Duolingo vs KanaMastery for Japanese: an honest Duolingo alternative

Facts about Duolingo checked on its own pages in October 2026. Written by KanaMastery: we say where Duolingo is the better choice.

Duolingo is the better pick for a free, playful start in an app: its whole Japanese course is free, teaches hiragana, katakana and kanji with tracing, and now runs up to CEFR B2. KanaMastery is the better pick if you are aiming at the JLPT: it drills the JLPT word and kanji lists from N5 to N1 with spaced repetition, typed answers and listening.

Duolingo spreads kanji out on purpose and doesn't follow the JLPT levels; KanaMastery is built around them.

Duolingo and KanaMastery, side by side

	Duolingo	KanaMastery
Price	Free; Super Duolingo (no ads, unlimited energy) is bought in the app, with a 14-day trial; the US App Store lists its options from USD 9.99	€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	The whole Japanese course, with ads, and an energy system that limits how much you do in one go	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	iOS, Android and the web	A website, on any device with a browser; no app to install (and none yet in the app stores)
Hiragana and katakana	Hiragana first, then katakana, early in the course	All 208 kana with sound and stroke order pages, and a free program that teaches them
Kanji	Introduced gradually inside whole words, with tracing and freehand writing exercises in the apps	2,217 kanji by JLPT level, each with readings, stroke order and words; practised for reading and meaning, not handwriting
Vocabulary	Taught through the course's lessons	7,579 JLPT words with readings and meanings from JMdict, plus phrases, numbers and counters
Grammar	Part of the course; how it explains grammar isn't described on the pages we read	Drills, not lessons: N5 particles and verb forms, sentences and N4 keigo; no grammar explanations beyond short notes
Levels covered	Up to CEFR B2 (a Duolingo Score of 129); no JLPT alignment stated	Kana, then JLPT N5 to N1
How it schedules practice	Short, gamified lessons with personalised practice; spaced repetition isn't named on its pages	Spaced repetition (FSRS) for every answer: reading, recall and listening scheduled separately, up to 100 reviews a day
Audio	Audio in every lesson; whether recorded or synthetic isn't stated	Text-to-speech for words and kana
Motivation	Streaks, XP, gems and competitive leaderboards; AI video calls in the Max plan	XP and levels, combos, streaks with freezes, a daily challenge and weekly leagues

Duolingo'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 Duolingo is better

The whole Japanese course is free, in polished iOS and Android apps.
Kanji writing: tracing and freehand exercises in the apps, which KanaMastery doesn't have.
A longer guided course: it now runs up to CEFR B2, with lessons that mix reading, listening and grammar.

Where KanaMastery is better

Built for the JLPT: 7,579 words and 2,217 kanji in the N5 to N1 lists, with a program for each level and the full lists public.
Typed answers in kana or romaji, so you recall rather than recognise, with listening and dictation drills.
Spaced repetition (FSRS) on every answer, with reading, recall and listening scheduled separately.
A placement test, so you can start at your level.

Using both

Many learners start on Duolingo and add KanaMastery when they want the JLPT lists or more kanji: keep your Duolingo streak for daily habit, and use KanaMastery's programs and reviews for the words and kanji the JLPT expects.

Try the free Kana program What KanaMastery does

Questions about Duolingo and KanaMastery

Is Duolingo good for learning Japanese?

It is a good free start: it teaches all three scripts and now runs up to CEFR B2. It doesn't follow the JLPT levels and spreads kanji out on purpose, so learners aiming at the JLPT usually add a tool built around its lists.

Is Duolingo Japanese free?

Yes: every course is free, with ads and an energy limit. Super Duolingo removes both (checked October 2026).

What is a good Duolingo alternative for Japanese?

It depends on the goal: KanaMastery for JLPT words and kanji, Bunpro for grammar, WaniKani for kanji with mnemonics, or Renshuu as a free all-rounder.

Can I use Duolingo and KanaMastery together?

Yes: Duolingo for daily lessons in an app, KanaMastery for JLPT vocabulary, kanji and spaced review on the web.

Sources

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