Japanese vocabulary apps: Anki, MOJiTest and 3 more compared
Which Japanese vocabulary app should you choose? Anki lets you build your own cards. MOJiTest and GraspJPN provide ready-made practice. Kotonoha works in a browser, while Maho helps you study words from material you want to read. Here is what each of these five options offers.
In this article
Five Japanese vocabulary apps at a glance
Use this table to find an app, then read its individual section. A free download does not necessarily include every lesson or feature.
Filter the platforms covered here. All app reviews remain below.
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| App | Main use | Best fit | Platform / cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anki | Custom cards and scheduled review | Your own vocabulary collection | Free desktop / Android; paid iOS |
| MOJiTest | JLPT vocabulary books and practice | Exam preparation | iPhone / iPad; free download + purchases |
| GraspJPN | Kana and graded vocabulary drills | Ready-made practice | iOS / Android; free download + purchases |
| Kotonoha | Browser flashcards and daily review | Studying in a browser | Free features + paid full version |
| Maho | Text analysis, cards and AI questions | Japanese you actually want to read | Web / iOS; AI plans and points apply |
1. Anki: build cards around your own words and sentences
Anki supports custom cards with text, pictures and audio, and schedules reviews based on how well you recall them. It is a useful choice if you already collect vocabulary from books or lessons.
Who it suits: learners willing to create or select their own material. Keeping the sentence where you found a word can make a card more useful than saving a translation alone. Check shared decks before relying on their readings and examples.
Platforms and cost: desktop Anki and Android AnkiDroid are free; official AnkiMobile for iOS is paid. Start at the official Anki website to find the correct app.
2. MOJiTest: vocabulary and practice for JLPT preparation
MOJiTest offers exam vocabulary books and vocabulary, grammar, reading and listening practice, with saved questions and a mistake notebook. You can choose exam material instead of building a deck from scratch.
Who it suits: learners with a specific test level in mind. Its exam focus is useful for that goal; you will still need another way to work through vocabulary in your own manga or articles.
Platforms and cost: this guide checked the US iPhone / iPad listing. The app is free to download with in-app purchases; check which books and question sets your purchase unlocks. MOJiTest App Store listing.
3. GraspJPN: kana and graded vocabulary practice
GraspJPN (學學日文) provides kana and N5–N1 flashcards alongside listening, spelling and selection exercises. It is an option for learners who want material ready when they open the app.
Who it suits: beginners moving beyond kana and learners who want several ways to practise a word. Try spelling after a multiple-choice exercise to check whether you can recall the reading without prompts.
Platforms and cost: iOS and Android, free download with purchases. Verify content and purchase options on your platform. App Store · Google Play.
4. Kotonoha: daily vocabulary review in a browser
Kotonoha provides graded flashcards, new-word targets and due reviews on the web. It also has grammar-card and AI-example features. The browser format is worth considering if you study on both a computer and a phone.
Who it suits: learners looking for a ready-made collection they can review online. Check whether its readings and example presentation are comfortable for you to use every day.
Cost: free features plus a paid full version. The site places expanded playback, some tests and higher AI allowances in the full version. Visit Kotonoha.
5. Maho: learn vocabulary from material you want to read
Maho analyses images, pasted text and YouTube content when captions are available. It connects sentence translations with vocabulary and grammar, lets you ask AI about the current material, and saves words for later review. There are also N5–N1 courses with illustrated vocabulary and spoken examples.
Who it suits: learners who have a book, comic or article they want to understand, especially when looking up individual words does not explain the sentence.
Platforms and limits: web and iOS; AI plans and point rules apply. Maho is our own product. AI explanations need checking, and not every YouTube video has accessible captions. See the analysis demo and course overview.
Which vocabulary app should you pick?
Your own vocabulary collection: Anki gives you control over the cards, provided you are willing to prepare them.
JLPT preparation: compare MOJiTest and GraspJPN for the material and exercises you need. Consider Kotonoha if you prefer a browser.
Learning from original material: try Maho if you want to understand a whole sentence and ask follow-up questions about it.
Free limits and information date
Official product and store information was checked on 7 October 2026. We have not installed and tested every app under the same conditions. Prices and purchase terms can change. For forum-related selections, see our Dcard app guide and PTT app guide.