Skritter vs KanaMastery: learn to write kanji, or learn to read and recall them
Facts about Skritter checked on its own pages in October 2026. Written by KanaMastery: we say where Skritter is the better choice.
Skritter is the better pick if you want to write Japanese by hand: you write kana and kanji on screen and it grades each stroke. KanaMastery is the better pick if you want to read and recall Japanese: it drills readings, meanings and listening from kana to N1, and doesn't teach handwriting.
They train different skills, so they complement each other.
Skritter and KanaMastery, side by side
| Skritter | KanaMastery | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | On the web: USD 14.99 a month, USD 59.99 for 6 months or USD 99.99 a year, after a 7-day trial; no lifetime plan listed | €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 | A 7-day trial; in the apps, guest accounts keep free access to some decks | 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 | The web, iOS, iPad, Mac and Android | A website, on any device with a browser; no app to install (and none yet in the app stores) |
| Hiragana and katakana | Writing practice for hiragana and katakana | All 208 kana with sound and stroke order pages, and a free program that teaches them |
| Kanji | Writing practice with stroke-by-stroke grading and stroke-order animations | 2,217 kanji by JLPT level, each with readings, stroke order and words; practised for reading and meaning, not handwriting |
| Vocabulary | Hundreds of ready-made decks (JLPT N5, textbooks, topics), or lists you build | 7,579 JLPT words with readings and meanings from JMdict, plus phrases, numbers and counters |
| Grammar | Not offered as a course | Drills, not lessons: N5 particles and verb forms, sentences and N4 keigo; no grammar explanations beyond short notes |
| Levels covered | Decks for the JLPT and popular textbooks | Kana, then JLPT N5 to N1 |
| How it schedules practice | Spaced repetition personalised to you, with feedback on each stroke | Spaced repetition (FSRS) for every answer: reading, recall and listening scheduled separately, up to 100 reviews a day |
| Audio | Audio for many words; its help pages note some rarer words have none | Text-to-speech for words and kana |
| Motivation | Progress statistics | XP and levels, combos, streaks with freezes, a daily challenge and weekly leagues |
Skritter'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 Skritter is better
- Handwriting: you write each character and it grades every stroke, which KanaMastery doesn't do.
- Decks for popular textbooks, so it can follow a class.
- Apps for iOS, Mac and Android as well as the web; KanaMastery has no app yet.
Where KanaMastery is better
- Price: €5.99 a month or €44.99 a year against USD 14.99 a month or USD 99.99 a year, with a free plan that never ends.
- Reading and recall at speed: typed answers in kana or romaji, listening and dictation, timed sprints, and every JLPT level from N5 to N1.
- Motivation: a daily challenge, weekly leagues, streaks and levels.
Using both
A natural pair: Skritter for writing kanji by hand, KanaMastery for reading, vocabulary and listening. Practise a level's kanji in both and you can read them and write them.
Questions about Skritter and KanaMastery
How much is Skritter?
On its website, USD 14.99 a month, USD 59.99 for 6 months or USD 99.99 a year, after a 7-day free trial (checked October 2026). App store prices vary.
Does KanaMastery teach handwriting?
No: it has stroke-order pages for every kana and kanji, but practice is reading, meaning and listening. Skritter grades your handwriting.
Is KanaMastery a Skritter alternative?
Not for writing. For reading, vocabulary and listening practice from kana to N1, it covers what Skritter doesn't.
Sources
- Skritter: home page and plans
- Skritter: features
- Skritter Japanese on Google Play
- Skritter Japanese on the US App Store
- Skritter: FAQ (audio, stroke order)
- KanaMastery: pricing, how it works and attributions.
Skritter is a trademark of its owner. This page isn't endorsed by or connected to Skritter. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.