in-app purchases
15
Write It! Japanese
Write It! Japanese
Write It! Japanese
Learn how to write Japanese!
Free

Master Japanese hiragana and katakana handwriting with this app. It uses advanced recognition technology for stroke-by-stroke guidance and timed tests. Learn efficiently with bite-sized lessons and track your progress.

Handwriting recognition technologyBite-sized lessonsStroke-by-stroke guidance
📚 Education
(2.3K)
free with in-app purchases
16
Learn Japanese Easily
Learn Japanese Easily
Learn Japanese Easily
Study Japanese Lesson Games
Free

This application offers a relaxing and interactive method for learning Japanese. It uses engaging games that connect words with images to reinforce meaning and provides opportunities to practice language mastery. Track your progress and test your knowledge with a summary and rating.

Interactive word-image association gamesPronunciation practiceEasy-to-navigate interface
📚 Education
(11K)
free with in-app purchases
17
Pimsleur | Language Learning
Pimsleur | Language Learning
Pimsleur | Language Learning
Practice Daily. Speak Fluently
Free

Master over 50 languages with daily 30-minute audio lessons. Achieve native-like fluency through a scientifically proven method focused on speaking and pronunciation, even offline. Perfect for busy adults seeking flexible, effective language learning.

Learn 50+ languages30-minute daily lessonsOffline mode
📚 Education
(28K)
free with in-app purchases
18
Wagotabi: Learn Japanese
Wagotabi: Learn Japanese
Wagotabi: Learn Japanese
Immersive Japanese Learning
$4.99

Learn Japanese from scratch with an immersive, game-like experience. Master reading, writing, and speaking through interactive quests and real-world scenarios. Progress at your own pace with expert-designed lessons and personalized tools.

Learn Hiragana, Katakana, and KanjiInteractive city explorationContextual vocabulary and grammar
📚 Education
(1.3K)
free
19
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
20
Drops: Language Learning Games
Drops: Language Learning Games
Drops: Language Learning Games
Learn French, Spanish,Japanese
Free

Learn new languages through engaging games and visual aids. Practice vocabulary and common phrases in over 55 languages, from beginner to expert levels. Track progress, unlock achievements, and enjoy professionally curated lessons with native speaker pronunciations.

Gamified vocabulary learningVisual learning aids55+ language options
📚 Education
(71K)
free with in-app purchases

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