Anki vs KanaMastery: build your own flashcards, or practise ready-made Japanese
Facts about Anki checked on its own pages in October 2026. Written by KanaMastery: we say where Anki is the better choice.
Anki is the better pick if you want total control: it is a free flashcard engine (desktop, Android and the web; USD 24.99 on iPhone) where you make or download any deck. KanaMastery is the better pick if you want Japanese practice that is ready to go, with checked readings and meanings, programs and drills, and nothing to set up.
Anki comes with no content: what you learn depends on the deck you choose, and its own manual warns that shared decks often lack explanations.
Anki and KanaMastery, side by side
| Anki | KanaMastery | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free on computers, Android and the web; AnkiMobile for iPhone and iPad is USD 24.99 once | €5.99 a month, €44.99 a year or €149 once (KanaMember), after a 14-day trial with no card; a full refund within 30 days of the first payment |
| Free plan | Everything except the iOS app, including free syncing between devices | Free for good: all kana and the whole Kana program, every Japan quiz, the first chapter of every program and the first chapters of JLPT N5, 20 reviews a day, the daily challenge and leagues |
| Where it runs | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android (AnkiDroid), iOS (AnkiMobile) and the web (AnkiWeb) | A website, on any device with a browser; no app to install (and none yet in the app stores) |
| Hiragana and katakana | Only through a deck you make or download | All 208 kana with sound and stroke order pages, and a free program that teaches them |
| Kanji | Only through a deck you make or download | 2,217 kanji by JLPT level, each with readings, stroke order and words; practised for reading and meaning, not handwriting |
| Vocabulary | Only through a deck you make or download; it handles decks of 100,000 cards and more | 7,579 JLPT words with readings and meanings from JMdict, plus phrases, numbers and counters |
| Grammar | Only through a deck you make or download | Drills, not lessons: N5 particles and verb forms, sentences and N4 keigo; no grammar explanations beyond short notes |
| Levels covered | Whatever your decks cover | Kana, then JLPT N5 to N1 |
| How it schedules practice | Spaced repetition with a choice of scheduler: the classic SM-2 or FSRS, which learns your memory patterns | Spaced repetition (FSRS) for every answer: reading, recall and listening scheduled separately, up to 100 reviews a day |
| Audio | Any audio a deck includes; you can add your own | Text-to-speech for words and kana |
| Motivation | None built in | XP and levels, combos, streaks with freezes, a daily challenge and weekly leagues |
Anki's prices are as its own pages showed them in October 2026 (US prices unless noted); ours are in euros. Prices change: check before you buy.
Where Anki is better
- Free on every platform but iOS, with free syncing.
- Total control: any card design, any content, images, audio and add-ons, and decks of 100,000 cards and more.
- It works for any subject, not only Japanese.
Where KanaMastery is better
- Ready-made: programs from kana to N1, with readings and meanings from JMdict and KANJIDIC2, so you never have to check a shared deck's accuracy.
- Practice beyond flashcards: typed answers in kana or romaji, listening, sprints, counters and verb-form drills.
- Motivation built in: a daily challenge, weekly leagues, streaks and levels.
- Both use FSRS, so the scheduling is comparable: KanaMastery runs it with no settings to tune.
Using both
Many learners use both: KanaMastery for structured practice from kana to the JLPT, and Anki for words from their own reading, a textbook or a class, which no ready-made course will have.
Questions about Anki and KanaMastery
Is Anki free?
Yes on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and the web, with free syncing. The iPhone and iPad app, AnkiMobile, costs USD 24.99 once (checked October 2026).
Does Anki come with Japanese decks?
No: Anki has no content of its own. You make cards or download shared decks, which its manual says often lack explanations.
Is KanaMastery an Anki alternative?
For ready-made Japanese practice, yes. For your own cards on any subject, Anki is more flexible.
Do Anki and KanaMastery use the same scheduler?
Anki offers FSRS as an option alongside the older SM-2. KanaMastery schedules every answer with FSRS.
Sources
- Anki: home page and downloads
- AnkiMobile on the US App Store
- Anki manual: getting started (shared decks)
- Anki manual: deck options (FSRS)
- Anki FAQ: which spaced repetition algorithm
- KanaMastery: pricing, how it works and attributions.
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