Anki Alternative
A modern, free Anki alternative for Japanese
Anki earned its reputation — spaced repetition works. But it's a generic flashcard app you have to bend toward Japanese, with a dated interface and a paid mobile client. yomion is a Japanese-first rebuild: the same proven scheduling (FSRS, Anki's own new default, plus full SM-2 for purists), with typing practice, reading, kanji, and an AI tutor layered on. And you can bring your Anki decks with you.
How does yomion compare to Anki?
| Feature | Anki | yomion |
|---|---|---|
| SRS engine | SM-2 (the classic) | FSRS (modern, Anki's own new default) + SM-2, per-deck |
| Japanese-first | Generic (any language) | Built for Japanese — furigana, kanji, reading practice |
| Import from Anki | — | CSV free, .apkg on Plus |
| Export to Anki | — | CSV — own your data |
| Typing practice | No | Yes — type romaji/translations to learn |
| AI tutor | No | Judge, explain, and roleplay (paid) |
| Price | $25 desktop + $25 iOS | Free forever; $8/mo for all levels + AI |
| Works offline | Yes | Yes (PWA, local-first) |
Bring your Anki decks
You're not locked in — in either direction. Import existing Anki decks (CSV on the free plan, full .apkg files on Plus) so your hard-won card collection comes along with its scheduling. Export back to CSV anytime. yomion respects that your study data is yours.
FSRS vs SM-2 — you get both
yomion ships FSRS (the Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler — a modern memory model that Anki itself adopted as its default in 2023) and a full, Anki-faithful SM-2 mode. You pick per deck: FSRS for fewer reviews at the same retention, SM-2 if you want your imported Anki decks to behave exactly as they did in Anki. No algorithm lock-in.
More than flashcards
Anki is cards and nothing else. yomion replaces three or four apps: a typing/reading trainer, the SRS engine, a kanji study tool (with stroke order), and — for subscribers — an AI conversation partner. One due queue, one streak, one place to actually use what you've memorized.
- → Free grammar lessons (N5–N1) with furigana and examples
- → A hiragana & katakana trainer with mnemonics
- → Kanji with stroke order and word links
- → JLPT reading practice with tap-for-reading