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Apps and methods for Japanese and Korean

How to use this list

Pick three at most: one for a daily habit, one for review, and one source of real Japanese or Korean you enjoy. Each price below was read on the tool's own website in October 2026 and links to the page we read. Lingram is ours; we say so.

New here? Start with the best free apps for Japanese, the best free apps for Korean or how polyglots learn.

Japanese and Korean

Duolingo

JapaneseKoreanFree option

Good for: Short, game-like daily lessons that make showing up every day easy.

Price: Free. Optional Super Duolingo subscription (App Store lists in-app prices from $9.99), 14-day free trial. (source)

Fits: Total beginners who want a free daily habit.

Watch out: Mostly app-made sentences; add real listening alongside it.

Anki

Any languageFree option

Good for: Spaced-repetition flashcards that bring each card back right before you would forget it.

Price: Free on computer and Android (AnkiDroid). The official iPhone app, AnkiMobile, is a one-time $24.99. (source)

Fits: Anyone who wants to keep the sentences they meet in shows and songs.

Watch out: You bring the content (your own cards or shared decks); it is a tool, not a course.

LingoDeer

JapaneseKorean

Good for: A structured course designed by teachers, with clear grammar, native audio and built-in flashcards.

Price: $14.99/month, $39.99/quarter or $95.99/year; longer one-time plans also offered. (source)

Fits: Beginners who want explained grammar in a clear order.

Watch out: Sample lessons only before you pay.

Busuu

JapaneseKoreanFree option

Good for: Short expert-made lessons plus corrections from native speakers in its community.

Price: Free tier. Premium price is not shown publicly; its site says it varies by region and platform. (source)

Fits: Learners who want a course plus feedback from native speakers.

Watch out: You only see the price at checkout.

Pimsleur

JapaneseKorean

Good for: Audio lessons built around listening and answering, usable hands-free while you drive or walk.

Price: Free first lesson. Korean Premium complete course listed at $575 (on sale when we checked); subscriptions also offered. (source)

Fits: Learners who want to train listening and speaking on the go.

Watch out: Audio-first; little reading practice.

italki

JapaneseKorean

Good for: Book one-on-one lessons with tutors and teachers.

Price: Pay per lesson; each teacher sets their own price. No subscription. (source)

Fits: Learners ready for real conversation and personal correction.

Watch out: Price and quality vary from teacher to teacher.

HelloTalk

JapaneseKoreanFree option

Good for: Chat with native speakers who want to learn your language, with built-in translation and corrections.

Price: Free. Optional VIP $12.99/month or $79.99/year (App Store). (source)

Fits: Learners who want real people to practise with.

Watch out: The free version has daily limits that VIP removes.

Tandem

JapaneseKoreanFree option

Good for: Find a language-exchange partner and chat by text, voice or video.

Price: Free to join. Tandem Pro is an in-app purchase; the App Store lists several regional prices. (source)

Fits: Learners who want conversation partners by interest or location.

Watch out: Pro price depends on your region and the offer shown.

Migaku

JapaneseKorean

Good for: Browser extension and apps to save lines from shows and videos into review cards.

Price: Standard $10/month or $96/year; Early Access $15/month or $144/year; Lifetime $499. Money back within 10 days if it is not for you. Prices may vary by region. (source)

Fits: Learners who mine sentences from Netflix and YouTube.

Watch out: No free plan: you pay up front, with money back within 10 days.

Language Reactor

JapaneseKoreanFree option

Good for: Dual subtitles, a pop-up dictionary and playback controls on Netflix and YouTube.

Price: Free Chrome extension; offers in-app purchases (prices not shown on its listing). (source)

Fits: Learners who train with Netflix and YouTube on a computer.

Watch out: Desktop Chrome only, not a phone app.

Memrise

JapaneseKoreanFree option

Good for: Videos of native speakers, spaced review and AI conversation practice.

Price: Free to start. Paid plan price was not shown on its site when we checked. (source)

Fits: Learners who want natural phrases from real speakers.

Watch out: Check the price in the app before paying.

Refold

Any languageFree option

Good for: An immersion-first roadmap: a step-by-step path built around watching and reading real content.

Price: Free roadmap, tracker and 10-day starter course; paid decks, courses and coaching (prices on its pricing page). (source)

Fits: Self-starters who like a content-first method.

Watch out: A method, not a language course by itself.

Papago

JapaneseKoreanFree option

Good for: NAVER's translator for Korean, Japanese, English and more: text, image, document and voice.

Price: Free on the web; a paid Papago Plus is also offered. (source)

Fits: Checking what a Korean or Japanese line means.

Watch out: A translator, not a teacher; use it to check, not to learn grammar.

Japanese

WaniKani

JapaneseFree option

Good for: Kanji and vocabulary through mnemonics and spaced review (about 2,000 kanji and 6,000 words, per its site).

Price: Levels 1-3 free. Then $9/month, $89/year or $299 lifetime. (source) (free tier source)

Fits: Japanese learners who want a structured path through kanji.

Watch out: Kanji and vocabulary only: no grammar, listening or speaking.

Bunpro

JapaneseFree option

Good for: Japanese grammar points drilled with spaced review, plus a grammar library and reading practice.

Price: Free tier. Premium $5/month or $150 lifetime; 30-day free Premium trial. (source)

Fits: Learners who want grammar to stick, often next to a textbook.

Watch out: Grammar-focused, not a full course.

Renshuu

JapaneseFree option

Good for: Kanji, vocabulary, grammar and listening practice with games and packs matched to textbooks and JLPT levels.

Price: Free to start. Premium price not shown on its public pages when we checked. (source)

Fits: Japanese learners who like varied, game-like practice.

Watch out: Lots of game elements; some can be switched off.

Satori Reader

JapaneseFree option

Good for: Graded Japanese stories with audio, grammar notes and your choice of kanji, kana or furigana.

Price: Free selected episodes forever. Pro $9/month or $89/year. (source)

Fits: Learners past the basics who want lots of reading and listening.

Watch out: Most of the library needs Pro.

JapanesePod101

JapaneseFree option

Good for: Lessons built on real conversations, with slowed-down native audio and line-by-line breakdowns.

Price: Free lifetime account. Paid from $4/month (Basic, 24-month plan) to $23/month (Premium PLUS); shorter terms cost more per month. (source)

Fits: Learners who like a podcast-style format.

Watch out: The low monthly prices assume a long prepaid plan.

Tofugu

JapaneseFree option

Good for: Free kana guides and quiz tool, grammar articles and honest reviews of other Japanese tools.

Price: Free to read. (source)

Fits: Beginners starting kana, and anyone researching tools.

Watch out: A resource site, not a structured course.

Tae Kim's Guide to Japanese Grammar

JapaneseFree option

Good for: A free grammar guide that explains why Japanese forms work the way they do.

Price: Free online. (source)

Fits: Learners who want a grammar reference to look things up.

Watch out: A reference to support your practice, not a full course.

Jisho.org

JapaneseFree option

Good for: Fast Japanese-English dictionary: words, kanji, example sentences, handwriting and radical search.

Price: Free; no paid plan shown. (source)

Fits: Anyone reading Japanese.

Watch out: A dictionary, not a course.

Takoboto

JapaneseFree option

Good for: Japanese-English dictionary with example sentences, kanji details and word lists.

Price: Free; no paid plan shown. (source)

Fits: Learners who want a dictionary app with word lists.

Watch out: Japanese only.

Korean

Talk To Me In Korean

Korean

Good for: A level-by-level Korean course (1,700+ lessons) from Hangul to advanced, with speaking practice.

Price: Smart Save $7.12/month ($85.40/year, no free trial) or Standard $10.17/month ($122/year) with a 7-day free trial; the first lesson is free. (source)

Fits: Korean learners who want a clear path from zero.

Watch out: The lowest price needs yearly billing.

How to Study Korean

KoreanFree option

Good for: A free, detailed Korean course from reading Hangul to advanced grammar, with audio.

Price: Lessons free ("will always be free", per its site); optional paid workbooks and books. (source)

Fits: Self-directed Korean learners who like detailed explanations.

Watch out: Text-based; no speaking feedback.

Lingram

KoreanFree optionOur app

Good for: A feed of short real street clips: each shows the Korean line, how to say it and what it means.

Price: Free to scroll. (source)

Fits: K-drama and K-pop fans who want real lines in seconds.

Watch out: Korean only for now, and still in beta. It is our app.

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