Whether it’s for personal travel, business or family connections, you’ve decided you want to learn to speak Japanese online. So, how do you know who offers the best Japanese learning software? Have no fear, we have done our research and tested over 50 apps. The following are our top 10 picks for the best Japanese language-learning program.
Table of Contents
1. JapanesePod101
JapanesePod101 offers over 10,000 hours of videos and podcast lessons to teach you to speak Japanese. You will find grammar lessons, cultural lessons, and the latest Japanese news and events.
There are four subscription levels from $4 to $47 per month. There is also a free subscription which offers a lot of material. You can also find coupon codes to discount the monthly cost.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Tons of learning content | Little speaking practice |
| Useful learning tools | Not great for advanced speakers |
| Grammar and culture lessons | Understanding kanji is necessary |
| English is phased out in advanced lessons |
Price 3 / 5 stars
Effectiveness 3 / 5 stars
User Experience 5 / 5 stars
2. Olly Richard’s Japanese Uncovered
This is a new addition to our list in 2021, as we hadn’t tried this course until recently. Japanese Uncovered is a beginner Japanese course (intermediate also available) created by Olly Richards, a polyglot who believes in the power of story to learn a language.
Our editors recommend this as one of the most entertaining and effective structured courses for learning beginner Japanese.
Read our full review of Japanese Uncovered.
Price 3 / 5 stars
Effectiveness 5 / 5 stars
User Exprience 5 / 5 stars
3. Pimsleur Japanese
Pimsleur Japanese uses four key principles put together by Dr. Paul Pimsleur with the belief that you learn a foreign language best when you learn it like you did your native language—by listening and repeating. These principles include focusing only on core vocabulary words, optimally-timed repetition, the principle of anticipation and organic learning (as mentioned).
Pimsleur is $14.95 each month you choose to use it. You can upgrade to Premium features for $19.95 per month. These features will include more, but not extensive, emphasis on writing and grammar.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| All lessons are 30 minutes or less | Lacking grammar explanations |
| Audio-only lessons can be accessed anywhere | One of the most expensive programs |
| All vocabulary taught is useful | Lessons can be boring |
| Easy-to-use interface | No writing or reading lessons |
Price 2 / 5 stars
Effectiveness 3 / 5 stars
User Experience 3 / 5 stars
4. Anki
Anki is an app available for smartphones and desktops. It consists of spaced-repetition flashcards designed to help you memorize kanji and Japanese vocabulary. Spaced repetition introduces new words at varying intervals that are optimized for memorization. After each flashcard, you determine whether it was easy, medium or difficult. You will see your difficult cards more often until they become easy.
Anki is a free download for Android devices and $24.99 for iOS devices. With the ability to import your own cards from textbooks and even JLPT lists, it is well worth the money.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Anki’s algorhythm enhances memorization | Not a complete language program |
| Useful learning tool | Does not offer grammar explanations |
| Can make your own flashcards | Difficult to write characters |
Price 5 / 5 stars
Effectiveness 5 / 5 stars
User Experience 5 / 5 stars
5. Tae Kim’s Guide to Learning Japanese for iPhone
Tae Kim’s Guide to Learning Japanese is a book based on the principle that Japanese simply cannot be taught in English. It has been converted into a mobile app for easy access and covers grammar in-depth along with vocabulary with kanji and hiragana and katakana with content that his relevant and interesting.
You can purchase the book or use the desktop version or app for free or donation if you choose.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| The most comprehensive covering of Japanese grammar | Not much audio/video content |
| Variety of tools, books, videos to assist in learning | Some type mistakes |
| Listening, speaking, writing and reading practice | |
| Now available in iOS and Android |
Price 5 / 5 stars
Effectiveness 5 / 5 stars
User Experience 5 / 5 stars
6. Lang-8’s HiNative-Language Learning
Lang-8 is unlike most other language-learning programs in that is is basically a social blogging sight in which you post and comment with others speaking Japanese. Native speakers proofread and correct your text for you. An absolute beginner might have trouble jumping right in, but it is a great way to get authentic, native dialogue going and possibly even make friends. Lang-8 is easy to use and you can sort blog entries by language or topic.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Native speakers help correct Japanese | Brand-new users will have trouble jumping in |
| Easy to use interface | No direct language lessons |
| Fun way to study and make friends | |
| Ideal supplemental learning tool |
Price 5 / 5 stars
Effectiveness 4 / 5 stars
User Experience 5 / 5 stars
7. Duolingo Japanese
Duolingo Japanese is a fun and motivating way to learn Japanese. It is designed to feel like a game complete with level-ups and rewards. On the flip side, you will also find that you lose “lives” and cannot always proceed when you get something wrong. Duolingo is excellent at motivation and introducing hiragana, katakana, kanji and romaji right from the beginning.
It offers little, if any, grammar explanations and introduces new phrases and topics quite fast for beginners. Duolingo is free as an app or desktop version with Premium features for $9.95 per month.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Highly motivating and fun | Little grammar and writing |
| Useful phrases | Moves quickly for beginners |
| Includes hiragana, katakana, kanji and romaji | Some translations are confusing |
Price 5 / 5 stars
Effectiveness 2 / 5 stars
User Experience 4 / 5 stars
8. WaniKani
WaniKani uses mnemonics to teach you radicals, the building blocks of Kanji. All words come from the official kanji guide put forth by the Japanese Ministry of Education and are useful in everyday communication. It uses spaced repetition flash cards to help you memorize radicals, kanji and vocabulary words.
WaniKani is free to try for the first three lessons and then there is a small monthly charge. It is also highly recommended that you have a good understanding of hiragana and katakana prior to starting this program.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Uses mnemonics for memorizing | Should know hiragana and katakana beforehand |
| Words learned from the Japanese Ministry of Education | Not a grammar program |
| Teaches radicals to learn kanji | Cannot go back and retake levels |
| Example sentences for vocabulary |
Price 4 / 5 stars
Effectiveness 3 / 5 stars
User Experience 4 / 5 stars
9. LingoDeer Japanese
LingoDeer Japanese is another game-like way to learn to speak Japanese. It claims to have you learning to speak Japanese from your very first day. Using a building-block approach, LingoDeer slowly adds to what you’ve learned in previous levels. It uses audio from native Japanese speakers and integrates culture and grammar into each lesson.
LingoDeer costs $11.99 per month, but you can purchase lifetime access for a one-time purchase of $99.99. There are also three-month and yearly subscription levels.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Fun and motivating game-like app | Lack of speaking practice |
| Heavy focus on pronunciation | Not a well-structured course |
| Grammar tips and notes within lessons |
Price 4 / 5 stars
Effectiveness 3 / 5 stars
User Experience 5 / 5 stars
10. Memrise
Memrise uses a three-step approach to learning Japanese based upon how you learned your native language. First, it uses real-life scenarios to keep lessons interesting. Next, you are immersed in video and audio lessons from native speakers. Finally, you practice speaking. Memrise’s smart learning engine automatically adapts to each learner.
Memrise Japanese offers both a free version and a PRO version. The PRO version is $129.99 for a lifetime membership or you can purchase monthly or yearly access. Upgrading to the PRO version will yield you the ability to converse with chatbots, adaptive technology and access to your learning statistics.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Great content for beginners | No structure to learning format |
| Customization options | Absolute beginners may get confused |
| Interesting content and visually appealing | |
| Native speakers supply information for lessons |
Price 4 / 5 stars
Effectiveness 3 / 5 stars
User Experience 4 / 5 stars
11. Rocket Japanese
Rocket Japanese is an extensive program designed to take you all the way to Japanese fluency. Based mostly upon interactive audio lessons, you will encounter comprehensive explanations of grammar and pronunciation.
Rocket Japanese is different from other programs in that you purchase your lessons instead of monthly subscriptions. There are a total of three lessons designed to take you from absolute beginner to advanced speaker. You have the option of purchasing one, two or all three lessons for a one-time fee—anywhere from $99.95 to $259.90.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Extensive language-learning program | Sometimes technical difficulties with microphone |
| Customized learning | Lengthy, unnecessary explanations |
| Quick lessons | Confusion when beginning lessons |
| Plenty of speaking activities |
Price 3 / 5 stars
Effectiveness 5 / 5 stars
User Experience 4 / 5 stars
The Best Japanese Learning Software: Final Thoughts
Every person has a different learning style and focus in their language study. That said, whether you’re looking for an extensive Japanese course, a kanji learning app, a supplemental app for a more extensive course, we think you will find it in this list!
