The best app to learn hiragana and katakana is one that makes you recall each character every day and, ideally, write it: Kana Challenge (ours) for a 30-day plan with stroke checks, Dr. Moku or Hiragana Quest for mnemonics, Write It! Japanese for handwriting, and an Anki deck for review afterwards. Below, seven options compared on writing practice, mnemonics, quiz modes, offline use and price, checked on November 1, 2026, and a 10-character test to see where you stand.
Disclosure: we make Kana Challenge. The other facts come from each app’s US App Store listing, Google Play page and website, checked November 1, 2026. We have no affiliate links.
In short
- A plan with writing and speaking, free: Kana Challenge.
- Mnemonics: Dr. Moku or Hiragana Quest; Tofugu’s free web guide if you want to read first.
- Handwriting: Write It! Japanese. Long-term review: an Anki deck.
How many kana do you know? A 10-character test
Under 7 of 10? An app with a daily plan helps most. 9 or 10? You know the shapes; the full kana quiz adds typing mode and the voiced characters (が, ぱ).
Hiragana and katakana apps compared
| App | Price (US) | Platforms | Writing practice | Mnemonics | Quiz modes | Offline | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kana Challenge (ours) | Free with ads; one-time ad-free purchase | Android, iPhone; the 30-day course also in the browser | Yes: Trace and Write, every stroke checked (Android and iPhone apps) | No | Lesson quiz to 50 correct, audio-first quiz, timed writing game (Tower of Terror, beta), test-out quiz | Lessons and charts, with the ad-free purchase | A 30-day plan with writing and speaking |
| Dr. Moku (Learn Languages with Dr. Moku) | Free to start; Hiragana or Katakana pack $4.99 each, all Japanese $12.99 | Android, iPhone | Animated stroke order to watch; no handwriting check | Yes, picture mnemonics | Reading, listening, combined | Yes | Remembering shapes with mnemonics |
| Write It! Japanese | Free to start; Full Unlock listed at $6.99 to $9.99 on the App Store; Android version shows ads | Android, iPhone | Yes: handwriting recognition, stroke by stroke | Not listed | Timed tests, custom review | Yes | Handwriting practice |
| Hiragana Quest | Free to start; Hiragana or Katakana $5.99, both $8.99 | Android, iPhone | Yes: tracing with stroke guides | Yes, a story per character | Self-tests | Not stated | Story-based mnemonics |
| Duolingo (Characters tab) | Free; Super optional | Android, iPhone | Kana tracing | No | Multiple choice, matching, listening | Not verified | Kana alongside a general course |
| Tofugu’s Learn Hiragana guide (web) | Free to read | Any browser | No | Yes, picture mnemonics | Links to Tofugu’s own kana quiz | No (web page) | Reading the mnemonics before you drill |
| Anki kana deck | Free decks; AnkiDroid and desktop free, AnkiMobile $24.99 once | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone | No (some decks show stroke diagrams) | Depends on the deck | Flashcards with spaced repetition | Yes, once a deck is downloaded | Long-term review after you learn |
Kana Challenge: a 30-day plan with stroke checks (ours)
Kana Challenge teaches five new characters a day for 30 days: hiragana in weeks one and two, katakana from week three, with reviews on days 7, 14, 21 and 30. Each lesson ends when you reach 50 correct answers, and the characters you miss come back more often. You can watch any character’s stroke order, trace it and then write it from memory, with every stroke checked when you lift your finger. Speaking practice plays a model voice and shows a percent match with a per-syllable breakdown.
Platforms and limits: the Android and iPhone apps have the writing modes (Trace, Write) and the timed writing game, the Tower of Terror, which is still in beta. The browser version has the 30-day course. There are no mnemonics, and it teaches kana only, not kanji. It is free with ads; a one-time purchase removes them and adds offline access to lessons and charts.
The other options, and where each one is strongest
Dr. Moku: mnemonics first
Dr. Moku (now listed as Learn Languages with Dr. Moku) ties each character to a picture and a story, then quizzes you in reading, listening and combined modes. It shows animated stroke order but does not check your handwriting, and it works offline. The app is free to start; the Hiragana and Katakana packs are $4.99 each on the US App Store, or $12.99 for all Japanese. The older Android app, Dr. Moku’s Hiragana & Katakana, is no longer on Google Play.
Write It! Japanese: handwriting recognition
Write It! asks you to draw each character and recognises your handwriting stroke by stroke, with timed tests and custom review lists. It works offline. Its US App Store listing shows a Full Unlock at prices from $6.99 to $9.99, and its Google Play page says the Android version contains ads. It does not mention mnemonics.
Hiragana Quest: a story per character
Hiragana Quest gives every character a short story and an image, with tracing and self-tests. It is free to start; on the US App Store, the Hiragana or Katakana set is $5.99 and both are $8.99.
Duolingo’s Characters tab
Duolingo’s Japanese course has a Characters tab where you trace kana and practise them in matching and listening exercises, free. It works if you are already doing the Duolingo course; there are no mnemonics, and freehand writing practice is for kanji, not kana. If you have used Duolingo and want to move on to speaking, see Duolingo alternatives for speaking Japanese.
Tofugu’s free guide (web)
Tofugu’s Learn Hiragana guide and its katakana guide teach every character with a picture mnemonic, free to read. They are reading material rather than an app: pair them with a quiz, such as Tofugu’s own kana quiz or ours.
An Anki kana deck
AnkiWeb’s shared decks include several free hiragana and katakana decks, some with audio and stroke diagrams. Anki schedules each card just before you would forget it, which makes it a strong tool for keeping kana after you learn them. It is free on computers and Android (AnkiDroid); AnkiMobile for iPhone is $24.99 once.
How should you choose a kana app?
- Read first, write second. Reading every character fast is what lets you move on; writing helps memory but can come a few days behind.
- Pick one app, not three. Five minutes a day in one app beats an hour on Sunday spread across several.
- Test yourself outside the app. The kana quiz and the hiragana and katakana charts show whether what you learned carries over. For stroke order, see hiragana stroke order, row by row.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best app to learn hiragana?
Pick by how you learn. For a day-by-day plan with writing checks and speaking, Kana Challenge (ours, free with ads). For mnemonics, Dr. Moku or Hiragana Quest. For handwriting, Write It! Japanese. For long-term review, an Anki deck. Any of them works if you practise a few minutes every day.
Is there a free app to learn hiragana and katakana?
Yes. Kana Challenge is free with ads, including all 30 lessons; Duolingo’s Characters tab is free; Anki decks are free on Android and computers. Dr. Moku, Write It! Japanese and Hiragana Quest are free to start, with paid packs or an unlock for the full set.
Should I learn hiragana and katakana at the same time?
Learn hiragana first, then katakana. Hiragana carries grammar endings and particles, so you need it in every sentence; katakana is mostly for loanwords and names. Most apps, including Kana Challenge, teach hiragana in the first two weeks and katakana after.
Do I need an app that teaches writing?
Not to read, but writing each character a few times helps you remember it and tell look-alikes like シ and ツ apart. Apps that check your strokes, such as Kana Challenge and Write It! Japanese, catch backwards or out-of-order strokes that you would not notice on paper.
How long does it take to learn hiragana and katakana with an app?
It depends on daily practice. Kana Challenge spreads both scripts over 30 days at five new characters a day; learners who practise longer each day can go faster. Retesting the characters you miss matters more than speed.
Last reviewed November 1, 2026. Sources: US App Store listings and Google Play pages for Learn Languages with Dr. Moku, Write It! Japanese, Hiragana Quest, Duolingo and AnkiMobile; Duolingo’s characters announcement (blog.duolingo.com); tofugu.com; ankiweb.net shared decks; our own Kana Challenge product page and App Store listing. Found something out of date? Email fluencytool@my-senpai.com.