Best Kanji Apps for Learners: Choose the Right Tool for JLPT and Textbooks

How to pick a kanji app that fits your goals

What’s your priority: recognition, writing, or JLPT prep? Decide that first because apps focus on different skills.

WaniKani and SRS systems prioritise recognition and recall with spaced repetition, while Skritter focuses on handwriting and stroke order. The reason's simple: study time is finite, so pick tools that build the skill you need most.

Picture this: you’re studying Genki I and want to learn the roughly 300 kanji that appear across elementary lessons. Choosing an app that tags kanji by textbook or JLPT level will save you weeks of guesswork, from my experience.

Top kanji apps and what they actually do

WaniKani (Tofugu, launched 2012)

Here’s the thing: WaniKani teaches over 2,000 kanji and more than 6,000 vocabulary using radicals and mnemonics. It uses a paid subscription model after level 3, and it’s famous for clean SRS scheduling and creative mnemonics. The best part? Their level system maps roughly to JLPT bands, so you can estimate progress toward N5 through N1.

Anki (open-source, first released 2006)

Unlike what we're used to, Anki gives you full control. You can import decks like Heisig’s RTK or custom JLPT decks. There's no forced curriculum, just SRS flashcards. What most people don't know is that the quality of results depends on deck curation and card design, so expect to spend time tweaking fields and tags.

Skritter (Skritter LLC, popular since mid-2010s)

No joke: Skritter focuses on handwriting and stroke order with digital writing recognition. If you want to practice writing kanji the way teachers expect, this app tracks every stroke. Highly recommended for learners aiming to write, not just read.

Kanji Study (Chikaku, Android app)

That reminds me: Kanji Study offers graded lists, quizzes, and customisable SRS for about 3,000 kanji. It’s a one-time purchase on Android and includes JLPT lists, school grade lists, and the option to import vocab from Genki. My tip? Use it alongside a textbook to anchor meanings in context.

Obenkyo and other focused tools

Here's a quick list of other useful apps: Obenkyo for free practice tests, Skim for handwriting practice, and Human Japanese for deep grammatical context. The best part is that many of these integrate JLPT vocabulary lists or let you import decks keyed to Genki chapters.

Using apps with JLPT and textbooks like Genki

Question: how do you align an app with JLPT levels and Genki? Start by listing target kanji counts. For example, Joyo kanji is 2,136 characters from 2010, and JLPT commonly requires roughly 100 kanji for N5, 300 for N4, 600 for N3, 1,000 for N2, and around 2,000 for N1, though estimates vary.

Here's the thing: Genki I and II cover core vocabulary and grammar used in early JLPT levels, and many learners pair Genki chapters with Anki decks labelled by chapter. A great example is tagging Genki vocabulary in Anki or using Kanji Study’s textbook import to study kanji exactly when they appear in lessons.

While we're at it, use JLPT official resources at jlpt.jp to cross-check level expectations. The reason's simple: JLPT lists change subtly over time, so verifying recommended kanji for each level helps you choose app filters and decks.

Practical workflow and study times

Fact: short daily sessions beat marathon cramming. Aim for 20 to 45 minutes of active SRS review plus 10 to 20 minutes of handwriting practice if writing matters to you.

What most people don't know is that combining recognition drills with contextual study doubles retention. Try WaniKani or Anki for recognition, then practice example sentences from Genki or shadow dialogues from your textbook. From my experience, that mix keeps things interesting and meaningful.

On the flip side, relying on a single app rarely covers everything. An app that teaches mnemonics may not show stroke order, and a writing app may not teach readings. Choose two complementary tools instead.

My tip? Set a realistic target, like 30 new kanji per month for basic JLPT prep. Track progress with app statistics and sync that with Genki lesson goals. See what I mean?

Sources

1. Reddit thread: Apps for Kanji
2. WaniKani
3. Anki
4. Skritter
5. Kanji Study on Google Play
6. JLPT official site
7. Genki (The Japan Times / Oxford distribution)