Best free app to learn Japanese: what exactly is free on each one
こんにちはkon-nee-chee-wah“hello” in Japanese
Duolingo's Japanese course is free in full, with ads and daily limits, and its Characters section drills hiragana and katakana.
Prices checked 6 Sept to 13 Oct 2026 · How we check
Our picks
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Most Japanese for nothing
Duolingo
Course app
FreeEvery course, with ads and daily limits.
Why it's here. Short, game-like lessons make it easy to practise a little every day. You can follow the whole course free, with ads and limits.
Paid upgrade: Super removes the ads and limits: $9.99 to $119.99 in Apple's US App Store, depending on the plan, after a 1-week free trial.
Skip it if you want a person to talk to: Duolingo has no tutors, and Max's Video Call is an AI character.
40 languages · offline lessons
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Best with a library card
Mango Languages
Course app
FreeFree through many public libraries; otherwise a free trial and the first lesson of any language.
Why it's here. Conversation-based lessons help you rehearse useful exchanges. A participating library card can give you the whole course without a subscription bill.
Paid upgrade: About $120 a year ($10 a month, billed yearly · Individual)
Skip it if you want your pronunciation scored: Mango lets you record a phrase and compare it with a native speaker by ear, but nothing scores it.
73 languages · offline lessons
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Best free vocabulary practice
Clozemaster
Vocabulary and flashcards
FreeUp to 30 sentences a day; Pro adds unlimited play and advanced features.
Why it's here. Fill-in-the-blank sentences make you recall words in context instead of recognising them on a flashcard. It is useful extra practice once you already know the basics.
Paid upgrade: $79.99 a year ($6.67 a month, billed yearly)
Skip it if you are starting from zero: it is sentence practice, not a course.
71 languages · offline lessons
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Best free way to talk with Japanese speakers
Tandem
Language exchange
FreeFree account with many features; Tandem Pro unlocks the rest.
Why it's here. Talk and write to native speakers while helping them with your language. It is a free way to find conversation partners, though it works best when you are willing to help each other.
Paid upgrade: $39.99 a year ($3.33 a month, billed yearly · Tandem Pro Intro)
Skip it if you want lessons: it finds you conversation partners, it does not teach.
300 languages
24 of the 31 apps that list Japanese have a free tier.
Busuu's free account includes its complete Japanese course. For kanji, Skritter keeps some decks free for good, and WaniKani, a kanji course outside this comparison, is free for its first three levels.
Free Japanese apps, and what exactly is free
Recommended first within each type of app. Sort any column or filter by what matters to you.
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| Best for | Free tier | Speech | Tutor | Offline | CEFR | Refund or trial | Where to buy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course apps | |||||||||||
| DuolingoCourse appSuper in the US App Store: $9.99 to $119.99, depending on the plan. | A free daily habit | Freepaid tier priced in-app | — | — | Free to keep using Full free tier with ads and limits; Super removes the ads and limits, and Max adds AI practice (Video Call and Roleplay). | Yes | No | Yes · Limited lessons available offline; progress syncs when connected | A1 to B2 | 1 week free trial on Super | |
| BusuuCourse app | Corrections from native speakers | $72.99 a year$6.08 a month, billed yearly | — | — | Free to keep using Free account with the complete course in each language, community feedback and basic progress tracking; Premium adds review tools, offline mode and no ads. | Yes | No · Live Lessons are exclusive to Busuu for Business, outside the consumer subscription | Yes | A1 to C1by course | 14-day money-back guarantee on the initial Premium payment; no renewal refunds. Apple and mobile-operator purchases require a refund from that provider. | |
| Mango LanguagesCourse app | Free through many public libraries | About $120 a year$10 a month, billed yearly | $13.99 | — | Free sample Free trial on both personal plans; the first lesson of any language is free; 10 endangered and indigenous language courses are free; free full access through participating public libraries | No | No | Yes | A1 to B1by course | Free trial on Individual and Family plans; cancel before it ends and you are not charged | |
| LingCourse app | Asian and less-taught languages | $149.99 a year$12.50 a month, billed yearly | $16.99 | — | Free to keep using Free tier with limited lessons and limited dialogue practice, with ads | Yes | Live online tutors, booked separately through Ling Live. | — | — | 7-day free trial on the 12-month plan; 30-day money-back refund for yearly and lifetime subscriptions bought via Ling web (app-store purchases follow Apple's or Google's refund policy) | |
| LingoDeerCourse app | Grammar-led lessons, with alphabet units for Japanese and Korean | $95.99 a year$8 a month, billed yearly | $14.99 | — | Free to keep using A free version with limited lessons; a membership unlocks every course and feature. | — | — | Yes | A1 to B1by course | A 7-day money-back guarantee on yearly and longer plans bought on LingoDeer's website, one request per person; no refund for part of a period or a renewal you forgot. | |
| Rocket LanguagesCourse app | Paying once per level, not a subscription | $149.95Rocket Japanese Level 1 | — | $449.85 | Free trial A free trial; the page does not say what it includes or for how long. | Yes | No | Yes · audio lessons download in the app; voice recognition needs a connection | A1 to B2by course | A free trial; 60-day money-back guarantee on purchases. | |
| Rosetta StoneCourse app | Immersion without translation | $159 a year$13.25 a month, billed yearly | $19.99 | — | Free sample Free sample lessons on its site; no lasting free plan. | Yes | Coaching sessions with a Rosetta Stone certified tutor. | Yes | — | 14-day money-back guarantee | |
| MondlyCourse app | A cheap yearly plan across many languages | $47.99 a year$4 a month, billed yearly | $9.99one language | — | Free to keep using Free version with Daily Lessons, the Hello category and a chatbot lesson. | — | — | — | A1 to B2by course | 7-day free trial | |
| Audio courses | |||||||||||
| GlossikaAudio course | Sentence drills by ear | About $199 a year$16.58 a month, billed yearly | $19.99one language | — | Free trial 7-day full access with no credit card, plus a permanent Freemium tier covering nine minoritized languages | No | No | Yes | A1 to C1by course | 7-day free trial with no credit card; monthly payments are non-refundable, annual plans refundable pro rata within 60 days of purchase | |
| Language TransferAudio course | A free audio course that explains as it goes | Free | — | — | Free to keep using Every course free, with no adverts and no sign-up; it runs on donations. | No | No | Yes | — | Free; nothing to buy. | |
| Vocabulary and flashcard apps | |||||||||||
| ClozemasterVocabulary and flashcards | Free vocabulary practice in context | $79.99 a year$6.67 a month, billed yearly | $12.99 | — | Free to keep using Free account with up to 30 sentences a day; Pro adds unlimited play and advanced features | — | — | Yes · on Pro, in the mobile app | — | 30-day money back guarantee on the Yearly plan; no refunds on Monthly plans | |
| uTalkVocabulary and flashcards | Phrases in 160 languages | $24.99 or $29.99 a yearfor Japanese alone; uTalk's page shows one or the other from visit to visit; $3.99 or $4.99 month to month | $3.99 or $4.99for Japanese | — | Free sample Starter Words, a free 26-word pack in every language, plus an online demo at demo.utalk.com | No | No | Yes | A1 to A2by course | 28-day money-back guarantee | |
| MemriseVocabulary and flashcards | Native-speaker clips and review | $61.99 a year$5.17 a month, billed yearly | $24.99 | $329.99 | Free to keep using Limited free version of the app; the paid plan unlocks the rest. | Yes | — | No · The current experience needs cloud-based tools | — | 30-day money-back guarantee; monthly plans have a 14-day refund window. Apple purchases require a refund from Apple. | |
| LingvistVocabulary and flashcards | Fast vocabulary with a placement test | $79.99 a year$6.67 a month, billed yearly | $9.99 | — | Free trial Free level placement before subscribing, and a 14-day free trial on the annual plan; the monthly plan has no trial | Yes | No | — | — | 14-day free trial on the annual plan; cancel before it ends and you are not charged | |
| DropsVocabulary and flashcards | Five-minute vocabulary sessions | $69.99 a year$5.83 a month, billed yearly | $11 | $150 | Free to keep using Free access capped at 5 minutes of play every 10 hours, with topics unlocked one at a time through gameplay | — | — | Yes | — | 7-day free trial on the Yearly plan; affiliate terms reference a 14-day refund period | |
| MosaLinguaVocabulary and flashcards | The most useful words first, on a review schedule | $71.88 a year$5.99 a month, billed yearly | $9.99 | — | Free trial Free download and a free trial; the full set of features needs a Premium subscription. | — | — | Yes | — | A free trial first, then a 30-day money-back guarantee on website and Android purchases; not on App Store purchases. | |
| SkritterVocabulary and flashcards | Writing Chinese and Japanese characters from memory | $99.99 a year$8.33 a month, billed yearly | $14.99 | — | Free to keep using A guest account keeps free access to selected decks for good; a subscription unlocks review mode and every deck. | — | — | — | — | A 7-day free trial, then a 30-day money-back guarantee on a first purchase made with Skritter; App Store and Google Play purchases follow Apple's and Google's rules. | |
| Learning from real video, text and audio | |||||||||||
| LingQImmersion (video, reading) | Reading and listening to real content | $119.99 a year$10 a month, billed yearly | $14.99 | — | Free to keep using Free account capped at 20 saved words and phrases, 5 lessons created from imported content, and 1 audio playlist | — | — | Yes | — | Full refund during the first 30 days of an initial Premium subscription; no partial-month or unused-month refunds afterward. | |
| AI conversation practice | |||||||||||
| SpeakAI conversation practice | Speaking practice with AI | $83.99 a year$7 a month, billed yearly | $17.99 | — | Free trial 7-day free trial; no permanently free tier is published | Yes | No | — | — | 7-day free trial; refunds for App Store and Google Play purchases go through Apple or Google, and website purchases through Speak support | |
| TalkpalAI conversation practice | AI conversation practice in many languages | $119.99 a year$10 a month, billed yearly | $19.99 | — | Free to keep using The Basic plan: 10 minutes of chat a day, with progress tracking and pronunciation checks. | Yes | No | No | — | A 14-day free trial for new users. Bought from Talkpal directly: a full refund if you ask within 30 days of a charge; not for app store purchases. | |
| LanguaAI conversation practice | Natural-sounding AI conversation practice | $149.99 a year$12.50 a month, billed yearly | $19.99 | — | Free to keep using A free version with low limits: 3 minutes of calls a day and about 20 chat messages a week. | Yes | Human tutors on LanguaTalk, booked separately from Langua; each tutor sets a price per lesson. | — | — | A Pro trial (5 days on a monthly plan, 7 on a yearly one; card needed), and a 30-day money-back guarantee on web and Google Play subscriptions; App Store ones follow Apple's rules. | |
| PraktikaAI conversation practice | Talking with an AI avatar tutor | $9.99 a monthPraktika Premium, 1 month | $9.99 | — | Free to keep using Free to download and use: 3 AI avatars, limited speaking practice, basic feedback. | Yes | No | — | — | A refund if you ask within 48 hours of a charge, Praktika's help centre says; its terms otherwise make fees non-refundable. | |
| Language exchange | |||||||||||
| TandemLanguage exchange | Language exchange with native speakers | $39.99 a year$3.33 a month, billed yearly | — | — | Free to keep using Free account with many features; Tandem Pro unlocks the rest | No | No | — | — | Google Play purchases refundable within 14 days of a 1-month subscription or 30 days of a 3-month or 12-month subscription; iOS refunds requested from iTunes within 14 days | |
| HelloTalkLanguage exchange | Chatting with native speakers | $79.99 a year$6.67 a month, billed yearly | $12.99 | — | Free to keep using Free account with ads and daily limits (for example ten translations a day); occasional randomly offered 3-day VIP trials | — | No | Yes | — | Occasional randomly offered 3-day free VIP trial; refunds handled by Apple or Google for in-app purchases | |
Which to choose
You want the most Japanese for nothing
Duolingo, or Busuu's free account
Duolingo's free tier is the whole Japanese course, with ads and daily limits; paying removes them and adds features, not lessons. Busuu's free account also includes its complete Japanese course, with feedback from native speakers in its community; Premium adds review tools and offline mode.
You need to read kana and kanji
Duolingo's Characters section, then Skritter or WaniKani
Learn hiragana and katakana first: Duolingo's free course drills both in its Characters section. For kanji, Skritter's guest account keeps free access to selected decks for good and has you write each character stroke by stroke; a subscription unlocks every deck. WaniKani, a kanji course outside this comparison, is free for its first three levels.
You have a library card
Mango Languages
Mango Languages says many public libraries give their members full access free, Japanese included. If yours does, that is a complete paid course for nothing; check your library's website before paying anyone.
You want free vocabulary practice
Clozemaster, or Drops in short bursts
Clozemaster's free account plays up to 30 Japanese sentences a day, with the missing word to fill in. Drops gives five minutes of play every ten hours. LingoDeer, built around Asian languages, has a free version with a limited number of lessons.
You want to talk to Japanese speakers for free
HelloTalk or Tandem
HelloTalk and Tandem pair you with Japanese speakers who are learning your language: you help with yours, they help with Japanese. Both have free accounts with limits and paid tiers that lift them. They are not courses, and they are the only free way here to practise with a person.
Questions people ask
Is Duolingo completely free for Japanese?
Its free tier is the whole Japanese course, with ads and daily limits, including the Characters section for hiragana and katakana. Super removes the ads and limits and Max adds AI practice; they do not add lessons.
Can I learn hiragana and katakana for free?
Yes. Duolingo's free Japanese course drills both in its Characters section. For kanji, Skritter's free decks and WaniKani's first three levels cost nothing.
Can I learn Japanese for free with a library card?
Mango Languages says many public libraries give their members full access free, Japanese included. It depends on your library, so check its website.