🇯🇵 Best app to learn Japanese
The best app to learn Japanese, honestly compared
Updated:
Quick answer
Japanese needs two kinds of app. For reading, a script tool: WaniKani for kanji (first three levels free) or Anki flashcards. For speaking, something that talks back: SpeakBase, where Kate holds a spoken Japanese conversation with you and explains every correction in English; the first lesson is free and Premium is $11.99 a month. Duolingo is a good free start for hiragana and katakana.
Most Japanese learners spend months on scripts and never say a sentence out loud. The scripts matter, but they are a reading skill. Speaking Japanese is a separate skill and it needs its own practice.
What makes Japanese hard to speak
Japanese puts the verb at the end, drops the subject when it is obvious, and changes form with politeness. A sentence that is grammatical can still be wrong for the person you are talking to. Particles (wa, ga, o, ni, de) are the classic stumbling block, and they only become automatic when you use them in real sentences.
The options at a glance
| App | Best for | Speaking practice | Cost model |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpeakBase (Kate, AI tutor) | Actually speaking: real conversations out loud, corrected as you go | Yes, every lesson is spoken; mistakes are corrected and explained in English | First lesson free, no card; Premium $11.99 a month for 150 minutes of conversation |
| Duolingo | A free daily habit and first vocabulary | Short repeat-after-me exercises; little open conversation | Free core app, with an optional paid subscription |
| WaniKani | Learning to read kanji in a fixed order | None | First three levels free, then a paid subscription |
| Anki | Memorising a new script and thousands of words | None | Open-source flashcard app; pricing depends on the platform |
| Busuu | Getting written and spoken answers reviewed by native speakers | Recorded answers reviewed by the community, not live | Free tier, with a Premium subscription |
| Pimsleur | Learning by ear on a commute or a walk | You answer prompts out loud, but nobody hears or corrects you | Paid; the first 30-minute lesson is free |
| italki (human tutors) | Learners who want a real person and can schedule lessons | Yes, live with a person | Pay per lesson; each tutor sets their own price, in US dollars |
Competitor details were checked on 17 October 2026 and change often; prices are not listed where they could not be confirmed on the provider's own site.
Each option, in one paragraph
SpeakBase (Kate, AI tutor): live voice conversation with an ai tutor
Best for actually speaking: real conversations out loud, corrected as you go. First lesson free, no card; Premium $11.99 a month for 150 minutes of conversation. The catch: not a full grammar course and not a human; pair it with an app or a book for reading and writing.
Duolingo: gamified lessons
Best for a free daily habit and first vocabulary. Free core app, with an optional paid subscription. The catch: you can finish many units and still freeze in a real conversation.
WaniKani: kanji and vocabulary with spaced repetition
Best for learning to read kanji in a fixed order. First three levels free, then a paid subscription. The catch: reading only: it will not make you speak.
Anki: spaced-repetition flashcards
Best for memorising a new script and thousands of words. Open-source flashcard app; pricing depends on the platform. The catch: you build or download decks yourself; it teaches recall, not conversation.
Busuu: course plus community feedback
Best for getting written and spoken answers reviewed by native speakers. Free tier, with a Premium subscription. The catch: feedback arrives later, not in the moment you speak.
Pimsleur: audio course
Best for learning by ear on a commute or a walk. Paid; the first 30-minute lesson is free. The catch: fixed recordings: no feedback on what you actually said.
italki (human tutors): marketplace of paid human tutors
Best for learners who want a real person and can schedule lessons. Pay per lesson; each tutor sets their own price, in US dollars. The catch: booking, time zones and cost per hour add up if you want daily practice.
Our pick for each goal
- Hold a real conversation in Japanese: SpeakBase (Kate, AI tutor). The only option here that talks back, live, and corrects what you actually said, at any hour.
- Read kanji: WaniKani. A fixed path through kanji and vocabulary; levels 1 to 3 free.
- A free daily habit: Duolingo. Free core app and a streak that gets you to open it every day.
- Learn by ear on a commute: Pimsleur. Audio lessons you can follow without looking at a screen.
- A human teacher on a schedule: italki (human tutors). Choose your own tutor and pay per lesson.
Where SpeakBase fits
SpeakBase is not trying to replace a course app. It does the one thing course apps cannot: a live spoken Japanese conversation. Kate, the AI tutor, talks with you out loud about your day, your plans or a role-play, notices your mistakes, gives you the correct sentence, explains it in plain English and asks you to say it again. Your first lesson is free with no card; Premium is $11.99 a month for 150 minutes of conversation. Not sure where you stand? The free Japanese level test gives you a CEFR level in about three minutes, and the AI Japanese tutor page shows what a lesson looks like.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best app to learn Japanese?
Japanese needs two kinds of app. For reading, a script tool: WaniKani for kanji (first three levels free) or Anki flashcards. For speaking, something that talks back: SpeakBase, where Kate holds a spoken Japanese conversation with you and explains every correction in English; the first lesson is free and Premium is $11.99 a month. Duolingo is a good free start for hiragana and katakana.
Can you become conversational in Japanese with Duolingo alone?
Duolingo is a good free way to build a habit and first vocabulary, but its speaking exercises are short and scripted. Most learners who only use it can recognise a lot of Japanese and still freeze in a real conversation. Add regular spoken practice, with a person or with an AI tutor such as Kate on SpeakBase, to close that gap.
What is the best free way to start learning Japanese?
Start with Duolingo's free core app for a daily habit or Busuu's free tier, and take SpeakBase's free first lesson to hear yourself speak Japanese with a tutor who corrects you in English. No card is needed for either.
How much does SpeakBase cost for Japanese?
The first lesson is free with no card. Premium is $11.99 a month, or $10 a month billed annually, and includes 150 minutes of Japanese conversation with Kate every month, all role-plays and your personal review cards. Cancel any time.
Do I need to learn kanji before I start speaking Japanese?
No. You can start speaking from day one; reading and speaking grow at different speeds. Kate's lines appear on screen as she speaks, and you can ask her in English for the reading or meaning of any word.
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3 minutes · free · no card · then keep talking with Kate