比べる
kuraberu
Compare
Japanese learning apps, side by side
The short answer: Duolingo for a free daily habit, WaniKani for kanji, Bunpro for grammar drills, and Ikou Benkyou for one voiced path from your first hiragana to JLPT N5. Plenty of learners use two.
What each one teaches and costs
Every fact about another app links to its source below.
| Ikou Benkyou | Duolingo | WaniKani | Bunpro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it teaches | ||||
| Japanese only, from your first hiragana to the grammar of JLPT N5 | Many languages. Its Japanese course starts with kana, then words and phrases | Kanji and the vocabulary that uses them, on spaced repetition | Grammar, with vocabulary, on spaced repetition. Over 900 grammar points written up | |
| Free | ||||
| Six full lessons with their audio and every game. No card. | Every course, with ads and a daily Energy limit | Levels 1 to 3 | A limited free tier, and a 30-day trial with no card | |
| Paid | ||||
| US$11.99 a month or US$79.99 a year | Super, which removes the ads and the Energy limit. It adds no lessons. | $9 a month, $89 a year or $299 for life | $5 a month or $150 for life | |
| Best for | ||||
| One voiced path from zero to JLPT N5, with games and exams that check it stuck | A free daily habit, or dabbling in more than one language | Learners who already read kana and want to get serious about kanji | Drilling grammar alongside a textbook or class | |
What's inside Ikou Benkyou
Press play and each word lights up as the cast says it. Tap a word to hear it from there.
I am a student.
- A cast of seven characters voices every word and line
- Slow any recording down, and flag one that sounds off
- Furigana, romaji or nothing over every sentence: your choice
- An exam for every lesson: fifteen questions, no furigana
- 13 stations, from your first hiragana to JLPT N5 grammar
- Day and night, here and in the app
Three games, played with each lesson's words
シャボン玉
Bubble Pop
Words drift down in bubbles. Type the answer to pop each one before it lands.
- Three lives
- Combos to ×3
- Freeze and firework bubbles
てっぺん
Sky Climb
Jump to the platform with the right answer while the tower rises faster and faster. Combos flip you.
- Six skies, up to outer space
- Four climbers
- Speeds up every 30s
一刀両断
Clean Cut
New
A word goes up on the sign and lanterns fly. Swipe through the one that answers it, and never the firework.
- Three lives
- Two in one swipe for a bonus
- Six ways to ask
Ride the first six stops free.
The intro, Hiragana 1 to 4 and Greetings are free for good, with their audio and every game. When you want the rest of the line, the pass is $11.99 a month.
No card needed.