Nihongo Flow alternatives — an honest list
If you're looking at Nihongo Flow, you're probably comparing apps. These are the ones we'd point a friend to, what each one does best, and when you should pick it instead of us.
Written by the Nihongo Flow team. We make one of these apps, so read this with that in mind. We give the other apps their wins too and link every source. Facts checked on 2026-11-07. Prices change and differ by country. If something here is out of date, tell us on Discord and we fix it. A dash (—) means the product's own pages don't list it.
What Nihongo Flow is for
Sounding like a person, not like a textbook. You talk with an AI sensei, see the textbook sentence next to how people actually say it, learn in five immersion worlds and review vocabulary right before you'd forget it — from JLPT N5 to N1, explained in 10 languages. The free plan never expires; Premium is €7.99 a month.
The alternatives
Duolingo
A free, playful daily habit if you're just starting. Very polished, with leagues and streaks that keep millions coming back. The Japanese course aims at beginner level.
Bunpro
Grammar for the JLPT. Over 900 grammar points from N5 to N1, sorted by level, plus 25 practice tests. The deepest grammar drill there is.
WaniKani
Kanji. Over 2,000 kanji and 6,000 vocabulary words, each with a mnemonic, over 60 levels. If reading kanji is your main goal, this is the specialist.
Renshuu
A huge amount of material for free: vocabulary, kanji and over 800 grammar expressions, with JLPT and Kanji Kentei paths. Busy, but generous.
LingoDeer
A structured course from the alphabet up, with clear grammar explanations and a kanji writing drill. Feels like a well-made textbook in an app.
Anki
Full control over your own flashcards. Free, endlessly flexible, but you build or download the decks yourself and it takes a while to learn.
Quick picks
- A free, fun daily habit as a total beginner → Duolingo.
- Serious about N3–N1 grammar → Bunpro.
- Kanji is your main goal → WaniKani.
- Lots for free and you don't mind a busy app → Renshuu.
- Your own cards, your own system → Anki.
- You want to talk, and to sound like people actually do → Nihongo Flow.
- Plenty of learners use two: WaniKani for kanji plus Nihongo Flow for speaking, or Bunpro for grammar drills plus Nihongo Flow for conversation.
Free, no credit card. Try it and judge for yourself.
Start free