There are more Japanese learning apps than anyone can try. The quickest way to choose is to start from your goal: a few phrases for a trip, reading kana and kanji, understanding grammar, speaking with a real person, or passing the JLPT.
This guide starts with free courses from Japanese public organizations, then compares paid apps and tutoring services. All prices and features were checked on official websites on November 2, 2026. Most of these services list prices in US dollars; the yen amounts are my own rough conversion at ¥157.80 = $1 (the MUFG Bank mid-rate on November 2, 2026).
Quick answer by goal
- Phrases for a trip: start with NHK WORLD-JAPAN’s free “Easy Japanese” (48 lessons) and its 3-minute “Easy Travel Japanese” episodes.
- A structured free course: the Japan Foundation’s Irodori covers A1 to B1 level Japanese and can be downloaded as PDF files with audio.
- Kanji: WaniKani is free until you reach Level 4; after that it is US$9 a month (about ¥1,420), billed monthly.
- Grammar: Bunpro has a free plan and a 30-day free trial of Premium; Premium is US$5 a month (about ¥790), billed monthly.
- Speaking practice: book a tutor on italki or Preply. Prices depend on the tutor, and Preply charges for a fixed number of lessons every 28 days.
- The JLPT has five levels (N5 is the easiest) and is held in July and December, though some cities outside Japan hold it only once a year.
Start with free official courses
Before paying for an app, try the free courses from NHK WORLD-JAPAN and the Japan Foundation, which are made for learners outside Japan.
NHK WORLD-JAPAN: Easy Japanese and Easy Travel Japanese
NHK’s Easy Japanese is a free beginner course with 48 lessons, and its audio and textbook can be downloaded for personal use. NHK says the MP3 audio files and PDF textbook “can be downloaded free of charge (for personal use only),” and the course is also available on radio and NHK’s free app. For trip preparation, NHK’s Easy Travel Japanese offers 3-minute episodes with simple expressions you can use as soon as you land. NHK WORLD-JAPAN Easy Japanese / Easy Travel Japanese.
The Japan Foundation: Irodori, Minato, and Erin’s Challenge
The Japan Foundation offers a full downloadable coursebook (Irodori), an online learning platform (Minato), and a video-based site (Erin’s Challenge).
- Irodori teaches A1 to B1 level Japanese in four parts: Starter (A1), Elementary 1 (A2), Elementary 2 (A2), and Pre-Intermediate (A2/B1). The Japan Foundation says it can be downloaded from anywhere in the world as PDF files, with audio you can download or stream, and translated editions are available. Irodori.
- Minato is the Japan Foundation’s learning platform. Its FAQ says user registration is free and that there are both free and paid courses. Minato.
- Erin’s Challenge is described by the Japan Foundation as “a free Japanese learning site” where you learn with Erin, a high school student studying in Japan. Erin’s Challenge.
Goal: learn phrases before a trip
For a trip, a short phrase course is enough, and you can do it for free with NHK, JapanesePod101’s free plan, or Duolingo’s free version.
- NHK Easy Travel Japanese: free, 3-minute episodes focused on travel expressions.
- JapanesePod101 (free plan): its pricing page says you can start free with no credit card, and the free plan includes a “50+ Lesson Survival Phrases Course.”
- Duolingo: offers a Japanese course and a free version. Its paid plan, Super, starts with a one-week free trial and renews automatically unless you cancel. I could not find Super’s price on Duolingo’s public pages.
Goal: read kanji
If reading signs, menus, and books is your goal, a dedicated kanji app such as WaniKani gives you a clear path, and you can try its first three levels for free.
WaniKani says it teaches over 2,000 kanji and over 6,000 vocabulary words, and that it is “free until you reach Level 4.” After the free levels, it offers three ways to pay:
| WaniKani plan | Price | How it is billed |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | US$9.00 (about ¥1,420) | Every month, renews automatically |
| Annual | US$89.00 (about ¥14,040) | Every year, renews automatically |
| Lifetime | US$299.00 (about ¥47,180) | One-time payment |
WaniKani notes that additional tax or VAT may be applied at checkout.
Goal: understand grammar
For grammar, Bunpro lets you review grammar points with spaced repetition, and you can use its free plan or a 30-day free trial of Premium first.
Bunpro says it has write-ups for over 900 grammar items. Its free plan gives limited access, and every new account gets a 30-day free trial of Premium with no credit card required.
| Bunpro plan | Price | How it is billed |
|---|---|---|
| Free | US$0 | Limited access |
| Premium, monthly | US$5 (about ¥790) | Every month |
| Premium, yearly | US$50 (about ¥7,890) | Every year |
| Lifetime | US$150 (about ¥23,670) | One-time payment |
Goal: speak with a real person
To practice speaking, book one-on-one lessons with a tutor; on both italki and Preply, the price depends on the tutor you choose.
- italki: the Japanese teacher list shows each tutor’s trial lesson price. When I checked, examples on the page included US$6.50, US$8.00, and US$30.00 per trial lesson (about ¥1,030, ¥1,260, and ¥4,730), so prices vary widely. italki Japanese teachers.
- Preply: lessons are sold as a subscription with one tutor. Preply charges you every 28 days for a fixed number of lessons, the minimum plan is 4 lessons per cycle, and single one-time lessons are not available. Its help page gives this example: if your tutor charges €10 per lesson, the minimum plan costs €40 per cycle. How Preply subscriptions work.
- JapanesePod101 Premium PLUS: adds “1-on-1 Access to a Teacher” on top of its audio lessons (see the price table below).
JapanesePod101 plans
JapanesePod101 shows its prices as monthly amounts based on a 24-month subscription, and its free plan includes a survival phrases course.
| Plan | Regular price (per month, 24-month subscription) | What is added |
|---|---|---|
| Free | US$0 | Survival Phrases course, first 3 lessons in every pathway |
| Basic | US$4 (about ¥630) | All lessons and lesson notes |
| Premium | US$10 (about ¥1,580) | Assessments, flashcards, and more |
| Premium PLUS | US$23 (about ¥3,630) | 1-on-1 access to a teacher |
JapanesePod101’s pricing page says these monthly prices are “based on the cost of a 24-month subscription.” Check the current price on its pricing page before you subscribe. The page also mentions a 7-day Premium trial and a satisfaction guarantee. JapanesePod101 plans.
Goal: pass the JLPT
If you want a certificate, the JLPT has five levels from N5 (easiest) to N1, and it is held twice a year in July and December.
- Levels: N5 and N4 measure basic Japanese mainly learned in class, N1 and N2 measure Japanese used in a broad range of real-life situations, and N3 is a bridge between them.
- Test dates: the first test is in July and the second in December. Outside Japan, registration is through a local host institution, and some cities hold the test only in July or only in December.
- Where to check: the official JLPT website lists test site cities outside Japan. JLPT levels.
Common questions
These answers are based on the official pages listed in the sources.
Can I learn Japanese for free?
You can get quite far for free. NHK’s Easy Japanese course, Erin’s Challenge, and the free courses on Minato are free, and WaniKani, Bunpro, Duolingo, and JapanesePod101 all have free options or trials.
Do these subscriptions renew automatically?
Many do. Duolingo says all its subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled, WaniKani’s monthly and annual plans renew automatically, and Preply charges every 28 days. Check the billing terms before you start a trial.
Sources
- NHK WORLD-JAPAN: Easy Japanese
- NHK WORLD-JAPAN: Easy Travel Japanese
- The Japan Foundation: Irodori
- The Japan Foundation: Minato
- Minato: FAQ
- The Japan Foundation: Erin’s Challenge
- JLPT: N1–N5 level summary
- JLPT: Taking the test overseas
- JapanesePod101: Plans
- WaniKani
- WaniKani Knowledge: Subscription plans
- WaniKani Knowledge: WaniKani Free
- Bunpro: Pricing
- Preply Help: How Preply subscription works
- italki: Japanese teachers
- Duolingo: Super
- Duolingo Help: Super Duolingo
- MUFG Research and Consulting: Daily exchange rates (MUFG Bank)
All prices and details were checked on the official pages above on November 2, 2026. Prices and plans change, so please check the official websites before you buy.